The gap between ChatGPT giving you something useful and giving you something generic comes down to one thing: how specific your prompt is.

Most people type a vague request and get a vague result. Then they decide AI isn't that helpful. But when you hand the tool the right context — your business type, your customer, the exact task you need done — the output is genuinely usable, often in under two minutes.

Below are seven marketing tasks you probably do every week. For each one, there's a prompt you can copy straight into ChatGPT or Claude, with a note on what to swap out for your business.

1. Writing a social media post for a specific offer

Write a social media caption for [Facebook/Instagram] promoting [describe the offer, e.g. "20% off all haircuts in June"]. My business is [business name], a [business type] based in [suburb/city]. My customers are [describe them, e.g. "local families and working professionals aged 25-45"]. Keep it under 100 words. Use a friendly, direct tone — no hashtag spam. End with a clear call to action to [book online/call us/DM us].

Customise it: Swap in the specific offer, your location and your preferred call to action. If you want a particular tone (funny, warm, urgent), add that too.

2. Responding to a positive Google review

Write a short, warm response to this positive Google review for my [business type] in [suburb]. The review says: "[paste the review text here]". Keep it under 60 words. Thank the customer by name if their name is in the review. Mention something specific from their review to show it's personalised, not a template. Don't use phrases like "We truly appreciate..." or "It means the world to us".

Customise it: Paste the actual review in place of the placeholder. Add a line about any current promotion if you want to include a soft mention.

3. Responding to a negative Google review

Write a professional, measured response to this negative Google review for my [business type] in [suburb]. The review says: "[paste the review text here]". Keep it under 80 words. Acknowledge the customer's experience without being defensive. Don't admit fault if the situation is disputed — just show we take feedback seriously. Invite them to contact us directly to resolve it. Include our phone number: [your number].

Customise it: Replace the review text and your contact details. If there are specific facts you want acknowledged or avoided, add them as a note at the end of the prompt.

4. Drafting a follow-up email after a sales conversation

Write a follow-up email to send after a discovery call or sales conversation. My business is [business name], a [business type] in [suburb/city]. The customer's name is [name]. We spoke about [briefly describe what was discussed, e.g. "redesigning their website and setting up Google Ads"]. I quoted them approximately $[amount]. Keep the email under 150 words. Friendly but professional tone. No hard sell — the goal is to stay top of mind and make it easy for them to say yes.

Customise it: Fill in the customer name, conversation summary and price. If there was a specific concern they raised during the call, add it so the email can address it.

5. Writing a homepage headline and subheading for a service business

Write five options for a homepage headline and subheading for a [business type] based in [suburb/city]. My main customers are [describe them]. The biggest thing I want potential customers to know is [one sentence — e.g. "we're available same-day and don't charge call-out fees"]. Keep each headline under 10 words. Keep each subheading under 20 words. Plain English. No marketing jargon. No exclamation marks.

Customise it: The "biggest thing I want customers to know" line is the most important one to get right. Be specific. "We're local" is vague. "We're based in Marrickville and do same-day callouts" is not.

6. Generating 10 content ideas for a specific industry

Give me 10 content ideas for a [business type] in [suburb/city] targeting [describe your audience]. Content can be for blog posts, social media, Google Business updates or short videos. Each idea should address a real question, concern or decision that my customers face. Don't suggest topics that are generic — I want ideas that would only make sense for a [business type], not any small business.

Customise it: Add context about what content you've already created if you want to avoid overlap. You can also ask it to focus on a specific channel ("only Instagram Reels ideas") or a specific time of year ("ideas relevant to the school holidays").

7. Writing an SMS reminder for an appointment

Write a short SMS reminder to send to a customer the day before their appointment. My business is [business name], a [business type]. Include: the customer's name ([Name]), the appointment date and time ([date/time]), the address ([address]), and a link to reschedule if needed: [link or phone number]. Keep it under 160 characters if possible. Friendly but not over-casual.

Customise it: If you have a booking system that handles reminders, use it. This prompt is for businesses sending manual or semi-manual reminders via tools like SimpleTexting, Klaviyo or even a standard business SMS app.

8. Creating a simple marketing campaign brief

Write a one-page marketing campaign brief for my business. Business: [business name], a [business type] in [suburb/city]. Campaign goal: [e.g. "get 10 new bookings in June for our winter skin treatment package"]. Target audience: [describe them]. Budget: approximately $[amount] across [timeframe]. Channels available: [e.g. Facebook Ads, email list, Google Business, organic social]. Format it as: Goal, Audience, Key message, Channels and tactics, Timeline, How we'll measure success.

Customise it: The goal needs to be specific, not "get more customers." Give it a number and a timeframe. The more specific the goal, the more useful the brief.

A note on editing what comes back

None of these prompts will produce something you post without reading first. The output is a starting point, not a finished product. Read it out loud. Does it sound like you? Does it say what you actually want to say? Edit accordingly.

The other thing worth knowing: AI doesn't know what makes your business different. It doesn't know your regulars by name, what your suburb is like on a Tuesday morning, or the specific thing your customers always compliment you on. That context lives with you. The more of it you put into the prompt, the less editing you'll need to do on the other end.

If you'd rather not spend hours testing prompts

These templates will save you time. But for most small business owners, the real goal isn't to become an AI power user — it's to spend less time on marketing admin and more time running the business.

If you'd rather have this running properly in your business without spending hours testing prompts, book a free 20-minute discovery call at qode.com.au/contact. We'll look at your current marketing tasks and tell you exactly where AI will save you the most time.

For businesses ready to go further, the AI Strategy Session ($2,500) covers a full audit of your operations, a custom AI roadmap, and the first automations built together in a single day. It's designed for business owners who are done experimenting and want a clear system that actually runs.