Prompt Playbook: Crafting Words & Images That Work
- Pei Yen Hew
- Oct 8
- 5 min read
In the AI era, creativity is no longer just a "pretty picture." It becomes the strategic asset you inject into the system. With the right prompts, you get persuasive copy, on-brand visuals, and better-optimised campaigns, all in less time. That’s why we compiled this “prompt bank”: a library of proven formulas your team can use to deliver consistent, high-quality results.
Key Takeaways:
Always ground your prompts with clear subjects, settings, or styles to avoid vague or generic results.
Give AI the mood and emotion you want it to capture, not just a list of facts, so the output feels alive and intentional.
Draw inspiration from real-life references, cultural cues, or trending ideas to make the content instantly relatable; authenticity shines brighter than generic filler every single time.
Don’t settle on the first try! Experiment with small tweaks in phrasing to unlock very different outcomes.
From catchy email subject lines to engaging social media captions and video scripts, generative AI acts as a powerful co-pilot. AI image generators can also create unique visuals for ads and websites in minutes. It helps you create diverse, high-quality content quickly, keeping your messaging fresh and engaging.
6 Formulas for Better AI-Generated Images & Copy
Here are six simple formulas for your team to follow when using AI: to prompt images and copy that actually work, spark breakthrough ideas or emotional insights, and guide your campaigns with effective recommendations.
TASK
Always begin with a clear action verb: Generate, Create, Write, or Render, and be direct about what you need. Describe how the pose should look, and one doing a specific gesture.
Examples:
“Generate a 1080x1080 image of a modern Asian woman holding a red angpao in front of a luxury shopping mall entrance.”
“Write Instagram captions in a Gen Z tone.”
TONE/ MOOD
Use keywords to lock in the vibe so the AI gets the right feeling. You could find a real, human emotion or problem nobody else has noticed. This insight is the fuel for your prompts.
Examples:
“Create a relatable meme-style visual"
"Design an infographic showing peace-of-mind features"
"Write reassuring copy for smart home products"
"Write heartwarming campaign lines"
CONTEXT
Give the AI details about the campaign, audience, and platform (what, who, and where) so it can deliver relevant results.
Examples:
“Image for a CNY campaign by a lifestyle brand, targeting 25–35yo professionals in Malaysia.”
“Generate a personalised thank-you video script from the founder for customers making their third purchase.”
“Generate 5 ad headline ideas for a skincare promo in Malaysia, targeting Facebook and Instagram."
“Write a B2B follow-up email for SMEs who downloaded our whitepaper. Keep the tone professional yet approachable.”
VISUAL REFERENCES
Guide the look by describing styles, moods, or even referencing artists so the AI has a blueprint to follow. Define your fixed colour palette, style, and key visual elements.
Examples:
“In the style of luxury lifestyle ads, with warm lighting, soft shadows, and a confident expression.”
“Inspired by K-pop aesthetics and Apple-like minimalism.”
PERSONA
Tell the AI who to act as so it creates from the right perspective.
Examples:
“Act as a senior art director for a premium lifestyle brand.”
“Imagine you’re a Vogue photographer doing a fashion editorial.”
FORMAT
Be specific about dimensions, framing, or structure to save time on post-editing.
Examples:
“1080x1920 vertical story format, centre-focused, high contrast.”
“Full body shot, centred, plain white background.”
“Give me 10 short bullet headlines.”
“Write in a 3-sentence Facebook ad style.”
Putting It All Together - Example Prompt
“Create a 728 × 90 px leaderboard graphic for [insert ad concept here] for company XYZ, strictly adhering to its brand book guidelines. Use a fixed colour palette: deep navy, warm gold, light beige, and emerald green. The style must be modern, minimalist, and elegant, featuring simple geometric lines and subtle gradients. The company's logo and slogan must be visible on the banner in a legible typography that matches the brand book. Always apply consistent lighting—soft and directional from the top-left corner, with delicate shadows. The background can feature simple geometric forms or gradient transitions within the established colour palette. The entire design should reflect the brand's values: innovation, trust, and premium quality. The target audience consists of [insert audience, e.g., young professionals seeking premium financial solutions / tech-savvy individuals/business decision-makers.]”
Market Research in 48 Hours (Not 4 Weeks)
Let’s be real, traditional market research is sloooow. Spending weeks trawling through blogs, bestseller lists, and random forums? Painful. But with AI, you can compress that whole process into just a couple of days and still get sharper insights.
Here’s how it works: the AI scans live data from across the web: reviews, articles, forums, product pages, and distils it all into a clear overview. It identifies trends, highlights gaps, and reveals what customers actually want. Basically, it’s like having a full-time analyst working for you 24/7, minus the salary.
So how do you set it up?
STEP 1: SET THE SCENE
Kick things off by giving the AI a role and context. For example:“Act as a market research analyst focused on German e-commerce. My company sells eco-friendly dog accessories, and I want to identify opportunities before launching on Amazon.de.”
STEP 2: ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
Don’t just throw one big question at it. Guide the AI step by step. For instance:
Bestseller scan: “What are the top 5 trending eco-friendly dog products in Germany over the last 6 months?”
Customer insights: “For these products, what do buyers rave about, and what are their top complaints?”
Gap spotting: “Based on those pain points, suggest 3 potential product ideas that solve real unmet needs.”
STEP 3: TURN IT INTO A PLAN
Once you’ve gathered the raw insights, get the AI to organise everything into a neat table with:
Market gap
Customer pain point
Key product feature
Suggested price range (€)
STEP 4: PUT INSIGHTS INTO ACTION
Now you’ve got a blueprint. Use it to prioritise which products to launch, sharpen your positioning, and build a strategy that actually matches what the market wants. Save the prompts and variants that perform best and use them as your starting point for new creatives!
Last but not least, authenticity must be at the forefront of our minds in the age of AI. Searchers want genuine human insight and perspective, because a generic synopsis is obviously not enough. The best prompts don’t just feed AI instructions; they inject your unique voice, context, and lived experience. That’s what turns outputs from generic filler into work that actually resonates.
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