How to write a prompt for a blog post (with examples)

Start with a writer’s brief

"Write a blog post about X" gets you a blog post about X. It will also read like every other blog post about X.

To get a draft you can actually publish, you need to brief the AI properly. This guide shows what to include, gives you a template and walks through a full example.

Why one-line blog prompts fail

A one-line request leaves the AI to guess:

• Who the post is for
• What angle to take
• How long it should be
• What voice to use
• What your reader already knows
• What you want them to do afterwards

When the model guesses, it picks the safest option for each. The result is correct, bland and interchangeable. The cure is the approach we call Brief Prompting: give the AI the same brief you'd give a freelance writer.

The 10 elements of a blog post prompt

Element	What to write	Why it matters
Role	"Senior B2B content writer"	Sets expertise and register
Goal	The business purpose of the post	Shapes angle and call to action
Reader	Job, knowledge level, worries	Controls depth and vocabulary
Topic and angle	The specific argument, not just subject	Avoids generic overviews
Context	Your product, expertise, real stories	Gives the post substance
Structure	Headings, intro style, FAQ	Controls how it's organised
Length	A word range	Prevents padding
Tone	Described by contrast	Keeps it on brand
Examples	A post you admire	Steers style quickly
Avoid and success	Banned phrases; definition of done	Removes clichés, sets a target

Step by step

1. Start with the goal

Ask what the post is for. Rank for a keyword? Build trust? Drive sign-ups? Write that in one line.

2. Describe the reader

"Small business owners" is thin. Try: "Owners of 5-20 person service businesses who handle their own marketing and have never used AI for writing."

3. Choose an angle, not just a topic

A topic is "email marketing." An angle is "why most small businesses should send fewer emails." Angles make posts worth reading.

4. Supply your own material

AI cannot invent your experience. Give it stories, numbers you actually have, customer questions and opinions. Don't ask it to produce statistics; if you need data, supply it yourself and cite your source.

5. Specify structure

Say how long, which headings, how to open, and whether to end with an FAQ. Models follow structure well when told.

6. Describe the voice

"Conversational but not chatty. Short sentences. A dry joke is fine; emojis are not."

7. Add an example

Paste a paragraph from a post whose voice you like. Say what to borrow.

8. Ban the clichés

List phrases to exclude: "In today's digital landscape," "unlock the power," "game-changer," "delve."

9. Define success

"After reading, the reader should be able to name two changes they will make this week."

A copy-ready template

# Role
You are a [type of writer] with experience in [field].

# Goal
Write a blog post that [business purpose].

# Reader
[Job, knowledge level, main worry].

# Topic and angle
Topic: [topic]. Angle: [specific argument or point of view].

# Context and material
[Product facts, your experience, stories, data you can verify].

# Structure
- Length: [range] words
- Opening: [e.g. a short scene or a direct claim]
- Headings: H2 for sections, H3 where needed
- Ending: [call to action] and a short FAQ

# Tone
[Described by contrast].

# Example of the voice I want
[Paste a paragraph]

# Avoid
[Phrases, claims, formats].

# Success criteria
[What the reader should think or do afterwards].

Worked example

Suppose you run a bookkeeping service and want a post for new clients.

# Role
You are a plain-spoken finance writer who explains accounting to non-accountants.

# Goal
Write a blog post that helps freelancers decide whether they need a bookkeeper, ending with an invitation to book a free 20-minute call.

# Reader
Freelance designers and consultants earning EUR 40-100k, who do their own invoices and dread tax season. No accounting background.

# Topic and angle
Topic: bookkeeping for freelancers. Angle: the real cost of doing it yourself is hours and stress, not just mistakes.

# Context and material
We work with about 60 freelancers. Common problem: receipts lost across email and phone. Our monthly service starts at a flat fee. Do not invent statistics.

# Structure
- 1,200-1,400 words
- Open with a short scene: a freelancer on 30 December hunting for receipts
- H2 sections: signs you've outgrown DIY, what a bookkeeper actually does, what it costs in time vs money, how to decide
- End with the call invitation and a 3-question FAQ

# Tone
Warm and direct, like a sensible friend. Never condescending. No jargon without a one-line explanation.

# Avoid
"Navigate", "landscape", "unlock", scare tactics about audits, exclamation marks.

# Success criteria
The reader can tell in two minutes whether they need a bookkeeper.

Compare that with "write a blog post about bookkeeping for freelancers." The first gives the model nearly everything a human writer would ask.

ChatGPT or Claude: does formatting matter?

Both handle the template above. ChatGPT works well with markdown headings. Claude tends to respond well to XML-style tags such as <goal> and <audience>, which mark sections clearly. PromptDeck writes the prompt in the right format for the model you choose. See ChatGPT vs Claude prompting and Claude XML prompting.

After the first draft

• Check facts. AI can state wrong things confidently. Verify every claim.
• Edit with specifics. "Cut the intro by half, make the second section more concrete" beats "improve it."
• Save what worked. Reuse the brief next time and change only the topic and angle.
• Avoid common traps. Our list of 12 prompt mistakes is a good checklist.

If you also write ads and landing pages, see marketing copy prompts.

Let an interview write the prompt

Filling the template by hand works. It's also easy to forget a field, or to stare at a blank section. PromptDeck asks the questions one card at a time: Quick has about 8, Standard about 15, Deep about 25. It can also find real published blog posts as reference examples, then produces one prompt you paste into ChatGPT or Claude.

Try PromptDeck free with your next post. The first prompt is on us; Pro is €9/month (100 credits) or €79/year. You can also browse examples in the library.

FAQ

How long should a blog post prompt be?

Long enough to cover goal, reader, angle, structure, tone and exclusions, which is often 150-400 words. Length matters less than including what the AI can't guess.

Should I ask the AI to write the whole post at once?

For short posts, yes. For long ones, ask for an outline first, approve it, then request sections. This keeps you in control of direction.

How do I stop AI blog posts sounding generic?

Supply your own stories and opinions, pick a specific angle, paste a voice example and ban clichéd phrases.

Can AI-written posts rank on Google?

Quality and usefulness matter more than who wrote it. Add real expertise, verify facts and edit the draft rather than publishing it untouched.

Does the prompt differ for ChatGPT and Claude?

The content is the same. The format can differ: markdown headings for ChatGPT, XML tags for Claude.