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"Sander Schulhoff"

August 7, 2024

5 minutes

🟢easy Reading Level

Takeaways

AI speeds up blog writing: AI helps reduce the time needed to write blog posts, though user input is still necessary.
Iterative process: Writing with AI involves crafting prompts, refining outputs, and iterating for high-quality content.

What if you could write a blog post in 5 seconds?

Frankly, you can't. But AI can significantly reduce the time it takes to write a blog post.

This page covers the basics of using AI to help you write a blog. The process should be iterative: you should be writing prompts, seeing what the model outputs, taking pieces of the output, and repeating this.

For example, pretend you work at a nursery and are drafting an article about "Why Christmas Cacti are a great buy". I always like to start with an outline, so let's begin with the following prompt:

Prompt

Write an outline for a short blog post about why Christmas Cacti are a great buy.

AI Output

I. Introduction A. Overview of Christmas Cacti B. Benefits of owning a Christmas Cacti

II. Christmas Cacti Are Affordable A. Cost of Christmas Cacti B. Comparison to Other Houseplants

III. Christmas Cacti Have Long Lifespans A. Average Lifespan of Christmas Cacti B. Low Maintenance Requirements

IV. Christmas Cacti Make Great Gifts A. Unique Color and Shape of Blooms B. Easy to Care for and Long Lasting

V. Conclusion A. Summary of Benefits of Owning a Christmas Cacti B. Where to Find a Christmas Cacti C. Suggestions for Care and Maintenance

Wow, that's quite comprehensive. Maybe we want a slightly shorter post, so let's ask the AI to write a shorter version using this prompt:

Prompt

That's a great outline, but a bit long. Condense it to the main points:

Note

We are assuming that you are using ChatGPT (if not, just put the outline before this new prompt)

Here is the model output:

AI Output

I. Introduction A. Overview of Christmas Cacti

II. Benefits A. Affordable B. Long Lifespan C. Great Gifts

III. Conclusion A. Summary of Benefits B. Where to Find C. Suggestions for Care and Maintenance

Perfect! Now let's ask it to use this outline to write a full blog post:

Prompt

Write a short blog post using this outline about why Christmas Cacti are a great buy.

AI Output

Christmas Cacti are a great buy for the holiday season! They are an affordable and long-lasting option that makes great gifts. Christmas Cacti are easy to find in most garden and plant stores, and they range in price from a few dollars to more expensive, depending on the size and shape of the plant.

These plants are also known for their long lifespan. If cared for properly, they can last for many years, providing your friends and family with an evergreen reminder of the holiday spirit. Christmas Cacti are fairly low maintenance and require minimal care, making them a great option for someone who does not have a lot of experience with plants. They should be placed in a bright and sunny spot, watered regularly, and given plant food every month or so.

Overall, Christmas Cacti are a great buy for the holidays. They are affordable, have a long lifespan, and make great gifts. With minimal care and attention, these plants can provide a beautiful reminder of the holiday season for years to come.

Alright, that seems pretty good. We probably want to add some information about our company and our pricing on Christmas Cacti, so let's use the following prompt:

Prompt

Perfect! Add a paragraph at the end about our company and pricing on Christmas Cacti. Company: Prickly Point Nursery Price for a Christmas Cacti: $10-$25

Here is the model output:

AI Output

At Prickly Point Nursery, we specialize in providing high-quality plants and flowers for everyone's needs. We are proud to offer an extensive range of Christmas Cacti at great prices. Prices range from $10 for smaller plants to $25 for larger ones, so you're sure to find the perfect one for any budget. Our staff is always on hand to provide helpful advice and tips on how to care for your plants, so you can keep your Christmas Cacti looking fresh and beautiful for years to come. Thank you for considering Prickly Point Nursery for your holiday plant needs!

This is a pretty good blog post!

When I write content, I usually use ChatGPT or GPT-3, but there are several other tools that can help you write blogs, like Jasper AI and Copy.ai. These usually rely on GPT-3 behind the scenes, but they have several other features that can help you write content.

Sander Schulhoff

Sander Schulhoff is the Founder of Learn Prompting and an ML Researcher at the University of Maryland. He created the first open-source Prompt Engineering guide, reaching 3M+ people and teaching them to use tools like ChatGPT. Sander also led a team behind Prompt Report, the most comprehensive study of prompting ever done, co-authored with researchers from the University of Maryland, OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, Princeton, Stanford, and other leading institutions. This 76-page survey analyzed 1,500+ academic papers and covered 200+ prompting techniques.