Marketing as a discipline is forever evolving. Every decade, a new so called 'game-changer' rewrites the rules.
And now, we’re in the AI era. ChatGPT, MidJourney, and generative AI tools aren’t just novelties - they’re reshaping content creation, ad optimization, and customer engagement.
Only marketers who know how to use AI effectively will win.
Key Takeaways
The marketing landscape sure has changed dramatically over the last 50 years!
📺 1970s–1980s: The Golden Age of TV & Print
Big brands ruled with flashy TV commercials, glossy magazine spreads, and catchy jingles (think Coca-Cola’s “I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke” or Apple's 1984 ad). If you had a massive budget, you won.
💻 1990s–2000s: The Rise of Digital & SEO
The internet changed everything. Suddenly, brands had websites, email marketing exploded, and Google became the new battleground. Smart marketers figured out SEO before the rest, ranking high with well-placed keywords and backlinks.
📱 2010s: Social Media & Influencers Take Over
Social platforms reshaped marketing. Brands that mastered Facebook ads, Instagram storytelling, and influencer partnerships skyrocketed. Remember when Kylie Jenner sold out her entire lip kit line in minutes? That was social-first marketing at its peak.
🤖 2020s: AI Becomes the Ultimate Marketing Tool
And now, we’re in the AI era. Generative AI tools are everywhere and the Large Language Models that power them are growing exponentially at a speed of change not seen before in the technological revolution. Everyday marketing tasks once done by humans can be replaced by machines.
Well not quite!
AI is a tool, not a human replacement. Just like any tool, it’s only as good as the person using it.
Prompting (or prompt engineering) is the skill that separates mediocre AI-generated content from brand-aligned, high-performing marketing assets. It’s the difference between getting a generic, forgettable ad and one that actually converts.
If you don’t master prompt engineering, you’ll get the same generic, uninspired results as everyone else.
This is not just a fad, AI is here to stay and will impact the way marketers work more than anything that has come before.
Prompt engineering is the art of giving AI clear, strategic instructions to get the best results. It’s the bridge between human intent and machine output, ensuring AI understands what you need - not just what you type. Done right, it turns AI from a generic responder into a powerful marketing assistant.
AI doesn’t "think" like humans. It doesn’t brainstorm. It doesn’t have instincts. It follows patterns and responds based on how well you guide it.
Give it a vague prompt, and you’ll get vague results. Give it a well-structured prompt, and suddenly AI becomes a creative powerhouse.
Think of it like working with a new intern. If you say, “Write a blog about marketing,” you'll get a generic response.
But if you say, “Write a blog on how AI is changing marketing, using real-world examples, a conversational tone, and short paragraphs,” you’ll get something much more specific and useful.
The best marketers are beginning to understand that prompting isn’t about asking AI to do the work - it’s about instructing AI to think like you do.
Context, specificity, and clarity are everything. AI is not a mind reader. Use it correctly, and it can become your ultimate marketing assistant.
Full blown 'prompt engineering' often involves coding skills and a background in Python, whilst this can be useful just being a capable 'prompter' is a skill that marketers will need to leverage.
So whilst you will not need to cover all the skills that would constitute being a fully qualified 'Prompt Engineer', understanding how to communicate with AI using prompts will allow you to achieve much more in the same time as someone not using AI, and you can do it at a much higher quality.
A great prompt is like a great marketing brief—clear, specific, and structured.
There is a multitude of techniques and approaches to prompting that will differ depending on the task at hand.
Plus as we are still in the early days of prompting there are new creative ways being tested all the time and far too many to cover in this article. Keep an eye out for a deeper dive into this in a future article.
However, here are a few core guidelines for you to follow to start prompting like a pro:
AI takes prompts literally. If you do not specify what you need it will fill in the blanks by itself.
Bad prompt: “Write an email about our new product.”
Better prompt: “Write a punchy, conversion-focused email announcing our new AI-powered analytics tool. Keep it under 100 words, highlight ease of use, and end with a strong CTA.”
Bad prompt: "Write a blog post about marketing."
Better prompt: "Write a 500-word blog post on how AI is changing B2B marketing. Use a conversational tone and include 3 real-world examples."
More details increases the chance of better results.
If you wouldn’t send the request to a team member, don’t send it to AI.
Tell AI exactly how to structure its response, otherwise you might get an essay when you needed a list.
Also, AI learns from patterns, you can give it examples of what you like.
The more structure you provide, the closer the AI output will be to what you need.
Instead of just asking AI to “write,” give it a role.
When AI knows who it’s writing as, the results feel more strategic and refined.
AI gets better with feedback. If the output isn’t perfect, adjust and re-prompt.
Treat AI like a creative assistant, not a one-click solution. The more you refine, the stronger the final result.
Not all AI models work the same way. A great prompt for ChatGPT might flop in other models.
Some models are built for text, others for visuals, and each one interprets instructions differently. The best marketers tailor their prompts to the platform they’re using - not just copy-paste the same request everywhere.
More words don’t always mean better results. Overloading AI with too much detail can confuse it, leading to bloated or irrelevant responses.
The key is precision - just enough context and constraints to guide AI without overwhelming it. Sometimes, a sharp 10-word prompt beats a rambling paragraph.
Wrong. AI isn’t just about text generation. Marketers use prompt engineering for image generation, ad optimization, data analysis, and audience insights.
AI can label and structure marketing data, fine-tune ad targeting, and even predict trends - but only if you know how to ask the right questions.
Good prompts aren’t just about writing - they’re about strategy. The best marketers know how to adapt, refine, and optimize their prompts to get AI delivering optimum results.
AI is reshaping marketing, and prompt engineering (prompting) will be a core skill - not optional. Here’s what’s coming:
Marketers won’t write from scratch, many already are no longer doing so. AI will draft, repurpose, and personalize content - but only those who prompt it well will get quality results.
Brands won’t rely on generic AI. They’ll train multiple AI models on their own data, tone, and strategy.
Marketing teams will hire AI specialists to refine tone, optimize prompts, and analyze AI-driven insights. Companies that don’t up skill will fall behind.
AI is already improving at self-prompting - revising its own outputs, asking clarifying questions, and refining responses based on feedback.
However, it still lacks true intent, judgment, and brand-specific understanding.
AI will get better at optimizing its own prompts, but marketers will still need to guide it, provide context, and set clear objectives.
The best results will come from human-AI collaboration, not AI working alone.
The good news is you don’t need to be technical to master prompt engineering. You just need to start!
Your first AI output won’t be perfect. Treat it like a rough draft. Tweak your prompt, add constraints, and experiment to get better results. Small prompt changes = big improvements.
Try different structures: short vs. long prompts, casual vs. formal tone, bullet points vs. paragraphs. The more you test, the better you’ll understand what works.
AI is a tool—not a replacement for strategy, creativity, or brand voice. The best results come when you guide AI like you would a junior marketer.
Prompt engineering and the concept of communicating with AI isn’t a trend - it’s the future of marketing.
AI won’t replace marketers - it will empower those who know how to use it, this is just the beginning.
