You’re Using AI Wrong (And Here’s How to Fix It): 6 Simple Prompts That Get 10x Better Results

Prompts on How to Actually Get Good Results From AI

So, you’ve done it. We’ve all done it. You open up ChatGPT or Gemini, hyped for the AI revolution, your fingers tingling with the promise of ultimate productivity. You type in, “Give me some video ideas for a tech channel.”

And the results… meh.

You get back the most generic, boring, uninspired list on Earth: “1. Unboxing video. 2. Phone review. 3. Top 5 gadgets.” Wow. Groundbreaking. Thanks, HAL. I could have gotten that from a 2010 textbook. You’re left staring at the screen, wondering if this whole “AI revolution” is just a very expensive magic trick.

Here’s the secret: The Artificial Intelligence isn’t the problem. We are.

We’re all treating these powerful, complex Large Language Models (LLMs) like a dim-witted Google search bar. And that’s just wrong. Asking AI for “video ideas” is like walking into a high-end cafe and shouting, “Give me food!” You’ll get something, probably a plain, dry piece of bread, but it’s not the glorious, double-cheese, garlic-loaded, artisan flatbread you were actually dreaming of.

You have to order properly. An AI is not a search engine. It’s an intern. A very, very fast intern who has read the entire internet, has zero common sense, and is extremely literal. You have to be the boss.

As tech reviewers, our job is to find the angle. So, let’s stop being sloppy with our prompts. Here are 6 simple ways to stop getting garbage answers and start getting 10x better results.

1. Assign a Persona (The “Role Play” Tactic)

Never, ever let the AI answer as the default “helpful assistant.” That guy is boring, obsequious, and programmed to be as neutral as a glass of water. The fastest way to fundamentally change the quality, tone, and depth of an answer is to tell the AI who it is.

• Bad Prompt: “Explain what DDR5 RAM is.”
  • Why it’s Bad: You’ll get a dry, technical definition about “double data rate” and “clock speeds.” Your audience will be asleep before you finish the first sentence. It’s correct, but it’s not helpful.
• Good Prompt: “Act as a professional tech reviewer for a major YouTube channel like Adam Lobo TV. A fan, who is a total beginner at PC building, asks you to explain what DDR5 RAM is. Explain it in simple, exciting terms and tell them if they really need it for their new mid-range gaming PC. Focus on the value.”
  • Why it’s 10x Better: You’ve given it a persona (pro tech reviewer), an audience (a beginner fan), and a goal (explain value, make it exciting). Now you’ll get an answer that sounds like it belongs in one of our videos, probably starting with “Look, here’s the deal…”

This works for everything. Try “Act as a cynical movie critic from the 1940s” or “Act as a fitness coach who is sick of excuses.” You’re forcing the AI to filter its vast knowledge through a specific, interesting lens.

2. Provide Context and Intent (The “Why?”)

The AI cannot read your mind. I know, shocking. It has no idea why you’re asking for something. You have to provide the “why” and the “what for.” This is the difference between getting a random fact and a targeted solution.

• Bad Prompt: “Write 5 catchy subject lines for my newsletter.”
  • Why it’s Bad: Catchy for what? To whom? The AI will just give you clickbait junk like “You Won’t Believe This!” or “An Important Update.” Yawn. This is email marketing suicide.
• Good Prompt: “I’m writing my weekly tech newsletter for our audience, who are mostly tech-savvy consumers. The brand voice is witty, sharp, and a bit sceptical. The main story is the new rumour that Apple is putting ads in Apple Maps. Give me 5 subject lines that are catchy, create urgency, and match that witty, sceptical tone.”
  • Why it’s 10x Better: By providing the brand voice (witty, sceptical), the topic (Apple Maps ads), and the audience, you’ve given it guardrails. Now it can generate gems like, “Your Apple Maps Might Show Ads… So Much For ‘Free’?” or “Get Ready for a ‘Detour’ to That New Coffee Shop Ad.”

3. Demand a Specific Format (The “Don’t Be Sloppy” Rule)

This is our bread and butter as reviewers. AI will always default to a long, messy, multi-paragraph essay. Why? Because it’s trying to be “comprehensive.” But “comprehensive” is often “unusable.” You have to be the demanding boss and tell them exactly how you want the output delivered.

• Bad Prompt: “Compare the new iPhone 17 Pro and the Google Pixel 10 Pro.”
  • Why it’s Bad: You’ll get a “wall of text.” A few paragraphs on the iPhone, a few on the Pixel, and a weak “it depends on the user” conclusion. It’s useless for a review script or a quick comparison.
• Good Prompt: “Create a simple comparison table for the iPhone 17 Pro vs. the Google Pixel 10 Pro. The columns must be: Feature, iPhone 17 Pro, and Pixel 10 Pro. The rows must be: Price, Main Camera (Megapixels & Sensor), Telephoto Zoom, AI Features, and The ‘One Big X-Factor’. After the table, write one sentence on who should buy each.”
  • Why it’s 10x Better: You’ve dictated the entire structure. The AI is now forced to find the data and organise it into a clean, scannable table that you can drop straight into a script or a blog post. Want bullet points? Ask for “5 key bullet points.” Want a script? Ask for it “formatted as a 2-column video script with ‘VISUAL’ and ‘AUDIO’ columns.”

4. Give It Examples (The “Like This” Method)

Don’t just tell the AI what you want; show it. This is the single best way to get a specific tone or style. “Funny” is subjective. “Witty” is subjective. Your idea of “professional” is different from theirs. So, give it a pattern to copy.

• Bad Prompt: “Write a catchy YouTube title for my review of the new ROG Phone 9. Make it sound like a tech reviewer.”
  • Why it’s Bad: Its idea of a “tech reviewer” title is probably “ROG Phone 9: The Best Gaming Phone?” Weak. So weak. It’s a title, but it has no personality.
• Good Prompt: “I need to write YouTube titles in our channel’s style. Here are 3 examples we’ve used:
  1. ‘This Is the ONE Flaw Stopping Me From Buying the S25 Ultra.’
  2. ‘I Used the Pixel 10 for 7 Days… I’m Shocked.’
  3. ‘The M6 iPad Pro is a Monster… But Please Don’t Buy It.’ Now, generate 5 title options for my new video on the ROG Phone 9. The main point is that it’s insanely powerful, but the battery life is terrible.”
  • Why it’s 10x Better: You’ve given it a clear pattern to mimic (Intriguing Statement + Ellipsis + Surprising Conclusion). Now it will generate usable titles like: “The ROG Phone 9 is a Gaming Beast… With a Fatal Flaw” or “I Played on This for 2 Hours… And Then It Died.”

5. Make the AI Interview You (The “Uno Reverse” Card)

This is the boss-level move. For big, complex tasks (like planning a whole video or a business strategy), don’t try to write one perfect, giant prompt. You’ll fail. Instead, flip the script and make the AI do the heavy lifting.

• Bad Prompt: “Help me plan a 5-minute review video for the new Samsung Galaxy Buds 4.”
  • Why it’s Bad: The AI has no choice but to give you a generic, cookie-cutter script: “Start with an unboxing… then talk about design… then sound quality… then conclude.” It’s the template everyone has used since 2015. Bor-ing.
• Good Prompt: “I need to plan a 5-minute review video script for the new Samsung Galaxy Buds 4. To give me the best, most unique angle, I want you to act as my Executive Producer. Ask me 5-7 questions one by one about my experience. For example, ask about the ‘wow’ factor, the biggest disappointment, the target audience, and what other buds I’ve tested. Do not give me a script outline until you have all my answers.”
  • Why it’s 10x Better: This forces the AI to collaborate. It will pull the unique, personal details from you, and then build an outline around your actual experience, not a generic template. The final script will be 100% yours, just structured by a pro.

6. Tell It What Not to Do (The “Negative Constraint”)

AIs are like hyper-eager golden retrievers. They want to please you, so they’ll bring you everything. “You asked about the iPhone? Here’s the price, the history of Apple, the screen tech, and a fun fact about Steve Jobs!” Sometimes, the key to a great answer is telling it what to leave out.

• Bad Prompt: “Give me some ideas for my video about the new iPhone 17 camera.”
  • Why it’s Bad: It will give you generic ideas and will almost certainly include talking points about price, battery life, and the new A-series chip, because its programming screams “these topics are related!”
• Good Prompt: “I’m brainstorming angles for a video on the iPhone 17’s new camera system. Give me 5 video concepts that only focus on the camera. Do not mention price, battery life, or performance. I want creative ideas, like a ‘Pro Photographer Tries It’ or a ‘Low-Light Challenge’ concept.”
  • Why it’s 10x Better: By adding a negative constraint (“Do not mention…”), you force the AI to be creative within a limited box. This sharpens its focus immediately and stops it from defaulting to the same old tired talking points.

Conclusion: Stop Searching, Start Directing

So, there you have it. Stop being the confused person who treats a super-intern like a search bar. Be the boss.

The quality of your AI output is a direct reflection of the quality of your input. These tools aren’t magic; they’re instruments. A guitar in the hands of a beginner makes noise. In the hands of a pro, it makes music.

Give your AI a role, provide context, set constraints, show it examples, and make it work for you. Once you make these simple shifts, you’ll finally unlock those 10x results everyone’s been hyping up.

Now go and un-wrong your AI. You’re welcome.

Hopefully, your prompts are now 10x better. If you like guides that cut through the hype, along with all the daily tech news and reviews you actually need, you know where to find us. Stay sharp, and stay tuned to Adam Lobo TV!