The single biggest predictor of whether ChatGPT saves or wastes your time is prompt quality. Vague prompts produce vague, forgettable output. Specific prompts, with your context, your goals and a clear output format, produce work you actually use.
These are 20 prompts we and our clients use every week. Copy, paste, adapt to your business. Each one should save between 15 minutes and 2 hours per use.
Tip: save these into your ChatGPT "Customise ChatGPT" memory or a dedicated prompts document so they're one click away.
Marketing & content
1. Blog post outline
> You are an experienced content strategist for UK small businesses. Create a 1,500-word blog post outline on [topic] for [audience]. Structure: H1, hook paragraph, 5 H2 sections with 2–3 H3 subpoints each, FAQ with 4 Qs, CTA. For each section, give a one-line summary of what it covers. Use British English.
2. LinkedIn post from a long doc
> Turn this [article / podcast transcript / internal doc] into a 150-word LinkedIn post written for UK founders. Hook in first 2 lines, 5 short bullet-point insights, closing question. No emojis, no corporate jargon. Voice: [insert 3 voice adjectives].
3. Email subject line variants
> Give me 15 subject line variants for an email about [topic] targeting [audience]. Constraints: under 45 characters each, no exclamation marks or "FREE", 5 written as a direct question, 5 as a curiosity hook, 5 as a direct value statement.
4. Google Ads copy
> Write 10 responsive search ad headlines (30 characters max) and 5 descriptions (90 characters max) for a Google Ads campaign. Business: [business], offer: [offer], target audience: [audience]. Focus on a clear USP and one specific outcome.
5. Social media content calendar
> Build a 30-day LinkedIn content calendar for [business type]. Rotate 4 post types weekly: (1) expertise, (2) point of view, (3) behind the scenes, (4) personal. Each day: post type, topic, hook, and 3-sentence outline. UK audience.
Sales
6. Cold email
> Write a 120-word cold email to [target role] at [target company type] about [our offer]. Personal, specific, no buzzwords. Include one genuine observation about their business or industry. Call to action: "Worth a 15-minute chat?"
7. Proposal draft
> Write a client proposal for [service] at [price]. Sections: understanding of their situation (5 bullets based on [brief]), proposed solution (3 phases), timeline, pricing table, next steps. British English, direct tone. Not corporate.
8. Discovery call questions
> Give me 12 discovery call questions to ask a new [client type] prospect. Order them from broad to specific. Mix open-ended and binary. Include 2 questions about budget without sounding transactional.
9. Objection handling
> Our product / service is [X] at [price]. Prospects typically raise these 5 objections: [list]. For each, write a 3-sentence response that acknowledges the concern, reframes, and leads to a specific next step. Genuine, not pushy.
10. Follow-up sequence
> Create a 5-touch follow-up sequence for a prospect who didn't reply after a first call. Mix email, LinkedIn, and a final "close the loop" message. Each message under 100 words. British English.
Admin & operations
11. Meeting summary
> Summarise this meeting transcript [paste] into: 1) 3-sentence overview, 2) key decisions, 3) action items by owner, 4) open questions. Format as a Notion-ready markdown doc.
12. SOP writer
> Write a step-by-step SOP for [process] used by our team of [size]. Include prerequisites, step-by-step instructions, common mistakes, and escalation points. Format for a Notion doc.
13. Job description
> Write a job description for a [role] at a [company size] UK small business. Include: role summary, 5 responsibilities, 5 must-have skills, 3 nice-to-haves, what success looks like after 90 days, our values. No corporate buzzwords.
14. Interview questions
> Generate 15 interview questions for a [role] candidate. Mix: technical (5), behavioural (5), culture fit (5). For each, give a one-line "what a good answer looks like" note.
15. Policy doc
> Draft a UK-GDPR-compliant [privacy / cookie / remote work] policy for a UK small business. Plain English, not legalese. Include key required clauses. Flag anything I should review with a solicitor.
Strategy & planning
16. Competitor analysis
> Compare us against [3 competitor names] across: positioning, pricing, target audience, primary channel, differentiator. Format as a markdown table. Include a 3-bullet summary of where we have the strongest angle.
17. Annual plan skeleton
> Build a one-page annual plan skeleton for a UK small business at [revenue]. Include: 3-year vision, 1-year goal, 3 quarterly priorities, key metrics to track monthly. Format as markdown.
18. Pricing review
> Our current pricing is [pricing]. Market context: [competitor prices / target audience / positioning]. Suggest 3 alternative pricing structures with pros and cons for each. Focus on profitability and perceived value.
19. Customer persona
> Build a detailed customer persona for [target customer]. Include: demographics, daily routine, top 3 frustrations, what they're Googling, where they hang out online, what would make them choose us over competitors. Use realistic specific details, not generic.
20. SWOT analysis
> Run a SWOT analysis for [business] based on [context]. For each of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, give 4 specific, defensible points. No corporate generalities. End with 3 prioritised actions for the next 90 days.
How to get 10x more from these prompts
- Add context. Every prompt improves when you start with "We are [business]. Our customers are [audience]. Our voice is [3 adjectives]."
- Specify output format. Markdown, table, bullet list, email, tweet. Be explicit.
- Show examples. "Here's a piece I love: [paste]. Now write in that style."
- Iterate. First draft is rarely final. Ask "rewrite that shorter / more direct / with more humour."
- Save what works. Good prompts are compounding assets. Keep a library.
Common prompt mistakes
- Vague questions. "Write me a blog post about marketing" → slop. "Write a 1,500-word blog post for [audience] on [specific topic] covering [3 specific points]" → useful.
- No voice guidance. The AI defaults to generic corporate unless told otherwise.
- One-shot prompting. Great output usually comes from 3–5 iterations.
- Publishing raw output. Always edit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which version of ChatGPT should I use? ChatGPT Plus (£16/month) is the minimum for UK small business work.
Are these prompts Claude-compatible? Yes. Most work identically in Claude, Gemini, and other frontier LLMs.
How do I keep prompts working as AI models change? Check your library quarterly.
What's the single best prompt technique? "You are [specific role]. Your task is [specific task]. Context: [specific details]. Output format: [specific format]."
The bottom line
ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini are the cheapest productivity tools a UK small business can buy in 2026. £16/month buys the output of a junior analyst if the prompts are right.
Save this post. Use the prompts. If you want help designing AI workflows and prompt systems tailored to your specific business, get in touch. We build AI-augmented marketing and operations systems as part of our AI chatbot and AI services. Also read our guide on using AI without damaging your brand trust.
