Prompt Engineering: The Art of Getting Best Results from AI

Prompt Engineering is the art of optimizing your commands to get the results you want from AI models. With this skill, which has become one of the most valuable digital skills in 2025, you can maximize the power of AI tools.

What is Prompt Engineering?

Prompt engineering is a technique used to strategically design the commands (prompts) you give to AI models to:

• Get more accurate answers
• Generate creative and original content
• Automate complex tasks
• Fully use AI's capabilities

Why is it Important?

Two people using the same AI tool can get very different results. The difference is in prompt quality.

Bad Prompt Example:

"Write a blog post"

Good Prompt Example:

"Write a 500-word blog post explaining the importance of SEO for SME owners working in digital marketing. Tone: professional but friendly. Add 3 practical tips."

Result: The second prompt produces much more useful and targeted content.

Basic Prompt Engineering Techniques

1. Role Prompting

Give AI a role to gain an expert perspective.

Template:

"Act as a [role] and do [task]."

Examples:

• "Act as an experienced SEO expert and analyze my website."
• "Act as a marketing strategist and offer a campaign proposal."
• "Act as a Python developer and optimize this code."

2. Context Setting

The more context you give, the better result you get.

Template:

"Context: [situation description]
Goal: [what you want]
Constraints: [limits]
Format: [output format]"

Example:

"Context: We are a software company of 50 people, working remotely.
Goal: Suggest 5 tools to increase team productivity.
Constraints: Monthly budget $500
Format: Name, price, features for each tool"

3. Few-Shot Learning

Give examples of the format you want.

Template:

"Here are some examples:
Example 1: [input] → [output]
Example 2: [input] → [output]
Now do this: [new input]"

Example:

"Make product descriptions attractive:
Before: "Blue t-shirt"
After: "Cotton soft, cobalt blue t-shirt designed for stylish men"

Before: "Coffee machine"
After: "Automatic espresso machine offering barista quality coffee that will transform your morning routine"

Now do this: "Laptop bag""

4. Chain-of-Thought

Ask AI to show its thinking process.

Template:

"Do [task] by thinking step by step. Explain each step."

Example:

"Solve this math problem by thinking step by step and explain each step: A product is 80 TL with 20% discount. What was the original price?"

5. Setting Constraints

Draw clear boundaries.

Common Constraints:

• Word count: "Do not exceed 500 words"
• Tone: "Professional/friendly/fun"
• Target audience: "Students aged 18-25"
• Format: "As a bulleted list"
• Language: "Simple English, do not use jargon"

Advanced Prompt Techniques

6. Persona Creation

Give a detailed character profile.

Example:

"You are a 35-year-old mother of 2, working full time. You adopt a vegan lifestyle but have time constraints. Create a weekly meal menu for this profile."

7. Negative Prompting

State what you don't want.

Example:

"Suggest a name for a startup. DO NOT DO: Technical jargon, words ending in '-ly', names longer than 10 letters"

8. Template Prompting

Ensure consistency using a template.

Blog Post Template:

"Topic: [topic]
Target Audience: [audience]
Keywords: [SEO keywords]
Structure:
- Catchy title
- 100 word intro
- 3 main sections (200 words each)
- Call to action conclusion
- 5 FAQs"

9. Iterative Refinement

Improve step by step.

Technique:

1. Get a draft with the first prompt
2. Improve by saying "Make this more [feature]"
3. Deepen by saying "Detail this part"
4. Adjust by saying "Change the tone"

Industry Specific Prompt Examples

Marketing

"Write an Instagram caption for [Product name]. Target: Women aged 25-35. Tone: Witty and encouraging. Add 5 emojis. Suggest 3 hashtags. CTA: Click the link"

Software Development

"Write a function in Python that does [task]. Conditions: Use type hints, add docstring, have error handling, write test cases"

Content Writing

"Write an SEO compatible blog post about [Topic]. Keyword: '[keyword]' - keyword density 2%. Use H2 and H3 headers. 1500 words. Reading level: High school"

Design

"Suggest a logo concept for a minimalist coffee shop. Color palette: Earth tones. Style: Modern but warm. Must include: Coffee cup icon"

Common Prompt Mistakes and Solutions

Prompt Engineering Formula

Use this structure for a perfect prompt:

[ROLE] + [CONTEXT] + [TASK] + [CONSTRAINTS] + [FORMAT] + [EXAMPLES]

Full Example:

"You are an experienced email marketing expert. [ROLE]

Context: We work for an e-commerce site selling organic skin care products. Our customer base is 80% women, aged 28-45. [CONTEXT]

Task: Write an automation email for customers who abandoned their cart. [TASK]

Constraints: Maximum 150 words, don't be pushy, add 10% discount code. [CONSTRAINTS]

Format: Subject line + email body + CTA button [FORMAT]

Tone example: Friendly but professional like 'Hello! You left great products in your cart...' [EXAMPLE]"

Prompt Tips by AI Tools

ChatGPT

• Remind context in long chats
• Say "Use code block"
• Ask for "Up-to-date info" for web browsing

Google Gemini

• You can ask for sources
• Use Google Docs integration
• Ask detailed questions for image analysis

Midjourney/DALL-E

• Specify art style ("oil painting", "3D render")
• Define color palette
• Use negative prompt ("--no text")

Prompt Engineering: A Career Path

Companies are now opening Prompt Engineer positions:

• Average salary: $80,000-$150,000 (USA)
• Required skills: Knowledge of AI tools, creative writing, industry expertise
• Future trend: Demand is increasing in every sector

Learning by Practicing

30 Day Prompt Challenge:

1. Week 1: Define a different role every day
2. Week 2: Increase context details
3. Week 3: Try format variations
4. Week 4: Write complex multimodal prompts

Conclusion: Prompt Engineering is the Key to AI

No matter how powerful AI tools are, good prompts are essential to get quality results. In 2025, this skill is as important as digital literacy.

To Start Now:

1. Open an AI tool you use today
2. Write a detailed prompt using the formula above
3. Compare the result with a simple prompt
4. See the difference and keep practicing!

Remember: The best way to learn is to try. Every prompt is an experiment, constantly test and improve!