Better Results from AI

Before I dive into my Claude setup, let's address the biggest problem most people face with AI tools.Maybe you've logged into an AI tool before and asked something like…

"Hey, give me 10 content ideas. I'm a [insert profession] in the [insert industry] industry."

And predictably, you got terrible results. Most AI-generated content ideas are generic, boring, and have zero personality. They don't reflect your brand voice at all. They're so plain that literally anyone in your industry could use them.

I was frustrated by this too when I first started using AI. I gave these tools way more credit than they deserved and assumed they were "smarter" than they actually are. Here's the truth: AI is actually kind of dumb.

When people talk about "training" their AI tool, it's really just about giving it valuable input and telling it exactly what you want. Any time I approach prompting AI, I follow this formula:

Here's what I want you to act as

Here's exactly what I want you to do

Here's the outcome I expect

This is the format I want it in

Then I always give Claude something to work with: a transcript, a blog post, or some piece of content I've already created. I never ask it to create something from scratch without any reference materials. This approach helps Claude understand who I am and ensures I'm not ripping off other people's content. Instead, I'm giving it my own IP and context for what I want it to create.

The Difference Between Good and Bad Prompts

Let's look at a real example of a bad prompt versus a good prompt:

Bad prompt: "I'm an online business coach. Generate 20 content ideas."

Good prompt: "I'm an online business coach who helps women find their self-worth and create online businesses that align with their passions so they can leave corporate careers they hate. I want you to act as my social media strategist and help me develop 20 video ideas for TikTok. I really want to touch on my customer's pain points: they can't stand their jobs, don't know how to translate their skills into a business, and just don't know where to start when it comes to running a business."

See the difference? The second prompt provides context, audience information, specific goals, and clear pain points. Remember that these are chat-based AI tools, so don't be afraid to have a conversation. If Claude doesn't give you what you want, simply ask it to modify specific parts or retry with different parameters.

Why You Must Always Edit AI Output

This is non-negotiable: You need to always, always, always edit the output from any AI tool. AI tools are still learning, and they are never 100% correct. You should edit the output for several reasons:

To avoid using someone else's IP or copyright-protected material

To ensure the content uses your brand voice and tone

To fact-check any statistics or claims

To add your personality

Even when Claude gives me great output based on excellent input, I still edit everything. This isn't just ethically important, it's also how I ensure the content actually sounds like me. I'm all about efficiency (which is why I use AI tools in the first place), but if the content doesn't sound like me or feels like a robot wrote it, I'm doing it all wrong.

My process looks something like this:

Create strong, detailed prompts

Start with content I've created from scratch

Use Claude to help me think of new ways to express my ideas

Use the tool to rewrite and repurpose my own words

Read through everything and add my personality (including curse words and emojis where appropriate)