You're the marketing department.
Social, email, website, launches — all you. And somewhere between the meetings and the fires, you're supposed to create content that actually moves the needle.
So you tried AI. And it gave you... slop.
Corporate-sounding garbage you'd never post. You either rewrote the whole thing or quietly pretended you never used it.
Here's the thing: Claude isn't bad at writing. Your prompts are just too vague.
I ran the same prompt three times this week. Same request. Three different ways of asking.
Two gave me usable content. One gave me something I'd actually post.
Here's what I learned.
1. The prompt most people write
"Write a LinkedIn post about why consistency beats talent."
That's it. No context. No direction. Just a topic and a prayer.
Here's what Claude gave me:
"Consistency is the key to success. While talent may open doors, it's the daily commitment to showing up that truly separates high achievers from the rest."
You've seen this post. A thousand times. It says nothing. It sounds like everyone.
If you're the only marketer at your company, you can't afford to post content that blends in. You need every post to work.
This is what happens when you give Claude nothing to work with.
2. The formula that fixes it
Three letters: RTF.
Role — Who should Claude be? Task — What exactly do you need? Format — How should it look?
That's it. Every good prompt has these three things.
3. Same request. RTF applied.
"You're a freelance copywriter who's sarcastic and uses short sentences. Write a LinkedIn post about why consistency beats talent. Use a personal story. No hashtags. Under 100 words."
Here's what Claude gave me:
"I used to think I needed more talent. Turns out I needed more reps. Wrote 50 bad headlines before I wrote one good one. Talent is the ceiling. Consistency is the ladder."
That's a real post. Voice. Point of view. Actually says something.
Same topic. Different prompt. Completely different output.
That's 10 minutes instead of an hour. And it actually sounds like something worth posting.
4/ Why this works
Vague prompts get vague outputs.
Specific prompts get specific outputs.
Claude isn't bad at writing. You're just not giving it enough to go on.
RTF fixes that. Role gives it a voice. Task gives it direction. Format gives it constraints.
Constraints create better work. Every time.
When you're doing the job of three people, you need a system that works on the first try. RTF gets you there faster.
This Week's Prompt Drop
Three prompts just hit the vault:
1. The RTF Content Generator
Role: You're a [type of writer] who [voice/style traits].
Task: Write a [content type] about [topic]. [Specific angle or story to include].
Format: [Length]. [Tone]. [What to avoid].
2. The Prompt Fixer
Here's a prompt I wrote:
[Paste your prompt]
Rewrite it using the RTF framework (Role + Task + Format). Make it more specific. Keep the same goal.
3. The Content Multiplier
One idea. Five platforms. One prompt.
Role: You're a social media strategist who writes punchy, scroll-stopping content. No fluff. No corporate speak.
Task: I have one content idea: [YOUR TOPIC/ANGLE]
Create:
1. One core Instagram caption (under 75 words, hook in first line)
2. A LinkedIn version (same idea, more professional tone, under 150 words)
3. Three Twitter/X posts (different angles on the same idea, under 280 characters each)
4. One email subject line + preview text for a newsletter about this topic
Format: Label each piece clearly. Keep my brand voice: [DESCRIBE YOUR VOICE IN 5-10 WORDS]. No hashtags. No emojis unless I say so.
The Content Multiplier in action:
I ran this prompt with one idea: "Why most serums oxidize before they work."
Brand voice: "Playful but science-backed. Like a smart friend."
Here's what Claude gave me:
Instagram caption: Most vitamin C serums go bad before they hit your face. Oxidation starts the second air gets in. Brown serum = dead serum. Ours stays stable for 6 months after opening. Your dark spots don't stand a chance.
LinkedIn: Here's a dirty secret in skincare: most vitamin C serums oxidize before they do anything useful.
The moment air hits the formula, it starts breaking down. That's why your serum turned brown. That's why you didn't see results.
We spent 18 months on stabilization. Our formula stays active for 6 months after opening. No airless pump gimmicks. Just better chemistry.
If your current serum has changed color, it's time to switch.
Twitter/X posts:
Your vitamin C serum turned brown? It's dead. Oxidation kills the active ingredients before they touch your skin.
Most serums start degrading the day you open them. Ours stays stable for 6 months. Better chemistry > better packaging.
Dark spots don't fade with dead ingredients. Check your serum. If it's brown, it's done.
Email subject line + preview: Subject: Your serum is probably dead Preview: Here's how to tell (and what actually works)
One idea. Six pieces of content. 10 minutes.
That's how a solo marketer stays visible without burning out.
What I'm Testing
Running every prompt three times before I use the output.
First draft is research. Second draft is refinement. Third draft is the one.
Most people write one prompt, get mid results, and blame the tool.
The tool isn't the problem. The process is.
When you're the whole marketing team, you don't have time to fight with AI. You need it to work. This is how I'm making it work.
Try this today:
You've got something to post this week. One idea you've been sitting on.
Run it through the Content Multiplier. See what comes back.
10 minutes. Multiple platforms. Content that actually sounds like your brand.
— Paul
P.S. You're not bad at AI. Your prompts are. RTF fixes that.