When using Pencil Pro to generate ad copy, crafting effective prompts is key to guiding the AI in producing high-quality content. Here’s a guide to help you create prompts for headers, subheaders, CTAs, and captions, with a focus on character count and clarity:
Headers
Prompting Tips:
Be Clear and Concise:
Design your prompt to request a header that communicates the main message or benefit within a specific character limit. Character limit is important for templates as without this, headers will generate without a character count and may be too long to fit within the placeholder allocated within the template.
Use Strong, Action-Oriented Language:
Encourage the use of powerful verbs and compelling language. Pencil Pro will always refer to the Brand Library for text outputs, but it is still helpful to reference the tone required for the copy.
Be specific:
Specify your dos and don'ts that ensures the header contains only what you require and remains on-brand. For example specifying 'no emojis', 'do not include the product name', prevents headers from becoming too informal and providing unnecessary information that may already be present within the ad elsewhere.
Other things to consider (feed variation):
Specify the language that you require.This can can be simply referenced by writing the language that you require for copy within the prompt or can be referenced using cell references if you require copy in different languages.
Support on referencing cells correctly can be found here:
Example Prompt: "Generate a header for an ad for Aura Cosmetics targeting the audience for #e2. Reference the product in #f2 in copy. Informal and engaging tone. Emphasise and evoke the luxury of the brand without using the word 'luxury'. Max 60 characters. No emojis. Do not include the product name. British English"
Subheaders
Prompting Tips:
Very similar to Header prompting tips with some other additional considerations.
Provide Additional Information:
Ask for subheaders that expand on the main message, keeping character count in mind.
Use Keywords:
Request the inclusion of specific keywords to improve searchability.
Example Prompt: "Generate a subheader for an ad for Aura Cosmetics targeting the audience for #e2, expanding on the message in the header in #a2. Reference the product in #f2 in copy. Informal and engaging tone. Emphasise and evoke the luxury of the brand without using the word 'luxury'. Max 60 characters. No emojis. Do not include the product name. British English."
Call to Actions (CTAs)
Prompting Tips:
Be Direct and Specific: Guide the AI to create CTAs that clearly tell the audience what action to take.
Create Urgency:
Request time-sensitive language to prompt immediate action
Example Prompt: "Generate a direct CTA that encourages users to 'Sign Up Now' in under 20 characters. No emojis. British English"
Captions
Prompting Tips:
Engage with a Story or Question: Encourage the AI to generate captions that tell a story or ask a question.
Include Hashtags Wisely: Request relevant hashtags to increase reach and visibility.
Example Prompt: "Generate a caption for an ad for Aura Cosmetics encouraging the audience in #e2 to purchase the product. Include one optimised hashtag that is relevant to the brand and/or product and always be in keeping with the brand's premium feel."
Other Copy prompting tips
Audience persona (For Feed Variation)
Generate an audience brief in Feed Variations that can then be used to generate images specifically related to the target audience and relevant product.
This can incorporate characteristics that are relevant in supporting image generation.
Example Prompt: "Generate an audience persona for a typical user of the product in #f2. Only include gender, age group and ethnicity. No other information. All in one line.
Translation/Transcreation
Depending on whether copy has been approved, it is important to consider when Translation and Transcreation is most appropriate for generated copy. Whichever is best, QA and translation input from humans is always an important and necessary step in approving copy!
Translation
Translation will provide a literal translation of copy directly from one language to another. If copy has been approved, this will ensure that the translated copy is more in line with what has been approved, but this can sometimes lead to a sacrifice in accuracy.
Prompting tip:
If you require translation of copy in more than one language, add an additional cell in Feed Variation for Languages.
Remove any specific reference to a language in the prompts for headers and subheaders.
Instead, create a new prompt for the Language cells:
Example prompt: "Translate copy in #a2 into language #g2
Transcreation
Transcreation will re-develop copy into another language. This may mean that copy in the new language will not be a literal translation but may be more accurate as to how that language is spoken.
Prompting tip:
As with translation, add an additional cell in Feed Variation for Languages.
Re-develop the prompts already used for copy (headers, subheaders etc), and include a simple addition:
Example prompt: (In Header prompt) "Generate a header for an ad for Aura Cosmetics targeting the audience for #e2. Reference the product in #f2 in copy. Informal and engaging tone. Emphasise and evoke the luxury of the brand without using the word 'luxury'. Max 60 characters. No emojis. Do not include the product name. In language #g2"