Welcome back to the AI Six Podcast, I’m Joanne Sweeney. Today’s episode is a long-listen special.
I decided to do something a little bit different. I took Google’s Prompt Engineering Guide, the one that’s making waves across marketing and tech circles, and ran it through Notebook LM, Google’s own AI-powered research tool.
Then, I asked it to have a deep-dive discussion with me. Not just a summary, but a real conversation about the key points, the practical advice for marketers, and how prompt engineering is becoming a critical skill in our industry.
This is a slower, more reflective episode, perfect if you want to really understand how to improve the way you work with AI tools.
So, let’s dive deep into prompt engineering, AI literacy, and how you can get ahead by mastering one of the most important marketing skills of the future.
Prompt engineering is fast becoming an essential digital skill—especially for marketers looking to leverage large language models (LLMs) like Gemini, GPT-4, and Claude.
A white paper that’s been making waves across marketing and tech circles. But instead of a dry breakdown, I went one step further. I asked Google’s own Notebook LM to talk me through it.
In this long-listen special, we explore:
- What prompt engineering actually is
- The tools and techniques that drive better AI responses
- Why this matters for marketers using AI tools
- And how to start mastering this skill right now
Here’s what you need to know about prompt engineering:
It’s about designing the conversation:
Prompt engineering is how you talk to AI so it gives you exactly what you need. It’s not just about asking questions — it’s about asking them the right way, in the right format, and with the right context.
It gives you control over the output:
You can adjust temperature, token limits, and sampling settings (like top-K and top-P) to make responses more creative, more factual, or more concise. Think of it like tuning a radio: the clearer your signal, the better your result.
It’s a toolkit — not just one method:
Zero-shot, one-shot, and few-shot prompts. Role prompts, system prompts, contextual prompts. Chain-of-thought, self-consistency, tree-of-thought, ReAct. These aren’t just buzzwords — they’re techniques that unlock better performance from LLMs like Gemini, GPT-4, and Claude.
It applies directly to content, code, and more:
Whether you’re writing marketing copy, analysing data, debugging code, or planning strategy — prompt engineering can help you do it faster, better, and smarter. This isn’t just for devs. It’s for digital professionals across the board.
The bigger picture
We’re moving from generic AI conversations to specialised, high-performance interactions. The better your prompts, the better your results. And in marketing, where accuracy, tone, and timing matter, this can be a game-changer.
Prompt engineering is becoming a professional skill, just like writing a great brief or interpreting analytics. And it’s one you can start building today.
Why Marketers Should Care About Prompt Engineering
Here’s what this means for you as a marketer:
Your AI tools are only as good as your instructions:
Whether it’s ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude — if you’re not getting great outputs, it’s probably because your prompt isn’t doing the heavy lifting. Learning how to structure prompts can drastically improve quality.
Content creation is changing:
With better prompts, you can create more tailored, brand-aligned content — whether it’s social posts, blog intros, headlines, or scripts. Prompt engineering lets you embed your tone, your structure, and your audience directly into the ask.
Customer experience is changing:
Want your AI chatbot to act like a friendly expert? Use role and system prompts. Want your search results to show product recommendations in JSON format? Prompt for it. These tools help shape how your brand sounds and responds.
Collaboration is changing:
Prompt engineering isn’t a solo sport. The best results come from testing, documenting, and refining with your team. Treat prompts like assets — versions, tests, results — and build your own library of what works.
In short, this isn’t about hacking a tool — it’s about becoming fluent in a new language. The language of AI.
If you want to stay ahead of the curve, prompt engineering is a skill you can’t afford to ignore.
Check out my Professional Diploma in AI for Marketers, and don’t forget to use the code AISIX10 for an exclusive discount.
The AI Six Podcast — for marketers embracing the AI age.
About the Podcast Host
Joanne Sweeney is a specialist in public-sector marketing and digital communications. She’s the author of Public Sector Marketing Pro and the creator of the Professional Diploma in AI for Public Sector Marketing. With years of experience in training, consulting, and advocating for digital transformation, Joanne provides insight and guidance for government agencies navigating the digital landscape. She is also the host of the award-winning Public Sector Marketing Show podcast.
