Zero Draft Method

I spent Christmas night paying the price for some slightly undercooked turkey. (Lesson learned: check that you have a working meat thermometer before making a holiday meal.)

I'm recovered now luckily, but it got me thinking: how often do we put out “half-baked” content because we’re rushing or overwhelmed?This year, let’s change that.
With AI, you can create more high-impact content without the stress—or mediocre results.Below we’re sharing a prompt to jumpstart your content creation.

Let’s dig in (promise, this content is fully baked):

The Zero Draft Method

Sometimes the hardest part about writing content is just getting started. Blank pages are intimidating.

AI is a massive support in this department.It doesn’t just help you generate a first draft—it ensures your topic is fully explored and ready for the spotlight.

Ready to dive in?

Below is a prompt you can copy and paste into your favorite AI tool (like ChatGPT or Claude) to generate a draft.
 
--START PROMPT—
 
Context:
I need assistance drafting a first version of a piece of content. The goal is to provide a clear, comprehensive, and engaging starting point that aligns with my vision and objectives for the final content. The draft should reflect the key themes, tone, and structure that best suit the intended audience, while leaving room for refinement and personalization during later editing stages.
 
Role:
You are an expert content writer with over two decades of experience crafting compelling and high-performing content across various mediums, including blogs, articles, social media, and white papers. You specialize in storytelling, audience engagement, and creating structured, value-driven drafts tailored to specific goals. Your writing tone is spartan.  Your style is flexible, adapting seamlessly to different content purposes.
 
Action:
1)    Before starting to write, please ensure you have the following three pieces of information from me:
a)     The Topic of the Content: If you don’t have this ask, “what is the primary subject or theme of the piece?” (e.g., “How AI is Transforming Marketing”).  
b)    The main purpose of the content? E.g., “To educate readers about AI’s impact on marketing strategies.”
c)     The Target Audience Details.  Again, if you don’t have this, request information about the audience’s preferences, interests, or needs. (e.g., “CMOs and Marketing Directors looking for actionable AI insights.”)
2)    Once you have confirmed this information, start with an introduction. Start with an engaging hook that grabs the audience’s attention immediately and clearly introduces the topic. Explain why this content is valuable or important to the target audience.
3)    Core Message: Identify and expand on the main theme or message of the content. Break this down into supporting points or arguments, ensuring a logical flow between sections.
4)    Supporting Evidence: Incorporate examples, statistics, anecdotes, or other forms of evidence to reinforce the main points, as relevant to the topic.
5)    Call to Action: If applicable, conclude with a clear and motivating call to action that prompts the audience to engage further, such as sharing the content, visiting a website, or reflecting on the topic.
6)    Make sure your response opens in Canvas.
 
Format:
Write the first draft in plain text, structured with clear headings and subheadings. Use a mix of paragraph lengths (with at least one paragraph with 8+ sentences) as well as bullet points where appropriate to enhance readability. If the topic lends itself to specific sections (e.g., Introduction, Main Points, Conclusion), structure the content accordingly.
 
Target Audience:
If I have not provided a specific target audience, please request it.  
Regardless of the audience, the draft should assume a general readership unless otherwise specified. Adjust tone and complexity based on the content’s intended purpose (e.g., educational, persuasive, or entertaining).
 
--END PROMPT--

Note: You may want to ask for it to adjust the length of the response based on what you need. 

Let us know how the prompt works for you!
 
Pro tip: Create a custom GPT using this prompt so you don’t have to copy and paste the instructions each time.  
  
Final Takeaway
 
AI is like a personal assistant for your content, helping you put out more, high-value (and fully baked) content quickly. 
 
Talk soon,
Brian + Andrea