Google’s NEW Prompting Guide is Incredible!

Jeff Su
14 May 202409:10

TLDRThe video script outlines five tips from Google's new prompting guide to enhance the effectiveness of prompts used in AI chatbots. The tips include: 1) Requesting three variations of a response to explore different ideas; 2) Using a multi-step workflow to break down complex tasks; 3) Employing templates to save time and overcome mental blocks; 4) Conducting top-down competitive analysis to understand the landscape and gain actionable insights; and 5) Utilizing Google Docs to supercharge PDFs with AI assistance. These strategies are aimed at improving the quality and relevance of AI-generated content, making the process more efficient and the results more aligned with user needs.

Takeaways

  • πŸ“ **Power of Three**: Asking for three variations in the initial prompt can provide different options and inspire new ideas.
  • πŸ”— **Multi-Step Workflows**: Breaking down a large task into smaller sequential prompts can reduce errors and yield better results.
  • πŸ“ˆ **Template Timesavers**: Brainstorming and generating templates based on roles and responsibilities can save time and overcome mental blocks.
  • πŸ” **Top-Down Competitive Analysis**: Starting with broad concepts and narrowing down to specific insights can uncover actionable information.
  • πŸ“š **Google Docs Integration**: Using Google Docs to enhance PDFs with prompts can streamline the writing process for Google users.
  • πŸš€ **Initial Prompt Length**: Successful prompts are on average 21 words long, suggesting that more effort in crafting the initial prompt can lead to better outcomes.
  • πŸ€– **Regenerate Function**: Utilizing the regenerate function to see different drafts can inspire new directions not initially considered.
  • πŸ“‰ **Chain of Thought Prompting**: By structuring prompts in a step-by-step manner, the chatbot can generate more targeted and less generic responses.
  • πŸ“‹ **Customizing Templates**: If you have an existing template, you can improve it by providing additional relevant details to tailor it to your needs.
  • πŸ”‘ **Actionable Insights**: When conducting research, starting broad and getting more specific helps guide the chatbot to provide the exact information needed.
  • πŸ“§ **Email Templates for Engagement**: Drafting multiple email templates based on different value propositions can help engage clients more effectively.

Q & A

  • What is the average length of the most successful prompts according to Google's analysis?

    -The most successful prompts are 21 words long on average.

  • What is the 'Power of Three' strategy suggested by Google for creating prompts?

    -The 'Power of Three' strategy involves asking for three variations in the initial prompt to inspire new ideas and directions that may not have been initially considered.

  • How does the 'Chain of Thought' prompting technique work?

    -The 'Chain of Thought' prompting technique involves breaking down a large task into smaller sequential prompts, which can reduce potential errors and yield better results.

  • What is the benefit of using multi-step workflows in prompts?

    -Multi-step workflows help in tackling complex issues by breaking them down into mini-milestones, each of which can be addressed by a separate prompt, making the process more manageable and effective.

  • How can templates help in streamlining work processes?

    -Templates can save time and overcome mental blocks by providing a variety of structured ideas that one might not have thought of themselves, making the overall workflow more efficient.

  • What is the top-down competitive analysis approach?

    -The top-down competitive analysis approach starts with broad concepts to understand the overall landscape and then uses narrower prompts to uncover actionable insights as you move down the funnel.

  • How can Google Docs be used to enhance PDFs for better analysis?

    -Google Docs can be used to enhance PDFs by uploading the PDF to Google Drive, opening it with Google Docs, and then using Google Gemini within Google Docs to generate summaries, insights, and even create presentation outlines.

  • What is the advantage of using Google Gemini for summarizing web pages?

    -Google Gemini provides a balanced summary that draws from all the links provided, unlike some other tools that may only pull information from a single source.

  • What is the recommended approach for generating an offer letter template for a selected job candidate?

    -Google recommends drafting three email templates focusing on different topics such as value proposition, cost, ease of use, and security to engage the client more effectively.

  • How can one improve an existing job description template?

    -To improve an existing job description template, one can provide additional relevant details based on their specific requirements and ask the AI to suggest updates accordingly.

  • What is the significance of asking for different variations in the initial prompt?

    -Asking for different variations in the initial prompt allows for the exploration of multiple ideas and directions, potentially leading to a more effective and tailored outcome.

  • What is the purpose of using the 'help me write' feature in Google Docs?

    -The 'help me write' feature in Google Docs is used to assist with writing tasks by generating text based on the prompts provided, which can be particularly useful for summarizing documents or creating outlines.

Outlines

00:00

πŸ“ Enhancing Prompt Effectiveness with Google's Insights

The video discusses how Google's analysis of millions of inputs revealed that successful prompts are typically 21 words long, contrasting with the average user's input of under nine words. It emphasizes the importance of effort over length when crafting prompts. The presenter shares five key tips from Google's guide to improve prompt writing. The first tip is the 'power of three,' which encourages users to request three variations in their initial prompts to inspire new ideas and directions. This approach is applicable to both simple and complex prompts, offering a way to engage clients more effectively. The presenter also highlights the significance of multi-step workflows, also known as Chain of Thought prompting, which involves breaking down large tasks into smaller, sequential prompts to enhance accuracy and reduce errors. The third tip focuses on using templates to save time and overcome mental blocks, suggesting that brainstorming template ideas based on one's role can lead to efficient and effective communication strategies. The video also covers the process of top-down competitive analysis, which involves starting with broad concepts and narrowing down to specific insights, providing a comprehensive understanding of the topic and actionable information. Lastly, for Google users, the presenter mentions the advantage of using Google Docs to enhance PDF functionality, allowing for more interactive and integrated document processing.

05:02

πŸš€ Streamlining Workflows and Competitive Analysis

The second paragraph delves into the specifics of using templates to streamline workflows. It suggests drafting templates as a way to overcome mental blocks and cater to various scenarios, such as creating communication templates for a product launch event or onboarding a new hire. The presenter appreciates how this approach helps generate useful templates that might not have been considered otherwise. They also mention that if an existing template is available, it can be improved by adding more relevant details. The paragraph then transitions into discussing top-down competitive analysis, which starts with a broad overview of an industry, such as the drone delivery sector, and progressively focuses on more detailed analysis like the strengths and weaknesses of major players. This method culminates in identifying actionable insights and recommendations for improvement. The presenter also shares a pro tip about Google Gemini's proficiency in summarizing web pages, which can be beneficial when conducting research. The final tip is specific to Google users, highlighting the use of Google Docs to enhance PDF functionality, allowing for more dynamic and interactive document editing and creation directly within the Google ecosystem.

Mindmap

Keywords

Prompt

A prompt is a question or statement designed to elicit a response or further discussion. In the context of the video, it refers to the input given to an AI system like Google's chatbot to generate specific outputs, such as text or ideas. The video emphasizes the importance of crafting effective prompts to get the most out of AI tools.

Google Gemini

Google Gemini is mentioned as an AI tool that can be used to generate responses based on prompts. It's compared with another AI system, chat GPT, to illustrate the differences in their capabilities, particularly in summarizing web pages and generating responses to complex queries.

Regenerate Function

The regenerate function is a feature in AI systems that allows users to generate multiple responses or drafts to a given prompt. The video suggests that using this feature can inspire new ideas and directions that might not have been initially considered, enhancing the creative process.

Chain of Thought Prompting

This technique involves breaking down a complex task into smaller, sequential steps or prompts. By doing so, it aims to achieve better results by reducing potential errors and guiding the AI through a logical progression of tasks. The video provides examples of how this method can be applied to tasks like writing a cover letter or creating a presentation.

Template

A template is a pre-designed format or structure that can be used as a guide for creating documents or other content. In the video, templates are discussed as a way to save time and streamline various tasks. The AI is asked to generate template ideas based on specific roles and responsibilities, which can then be customized and used for different purposes.

Top-Down Competitive Analysis

This approach to research starts with broad concepts to understand the overall landscape of an industry or topic. Then, it narrows down to more specific prompts to uncover actionable insights. The video demonstrates how this method can be used to analyze the drone delivery industry, moving from an overview to identifying strengths and weaknesses of major players, and finally to generating marketing campaigns.

Google Docs Integration

The video mentions the ability to use Google Docs to enhance PDFs by uploading them to Google Drive and opening them with Google Docs. This integration allows users to utilize Google Gemini within Google Docs to generate content or summaries directly from the document, which can then be further refined or used to create presentations.

AB Test

AB testing is a method of comparing two versions of something, like advertising copy or web pages, to determine which one performs better. The video suggests using AI to generate different variations of content for AB testing, allowing marketers to test different messaging strategies to find the most effective one.

Value Proposition

A value proposition is a promise of value to be delivered through a product or service. It explains why a customer should buy a product or use a service. In the video, the AI is asked to draft emails focusing on different value propositions such as cost, ease of use, and security to understand what matters most to the customer.

Milestones

Milestones are significant stages or goals in a project that help measure progress. The video uses the term in the context of breaking down a large task into smaller, manageable milestones, each tackled by a separate prompt. This approach helps in creating a structured path towards achieving complex objectives.

Text Expander App

A text expander app is a software tool that allows users to create shortcuts for longer pieces of text. In the video, the presenter mentions using such an app to save different variations of prompts generated by the AI, which can then be quickly inserted into other applications or documents for efficiency.

Highlights

Google's new prompting guide reveals that successful prompts are on average 21 words long, while most people use fewer than nine words.

The regenerate function in chatbots like Google Gemini is underused but can inspire new ideas by showing different options.

Google recommends asking for three variations in the initial prompt to get the best results.

Chain of Thought prompting involves breaking down a large task into smaller sequential prompts for better results.

Templates can be brainstormed and generated based on roles and responsibilities to save time and overcome mental blocks.

Top-down competitive analysis starts with broad concepts and narrows down to uncover actionable insights.

Google Docs can be used with Google Gemini to supercharge PDFs and create presentation outlines.

Google recommends using the 'power of three' for generating multiple options for tasks like creating slogans or ad copy.

Multi-step workflows improve the quality of responses by breaking down complex tasks into manageable parts.

Templates can be customized and improved upon by providing additional relevant details.

Conducting research with a top-down approach helps in understanding the overall landscape before diving into specifics.

Google Gemini is better at summarizing web pages than chatbots for research purposes.

The 'help me write' feature in Google Docs with Gemini is available only for users on the Google One AI Premium plan.

Using different variations of prompts can lead to discovering what the customer truly values.

Breaking down tasks into mini-milestones with separate prompts can help in tackling complex issues effectively.

Generating communication templates for different teams can streamline project management processes.

Actionable insights and recommendations can be identified for competitive advantage through a detailed analysis.

Innovative marketing campaigns can be brainstormed by leveraging strengths and attacking competitors' weaknesses.

The guide suggests using Google Workspace tools for more effective prompting and task management.