The Power of Persona: AI Prompt Writing

Written by Erin Kacerovskis

What if I told you that you were a “merch guy”? Now what if I said, “You’re an expert-level marketing strategist”? Both could be used to describe what a promotional product distributor does, but with a totally different tone, confidence level, and specificity. How you describe yourself matters. 

The same is true with AI prompts. If you’ve experimented with ChatGPT or other AI tools to brainstorm product ideas, write emails, or create social media captions, you’ve probably noticed one thing: the quality of what you get depends on how you ask. 

The secret to turning average AI output into something more lies in two simple words: “Act as.” 

Why AI Persona Prompts Work 

Don’t worry! The reason personas work isn’t some science fiction story about computers looking for purpose. Afterall AI isn’t true intelligence, and they can even hallucinate. The real reason is that giving AI a specific role to work from automatically adds a lot of extra context and detail—without having your prompt be a page long. 

MIT Sloan’s guide to effective prompts explains that AI performs best when given clear context and role direction. Instead of producing vague or generic copy, the AI steps into character and tailors its tone, style, and content accordingly. Vanderbilt University’s Prompt Patterns resource calls this the Persona Pattern—and it’s one of the most powerful tools for professionals in marketing and communications.  

How Persona Prompts Work for Promo 

As a promo distributor, your focus is on sales. Unless you have a huge marketing team, creating consistent digital marketing content might not be feasible. AI tools like chatGPT are an obvious solution, but you might find that the copy they generate reads too much like end-user marketing. Personas can fix that! 

Example: 
❌ “Write social media captions for branded water bottles.” 
✅ “Act as a social media strategist for a promotional products distributor creating posts about eco-friendly branded water bottles for corporate wellness programs.” 

The second version guides the AI’s voice, audience, and purpose—yielding copy that works for our industry and resonates with your clients. You can also adjust the persona you use to reflect the different roles you juggle daily: 

  • Marketing Strategist: Focus on campaign goals and messaging. 
  • Product Expert: Emphasize product specs, materials, and decoration methods. 
  • Client Advisor: Speak directly to buyer pain points and event needs. 
  • Creative Copywriter: Deliver catchy taglines and emotional hooks. 

Real-World Prompt Examples for Distributors 

Here are a few persona-based prompts you can start using right away: 

  1. Act as a promotional marketing strategist and draft a short pitch explaining why branded apparel boosts employee engagement. 
  1. Act as a sustainability consultant and write three bullet points for an email highlighting eco-friendly promo products for Earth Day campaigns. 
  1. Act as a creative copywriter and craft five headline options for a holiday gifting catalog featuring premium drinkware. 
  1. Act as a client success manager and write a follow-up email template for a customer who ordered trade show giveaways. 
  1. Act as a product expert and create a product description for a custom wireless charger, emphasizing features and branding options. 
  1. Act as a SEO specialist and optimize this blog post for search engines without losing the tone. 

You could also flip the script and have AI take on a role specific to one of your clients or the industries you work with. Don’t forget to give the copy a once-over to make sure it’s accurate. Here’s a few examples: 

  1. Act as a marketing consultant for a real estate agent and create a marketing plan that incorporates branded promotional products. 
  1. Act an event coordinator for an upcoming B2B sales event and plan branded merch giftsets for attendees. 
  1. Act as a medical device sales expert and pitch some ideas for branded merch that would boost awareness of your products in the healthcare field. 
  1. Act as an automotive marketing expert and put together a list of needs for seasonal campaigns, incorporating branded merch. 

Final Thoughts 

In the promo world, you’re most likely juggling more hats than other industries. Saving time is especially crucial. Using “Act as” in your prompt means less time rewording, more time selling, and content that speaks your clients’ language. 

AI can be your new creative assistant—it just needs good direction. So next time you open an AI tool, don’t just ask—assign a persona. Your results (and your clients) will thank you. 

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