Qualitative market research allows businesses to see into the minds of their customers and discover valuable nuggets of information. However, gathering insights requires a tedious process of planning, recruitment, facilitation, and analysis. 

This is where artificial intelligence (AI) platforms can come into play. The adoption of AI by businesses and individuals is unprecedented, surpassing the growth rates of other emerging technologies. For instance, ChatGPT is one of the fastest-growing apps ever, reaching 100 million users since its public release.

AI tools can process vast amounts of content and deliver responses with remarkable speed. But there’s one caveat to this technology: the effectiveness of AI responses hinges on the inputs it receives.

Maximizing the full potential of your AI tool requires a strategic approach to writing and constructing prompts. In this blog, we discuss the best prompting formula for getting the qualitative insights you need in a fraction of the time.

6 Key Components of a Great Prompt

When crafting prompts for market research, they must be clear, concise, and contextual. Your input should pack in as much relevant information as possible while still being straight to the point. 

In other words, say as much as you can without saying too much. This ensures that your AI tool understands exactly what is being asked of it, reducing the risk of misinterpretation and producing more accurate responses.

As a general rule, a good prompt includes these six key components that enable your AI tool to generate high-quality outputs:

1. Persona

To start your prompt, you should give it a persona to emulate. This could be a specific role or perspective you want the AI to adopt in the style and tone of its response. Adding a persona helps tailor your AI insights to match your expectations. 

Here are a few tips on how you can define your persona: 

• Identify the Expertise - Determine the crucial skills and traits, such as domain knowledge and communication style.
• Use Real or Fictional Figures - Guide the AI's responses using characters or well-known figures that fit your desired persona.
• Adapt to Context - Adjust the persona based on the conversation's needs—for example, switch from "The Strategic Analyst" to "The Empathetic Moderator" as the topic changes.

Example

“Provide verbatims that mirror this idea: As a health-conscious fitness enthusiast, provide recommendations for nutritious snacks to fuel an active lifestyle.”

2. Context

Providing necessary background information helps your AI research assistant tool understand the scope of your research and provide more relevant insights. For instance, this might include consumer demographics or specific business challenges your clients face. 

Furthermore, you can also provide supporting documents to improve the quality and relevance of your AI’s outputs, such as:

• Market Research Reports
• Consumer Feedback
• Competitor Analysis
• Industry News and Articles
• Data Sets

Example

“Research Objective - Understanding consumer preferences for eco-friendly packaging.

Demographics - Millennials aged 25-35.

Extract comments on what millennials aged 25-35 said about eco-friendly packaging when purchasing household products."

3. Task

Be crystal clear about what you want the AI to do. Use directive verbs to prompt your desired behavior, whether analyzing data, providing recommendations, or generating a market research report. You can also follow up with a short explanation of your objective to guide your AI tool’s focus towards a specific outcome.

Example

"[Directive Verb] Analyze the key features of Product A [Directive Verb] and compare them to those of its competitors. [Objective] Provide insights on how Product A can improve its market positioning."

4. Format

A format specifies how you want your AI tool to present its response. Whether it's a written report, a list, or a comparative chart, defining the format ensures that your findings are presented in a way that makes interpretation and utilization more straightforward. 

Example

"What are the primary factors influencing consumers' choice between Product A and Product B? Please provide a  [Format] comparative list highlighting key differences in features, pricing, and customer reviews."

5. Exemplars

Like making a recipe in a cookbook, AI writing tools also benefit from a guide to follow. Exemplars offer a template for the AI to structure its responses when generating an output. For instance, this could include outlining the framework of a discussion guide, screener, or research report. 

Adding an exemplar makes it easier for the AI to understand the desired outcome of the prompt, ensuring that your outputs are consistent in structure. 

Example

“Construct a comprehensive market research report that analyzes the feedback on the smartwatch's physical activity feature. [Exemplar] Begin with an executive summary highlighting key findings. Follow this with a detailed analysis of respondents' physical health challenges, current coping strategies, and reactions to the proposed smartwatch feature. Include direct quotes to illustrate key points and identify emerging themes.”

6. Tone

Choosing a tone of voice for your prompt affects how your AI-generated content is communicated. Whether formal, conversational, or confident, setting the tone impacts how your AI tool’s responses are perceived.

Example

“Identify common themes in respondents’ customer experience while using the mobile banking app. Use a confident but neutral tone.”

Sample Market Research Prompt

[Persona] You are an expert qualitative market researcher specializing in consumer behavior analysis. [Context] Your client is a leading sustainable fashion brand seeking deeper insights into the preferences and purchasing behaviors of Gen Z shoppers.

[Task] Create a [Format] comprehensive research report based on the in-depth interviews provided and provide critical factors driving consumer choices in sustainable fashion.

[Exemplar] The report should include a summary of major findings, followed by a thematic analysis of interview responses. Sections should cover topics such as shopping motivations, brand loyalty, and attitudes toward sustainable practices in the retail/fashion industry.

[Tone] The report should be written in a neutral and confident tone.

Key Takeaway

Variations in prompt structure will yield different results based on the information you provide and how the prompt is worded. Achieving your desired AI output requires you to refine these six components according to your research objectives and audience.

Data In = Data Out

Nowadays, crafting effective prompts is considered an important skill in conducting AI market research. Every word counts, as AI-powered qualitative research platforms only perform as well as the input you provide. 

Finding the prompt structure that gives you the best results requires some trial and error. However, by tweaking these six components—Task, Context, Exemplars, Persona, Format, and Tone—you can significantly change the quality of the responses you receive and guide the AI tool towards your desired insights. 

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Quillit is an AI report-writing tool developed by Civicom that cuts the time to produce your report by 80%. Quillit enables you to accelerate your client reports by providing first-draft summaries and answers to specific questions, which you can enrich with your own research insights and perspectives. Quillit is GDPR, SOC2, and HIPAA compliant. Your content is partitioned to protect data privacy. Contact us to learn more about this leading-edge AI solution.