LLMs in Action: Prompt Engineering for Better TOFU Content (CMO Playbook)

Every CMO I talk to asks the same question:
“If everyone has access to ChatGPT and Gemini, how do we get an edge with AI marketing?”

The short answer: prompt engineering.

Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT don’t just spit out text—they mirror the quality of your prompts. Better prompts = better Top of Funnel (TOFU) content.

This playbook shows how mid-sized CMOs can turn LLMs into a scalable TOFU engine—without wasting time or budget.

‍

‍

Why Prompt Engineering Matters for TOFU

At TOFU, your goals are:

• Generate awareness.
• Build trust.
• Capture early intent.

LLMs can do this fast—but only if you guide them.
Without strong prompts, you get generic, SEO-clutter content that doesn’t move the needle.

Prompt engineering turns LLMs from a “toy” into a strategic marketing assistant.

The CMO’s Prompting Framework

Think of prompts like campaign briefs. A sloppy brief = bad output. A tight brief = high-converting assets.

Here’s a simple framework CMOs can roll out to teams:

1. Context – Who is the audience? What stage are they in?
2. Format – Blog, LinkedIn thread, infographic, script?
3. Angle – Contrarian, data-backed, emotional, practical?
4. Guardrails – Brand voice, banned phrases, length, compliance rules.
5. Output Expansion – Ask for repurposing across channels.

Example: Generic vs. Engineered Prompt

Weak Prompt:

“Write a blog about AI marketing.”

Output: Generic fluff, same as everyone else.

Strong Prompt (TOFU):

“You are writing for CMOs of mid-sized companies ($10M–$100M revenue) exploring AI marketing. Create a 1,200-word blog post on how LLMs can improve top-of-funnel content. Use plain language, practical steps, and examples from B2B SaaS and retail. End with a clear call-to-action for exploring AI tools.”

Output: Practical, targeted, CMO-relevant.

5 Prompt Patterns CMOs Can Steal

1. The “Competitor Gap” Prompt
   “List 10 blog topics about AI marketing that competitors in [industry] have not covered but CMOs are searching for.”
2. The “Multi-Format” Prompt
   “Turn this blog into a LinkedIn thread, 2 email drafts, and 1 podcast script outline.”
3. The “Audience Lens” Prompt
   “Explain this concept to a CFO in 200 words. Then rewrite for a marketing intern.”
4. The “Hook First” Prompt
   “Generate 10 bold headlines about AI marketing for CMOs of mid-sized companies. Must trigger curiosity, skepticism, or urgency.”
5. The “Bias Checker” Prompt
   “Scan this draft for gender or cultural bias. Suggest 3 edits to make it more inclusive.”

How to Scale Prompting in Your Team

CMOs shouldn’t write every prompt. But they should:

• Create Prompt Playbooks – Standardize formats so teams stay consistent.
• Run Prompt Reviews – Treat them like campaign briefs.
• Build a Prompt Library – Store best-performing prompts in Notion or your CRM.
• Test + Measure – Track which AI-generated TOFU pieces actually drive engagement.

Oversight Still Matters

AI won’t replace strategy. CMOs must keep humans in the loop to:

• Check accuracy.
• Maintain voice.
• Ensure compliance.

Think of prompts as delegation to AI interns—but you’re still the editor-in-chief.

Key Takeaways

• TOFU content lives or dies on prompts.
• LLMs are powerful, but CMOs need a structured prompting framework.
• Build prompt libraries, scale with playbooks, and measure results.
• The winners will be CMOs who treat prompting as a core skill, not a hack.

Conclusion

LLMs in action isn’t about playing with ChatGPT—it’s about building a repeatable system for high-quality TOFU content.

For mid-sized CMOs, prompt engineering is the lowest-cost, highest-leverage skill to master in 2025.

Book a demo at https://hoook.io to see how our customers are getting up to 100% traffic growth and up to 20% revenue increase.

‍