03 // PROMPTING FUNDAMENTALS
Before we get into specific use cases, you need to understand the building blocks that actually matter.
Most affiliate marketers treat Claude like Google. They type a question and hope for magic. That's not how this works. Claude is a reasoning engine. The better your prompt, the better your output. Period.
Here's what you need to know.
1. Role Assignment: Tell Claude Who To Be
This is the single highest-leverage thing you can do in a prompt. Most people skip it entirely.
When you give Claude a role, you're not just being cute. You're activating a specific set of patterns, standards, and decision-making frameworks. A "direct response copywriter" writes differently than a "content marketer." A "UGC script specialist" structures differently than a "brand copywriter."
Bad:
Write a video ad script for a GLP-1 offer.
This gives Claude nothing to work with. No context on style, no standards to hit, no expertise to draw from. You'll get generic output because you gave a generic prompt.
Good:
You are a direct response copywriter who specializes in UGC-style video
ads for health offers. You understand what makes authentic testimonial
content convert, and you know how to stay compliant while being persuasive.
Now Claude knows:
- What kind of writer (direct response, not brand)
- What format (UGC video ads, not blog posts)
- What vertical (health offers, with all the context that implies)
- What standards (authentic, compliant, persuasive)
Three sentences. Completely changes the output.
The Template:
You are a [specific role] who specializes in [specific expertise].
You understand [key principles], and you know how to [key skill
relevant to task].
Fill in the blanks for your vertical. Insurance? "You are a direct response copywriter who specializes in Medicare supplement lead generation. You understand compliance requirements for insurance advertising, and you know how to create urgency without making prohibited guarantees." Same structure, different context.
2. Context Loading: Give Claude the Details
AI doesn't know your offer. It doesn't know your audience. It doesn't know your compliance constraints. It doesn't know what's been working in your account.
You have to tell it. Every time.
What to include:
- Offer details: Product name, what it does, mechanism, pricing, payout
- Target audience: Age, income, psychographic profile, pain points, awareness level
- Compliance constraints: What you absolutely cannot say, and what's fair game
- Brand voice: Tone, style, examples of what's worked before
- Format requirements: Length, structure, specific elements you need
GLP-1 Example:
Context:
- Offer: SlimRx telehealth GLP-1 (semaglutide) injections
- Audience: 35-55, previous dieters, tried keto/Whole30/etc,
tired of yo-yo dieting, HHI $75k+
- Compliance: Can't guarantee weight loss, can't make medical claims,
can share personal experience, can explain mechanism generally
- Payout: $150 CPA
- Format: 30-second UGC-style video script, iPhone selfie aesthetic
- Voice: Confessional, raw, slightly edgy but relatable
This takes 30 seconds to write. It saves you 30 minutes of regenerating bad outputs and trying to fix them.
The rule: If you're frustrated with Claude's output, the problem is almost always missing context. Add more details before you blame the model.
3. Output Formatting: Specify the Structure
Claude follows instructions precisely. Most people don't give it any.
If you want a 30-second video script, tell Claude what each section should be, how long it should last, and what its purpose is. Don't just say "write it well."
Bad:
Write a 30-second video script. Make it good.
Good:
Format as:
- Hook (5-7 seconds): Controversial or surprising statement about GLP-1
- Problem (10-12 seconds): Specific past diet failures with timeline
- Solution intro (8-10 seconds): Explain mechanism without medical claims
- Proof (5 seconds): Personal result with specific number
- CTA (3-5 seconds): Soft close, non-pushy
Now Claude knows exactly what to produce. The structure is defined. The time allocations are clear. The purpose of each section is explicit.
The Template:
Format as:
- [Section name] ([length/constraint]): [Purpose of this section]
- [Section name] ([length/constraint]): [Purpose of this section]
- [Section name] ([length/constraint]): [Purpose of this section]
This works for any format. Video scripts, advertorials, landing pages, ad copy. Define the structure upfront and Claude will fill it in.
4. Authenticity Markers: Make It Sound Human
This is the part most people miss completely. And it's the difference between AI slop and creative that actually converts.
AI defaults to polished, perfect, corporate-sounding text. Humans don't talk that way. Especially not in a selfie video testimonial. You have to explicitly prompt for the imperfections that make content feel real.
The markers to request:
Hesitation words (use at openings, before vulnerable statements)
- "Okay so..."
- "I mean..."
- "Honestly..."
- "Look..."
Self-corrections (use when making strong claims, adds credibility)
- "Actually, let me back up..."
- "Wait, that's not quite right..."
- "I lost 30 pounds in... actually, let me be more specific. 28 pounds in 11 weeks."
Self-deprecation (use when sharing past failures, builds relatability)
- "I felt like an idiot"
- "I was naive"
- "Embarrassing to admit but..."
Specific numbers (use everywhere, replace every vague word)
- Not "a lot of weight" but "30 pounds"
- Not "for a long time" but "for six years"
- Not "lost weight multiple times" but "lost the same 20 pounds four different times"
Conversational asides (use to anticipate objections, add humor)
- "(like my actual doctor, not some Instagram guru)"
- "(I know how this sounds)"
- "(stay with me here)"
Acknowledge awareness (use to respect the audience's intelligence)
- "the Ozempic thing"
- "as you've probably heard"
- "yeah, that one"
Imperfect grammar (use throughout to match real speech)
- "I'm gonna share" not "I am going to share"
- "would've" not "would have"
- "kinda" not "kind of"
Example prompt addition:
Use these authenticity markers:
- Start with hesitation ("Okay so..." or "I mean...")
- Include at least one self-deprecating moment
- Use specific numbers (not "lost a lot" but "lost 30 pounds")
- Add parenthetical asides to clarify
(like "my actual doctor, not some Instagram guru")
- Reference "the Ozempic thing" to acknowledge audience awareness
- Use contractions and casual grammar throughout (gonna, wanna, kinda)
Add this block to any prompt and the output immediately sounds 10x more human. It's that simple.
5. Iteration Loops: Refine, Don't Regenerate
This is where most people waste the most time.
You get an output. It's 70% good. So you hit regenerate and get a completely different output that's also 70% good but in different ways. You regenerate again. Same thing. You do this 15 times and end up frustrated.
Stop regenerating. Start refining.
Bad iteration:
Try again, make it better.
This tells Claude nothing. "Better" how? Better hook? Better proof section? Better tone? You'll get a random change that may or may not improve what you wanted.
Good iteration:
The hook is good but the problem section is too generic. Rewrite the
problem section to include:
- Specific diet names (keto, Whole30, Weight Watchers)
- Exact timeline (6 years of trying)
- Emotional beat (feeling stupid for failing repeatedly)
Keep everything else the same.
Now Claude knows:
- What's working (the hook, keep it)
- What's not working (problem section, too generic)
- Exactly what to change (diet names, timeline, emotional beat)
- What to preserve (everything else)
The Template:
The [section] is [assessment]. Rewrite the [section] to include:
- [specific element 1]
- [specific element 2]
- [specific element 3]
Keep everything else the same.
Three rounds of targeted iteration will produce better results than 30 regenerations. Every time.
Putting It All Together: Complete GLP-1 Prompt
Here's what a full prompt looks like when you combine all five building blocks. This is the exact prompt structure we use for every creative brief.
[ROLE ASSIGNMENT]
You are a direct response copywriter who specializes in UGC-style
video ads for health offers. You understand what makes authentic
testimonial content convert, and you know how to stay compliant
while being persuasive.
[CONTEXT: OFFER + AUDIENCE + CONSTRAINTS]
Write a 30-second video ad script for:
- Offer: SlimRx telehealth GLP-1 (semaglutide) injections
- Audience: 35-55, previous dieters, tried multiple diets,
tired of yo-yo cycles, HHI $75k+
- Compliance: Can't guarantee weight loss, can't make medical
claims, can share personal experience, can explain mechanism
- Voice: Confessional, raw, relatable (iPhone selfie aesthetic)
[OUTPUT FORMAT]
Format as:
- Hook (5-7s): Controversial or surprising statement about GLP-1
- Problem (10-12s): Specific past diet failures with timeline
- Solution (8-10s): Mechanism explanation without medical claims
- Proof (5s): Personal result with specific number
- CTA (3-5s): Soft close, non-pushy
[AUTHENTICITY MARKERS]
Include:
- Hesitation opening ("Okay so..." or "I mean...")
- Self-deprecating moment (feeling stupid/naive about past diets)
- Specific numbers (years trying, pounds lost/regained, diet names)
- Conversational aside (parenthetical clarification)
- Acknowledge "Ozempic" connection directly
- Casual grammar (contractions, gonna/wanna)
[CONSTRAINTS: WHAT TO AVOID]
Avoid:
- "Game-changing" / "life-changing" / "transform"
- "Are you struggling with..."
- "Real results" / "join thousands"
- Perfect grammar (too polished)
- Generic encouragement
- Hard CTA ("buy now" / "click here")
What each block does:
| Block | Purpose | Without It | |-------|---------|-----------| | Role Assignment | Sets expertise, style, and standards | Generic, unfocused output | | Context | Gives offer, audience, and compliance details | Wrong tone, wrong audience, compliance risk | | Output Format | Defines structure and timing | Rambling, unstructured scripts | | Authenticity Markers | Prompts for human-like imperfections | Polished AI slop | | Constraints | Kills AI cliches before they appear | "Game-changing solution" in paragraph one |
Five blocks. That's the whole system.
Every prompt template in this guide is built on this structure. The specifics change per use case (video scripts vs. advertorials vs. landing pages), but the framework is always the same.
These fundamentals apply to every use case we're about to cover. Master them once, use them everywhere.
Now let's get into specific applications. Starting with the highest-leverage format: video ad scripts.