Why Your Prompts Are Too Short (and How to Enrich Them)

The minimalist prompt syndrome

You open ChatGPT, type "Write an article about digital marketing," hit Enter... and get text as generic as a Wikipedia article rewritten by a tired intern.

The problem? You gave the AI the equivalent of a client brief that says "Make me something good." No context, no constraints, no direction. Result: the AI spits out average content that resembles everything it's already seen in its training data.

The brutal truth: a short prompt will always give you a result that's short on value, even if the text is 500 words long.

Why we write prompts that are too short

Before we fix this, let's understand why we all make this mistake:

1. We treat AI like Google We spent 20 years typing short keywords into a search engine. Hard to change habits overnight.

2. We think AI "understands" our intention Nope. AI statistically guesses what you want, based on millions of examples. If your prompt is vague, it picks the most probable option... which is often the most banal.

3. We don't know what to add This is the real problem. You know your prompt is missing something, but you don't know what.

The 5 dimensions of an enriched prompt

A good prompt isn't necessarily long. It's complete. Here are the 5 elements that transform a weak prompt into a solid brief:

1. Role and expertise

Instead of letting the AI be "itself," assign it an identity with specific expertise.

Weak prompt:

Write a newsletter about productivity

Enriched prompt:

You're a productivity coach who works with creative freelancers.
Your approach blends GTD and digital minimalism. Write a 300-word
newsletter about managing interruptions, with an empathetic but direct tone.

2. Context and constraints

The AI needs to know why you're asking this and in what context this content will be used.

Weak prompt:

Create a LinkedIn post to promote my service

Enriched prompt:

I'm launching an automation consulting service for African SMEs.
My audience: 35-50-year-old business owners, non-technical, who waste
time on manual tasks. Create a 150-word LinkedIn post that opens with
a concrete pain point (e.g., spending 3hrs/day on invoices), then
presents the solution without jargon. Casual but professional tone.

3. Expected format and structure

Don't let the AI guess how to organize its response.

Weak prompt:

Give me content ideas

Enriched prompt:

Create a table with 10 Instagram post ideas for a natural cosmetics
brand in Senegal. Columns: Idea | Hook (first sentence) | Format
(carousel/reel/photo) | Goal (engagement/sales/education)

4. Examples and style reference

Nothing beats a concrete example to guide style and tone.

Weak prompt:

Write a follow-up email

Enriched prompt:

Write a follow-up email for a prospect who downloaded my guide 5 days
ago but hasn't responded. Style inspired by this example:

---
Hey [Name],

I saw you downloaded the guide on [topic]. Quick question: what's
currently blocking you from [goal]?

I'm asking because 90% of people I help mention [pain point]. If that's
your case, I might have a shortcut for you.

Let me know?
---

Adapt this style but for my context: [describe your context]

5. Quality criteria

Finish by specifying how you'll judge the result.

Addition to any prompt:

The result must:
- Use action verbs from the first sentence
- Include at least one number or stat
- Avoid clichés like "in today's world" or "nowadays"
- Be readable in under 90 seconds

Complete transformation example

Let's look at a radical before/after:

❌ Short prompt (predictable result)

Create a Facebook ad for my recipe app

✅ Enriched prompt (actionable result)

Context:
I'm launching an African recipe app adapted for urban kitchens (small
spaces, easy-to-find ingredients). Target: 25-40-year-old young
professionals in Abidjan, Dakar, Lagos who want to eat traditional
food but lack time.

Task:
Create Facebook ad copy (150 words max) that:
1. Opens with a concrete frustration (e.g., "You want to make mafé but
   your studio has just 2 burners and zero space")
2. Presents the app as the solution (adapted recipes, 30min max,
   shopping list included)
3. Ends with a CTA to download (offer: first month free)

Tone: complicit, urban, without being condescending. Like a friend
giving a good tip.

Absolutely avoid: "revolutionary," "unique," "incredible"

The difference? In the first case, the AI will generate a generic ad that could work for any recipe app.

In the second case, you get text anchored in a specific reality, with a differentiating angle.

The 6-question method

If you don't know where to start enriching your prompt, answer these 6 questions before writing:

1. Who's speaking? (role, expertise, perspective)
2. To whom? (specific audience, knowledge level)
3. Why now? (context, situation)
4. What exact result? (format, length, structure)
5. What style? (tone, references, examples)
6. How do I know it's successful? (quality criteria)

Integrate the answers into your prompt. You'll go from 2 lines to 10-15 lines... but your results will be 10x better.

The trap of over-complexity

Warning: enriching doesn't mean drowning the AI in useless details.

Bad enrichment:

My name is Marc, I'm 34, I live in Lyon, I started my business in 2019
after leaving my banking job because I wanted more freedom, my mission
is to help people...

Too much personal info that doesn't serve the task.

Good enrichment:

I'm a career transition consultant for 35-50-year-old executives.
My approach: pragmatic, no-BS, focus on transferable skills rather
than passion.

Keep only what helps the AI respond better.

How KayaPrompt speeds up this work

Writing enriched prompts takes time the first few times. The good news? Once a prompt works, you can reuse and adapt it.

That's exactly why we created KayaPrompt: to store your best prompts with modifiable variables, so you never start from scratch.

Instead of rewriting "Create a LinkedIn post for [complete context]..." every week, you save your prompt with dynamic fields:

• {{topic}}
• {{audience}}
• {{tone}}
• {{length}}

You just fill in the variables, and the complete prompt generates. No need to remember all the elements to include every time.

Immediate action

Take the last prompt you used this week. Analyze it:

• Did you define a role/expertise for the AI?
• Did you give context about your audience and goal?
• Did you specify the expected format and structure?
• Did you include an example or style reference?
• Did you list quality criteria?

For each "no," add the missing element. Test again. Compare results.

That's how you improve: one prompt at a time, one enriched element at a time.

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Want to build a library of enriched prompts you can reuse in 2 clicks? Try KayaPrompt free at kayaprompt.com and stop rewriting the same instructions every day.