Thought Leadership Blog Post Outline AI Prompt
Writing a thought leadership post is tough when your ideas feel fuzzy. You know the topic, but not the angle. You’re unsure about audience depth, tone, or proof points. The result? Generic posts that don’t stand out or drive authority.
A strong prompt fixes this. It captures your audience, argument, unique POV, supporting evidence, structure, and tone. With clarity up front, you’ll get a crisp outline and draft that feels credible and on-brand.
AskSmarter.ai guides you through 4–5 focused questions to collect that context—industry, persona, thesis, data, sources, and constraints. Then it generates a precise, structured prompt you can use in any AI tool.
Use the example below to see how a vague request becomes a persuasive outline that positions you as an expert and saves hours of rewriting.
The transformation
Before — Vague prompt
Write a thought leadership blog about AI in marketing.
After — Optimized prompt
You are a senior content strategist. Create a thought leadership blog outline.
- Topic and thesis: How B2B SaaS teams should measure AI-assisted content ROI; argue for a pipeline-influence model over vanity metrics.
- Audience: VP Marketing and Demand Gen leaders at mid-market SaaS (200–1,000 employees).
- Tone: Analytical, practical, confident. No hype.
- Structure: H1 title options (3), intro hook, 5–7 H2s with bullet talking points, data callouts, counterarguments, and a conclusion with next steps.
- Evidence: Reference 2–3 credible sources (Gartner, Forrester) and include 3 example KPIs with formulas.
- Constraints: 1,200–1,500 words, plain language, avoid buzzwords.
- CTA: Invite readers to download an ROI calculator template.
Why this works
The improved prompt outperforms the vague version by adding the essentials that drive quality output.
- Clarity: It defines the precise thesis (pipeline influence vs. vanity metrics) so the AI knows what to argue.
- Context: It specifies the audience (VP Marketing/Demand Gen in mid-market SaaS) which shapes depth, examples, and vocabulary.
- Structure: It requests title options, a hook, 5–7 H2s, talking points, data callouts, counterarguments, and a clear conclusion. This prevents meandering content.
- Tone: It sets “analytical, practical, confident,” avoiding hype and ensuring credibility.
- Evidence: It requires credible sources and KPI formulas, producing trustworthy, actionable content.
- Constraints: Word count, plain language, and no buzzwords keep it tight and readable.
- CTA: It ends with a defined next step, turning attention into action.
AskSmarter.ai reaches this level of detail by asking targeted questions about audience, thesis, tone, structure, and proof—context users often forget. That guided refinement saves time and yields publish-ready drafts faster.
When to use this prompt
Marketing Managers
Develop a POV-driven blog that aligns with campaign goals and provides assets for sales enablement.
Product Managers
Publish a data-backed narrative that frames market problems your product solves and educates buyers.
Sales Leaders
Create authority content that supports objection handling with clear metrics and practical examples.
Customer Success Teams
Share best practices posts that reduce support tickets and position your team as trusted advisors.
Executives and Founders
Craft strategic perspectives that influence the market conversation and attract qualified talent.
Pro tips
- 1
Define the contrarian angle to stand out and guide the argument structure.
- 2
Specify 2–3 metrics and formulas to force concrete, measurable takeaways.
- 3
Name 2 credible sources your audience respects to boost trust and accuracy.
- 4
Set a conversion goal (e.g., calculator download) so the outline drives action.
More content creation examples
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Build a prompt for your situation
This example shows the pattern. AskSmarter.ai guides you to create prompts tailored to your specific context, audience, and goals.