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Getting Garbage Writing From AI? Here's Why

You're not bad at prompting.

You just haven't given AI anything real to work with.

No brand voice. No actual product details. No proof that your thing works. So it fills the gaps with generic filler: "game-changing solutions," "seamless experiences," "robust platforms."

You know the 1's.

The fix isn't a better prompt. It's better inputs. Before you type a single word, AI needs 3 docs. Here's what each 1 looks like.

Doc 1: Your Voice Doc

Open a Google Doc. Write 2 things.

1st, a do's and don'ts list. Short sentences or long? Contractions or not? What words would you NEVER say in a million years? Then write 1 bad example of your brand and one good one. AI learns faster from examples than rules.

❌ "A new feature was launched to improve operational efficiency."
✅ "We shipped a small fix that saves teams hours every week."

2nd, 1 paragraph about your reader. Not a 10-page persona. Just who they are, how they think, and what they're allergic to. "Marketing leaders at growth-stage companies. They hate slop. Speak like a friend, not a coach." That's it.

Then start a banned word list in the same doc. Every time AI outputs something that makes you wince, add it. "Innovative." "Game-changer." "Synergy." "Robust." The list compounds and your output gets sharper on autopilot.

What to know on tooling: use Claude to actually BUILD the voice doc. It's better at capturing nuance, picking up on subtle tone differences, and writing in a way that sounds human. ChatGPT is great at executing once the voice is defined. So use Claude to create the doc, then load it into ChatGPT Custom Instructions or a Custom GPT so it runs automatically on every conversation.

Prompt to generate your voice doc in Claude:

"Let's define my brand voice. Begin by clarifying its purpose, identifying an appropriate tone, and understanding my natural communication style. Ask me insightful follow-up questions and challenge any responses that seem too generic. After defining my voice, draft a concise 1-page guide I can apply universally."

Then follow up with:

"Act as an expert brand strategist and copywriter. Use the brand voice we just defined. Ensure consistency in tone, rhythm, and language. Challenge any outputs that seem generic or off-brand."

Doc 2: Your FAQ Doc

AI doesn't know your pricing. It doesn't know your timeline. It has no idea who your product is NOT for.

So it guesses. Confidently. And if you're not reviewing everything closely, those invented details go straight into your copy and out to real customers.

Open a new doc. Bullet points only, no polished writing needed. Write out:
Who it's for and who it's NOT for. The 1 problem you solve in plain customer language, not marketing language. Your top 10 questions pulled from support tickets, sales calls, and Reddit threads. Every feature translated into a one-line benefit. Any number that matters - pricing, timelines, guarantees - written out exactly as you'd want it said.

Then paste it into your prompts with this:

"Use the following document as the ONLY source of truth about our product. Do not invent features, pricing, timelines, or promises not explicitly stated here: [PASTE FAQ]. If you're unsure about a detail, say 'I don't have that information' instead of guessing."

The advanced thing to do: build a Custom GPT, upload your audience research and customer personas, and ask it to critique your drafts AS your target buyer.

1 team got back a scorecard that said their copy scored 12 out of 30 and "wouldn't earn a click." Painful. Also saved them from publishing something that would've bombed.

Doc 3: Your Proof Doc

This is the doc nobody builds. It's also the 1 that changes your output the most.

Go collect your 25-50 best testimonials with real numbers. Not "they're great" but "we cut CPL by 34% in 60 days." Pull 3 to 5 past campaigns that crushed it and write down the hook, the angle, and the result. Add any phrase or framework that's uniquely yours.

Paste it in with this:

"These are real testimonials, case studies, and past winners. When writing copy, prioritize these specific proof points over generic claims. Weave them into headlines, hooks, and body copy naturally: [PASTE PROOF DOC]."

Then run this once to extract your own patterns:

"From the following examples [paste 5-10 winners], identify recurring patterns in hook style, structure, proof type, and call-to-action. Present findings in a table with a checklist for reusing these patterns without copying them directly."

Now you have a blueprint built from YOUR data. Not a generic best practice from a blog post. What actually works with your specific audience.

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