ChatGPT for Small Business Marketing: 20 Prompts That Actually Work

Most small business owners who try ChatGPT for marketing get results that are generic, bland, and immediately obvious as AI-written. They ask "write me a Facebook post about my plumbing business" and get something they'd never actually post. The problem isn't the tool — it's the prompts. OpenAI's own usage guides consistently show that output quality scales directly with prompt quality. A vague prompt produces vague results. These 20 prompts are designed for Australian small business owners and cover the most time-consuming marketing tasks you're probably still doing manually.

Before You Use These Prompts: One Critical Setup Step

Before using any prompt, give ChatGPT a context brief. Paste this at the start of a new conversation and customise: "I run a [type of business] called [business name] based in [city], Australia. My target customer is [description]. My tone is [casual/professional/friendly/direct]. My main services are [list]. Keep responses in Australian English. Always write as if you are me, the business owner, speaking directly to my customer." With this in place, every prompt below will produce far more relevant output.

Email Marketing Prompts

Prompt 1: Welcome Email

"Write a welcome email for a new subscriber to my email list. The email should: introduce me and my business warmly, set expectations for what they'll receive, deliver [specific lead magnet you promised], and end with a soft question to encourage a reply. Under 250 words. Tone: [your tone]."

Prompt 2: Promotional Email

"Write a promotional email for [specific offer]. The email needs a curiosity-driven subject line, an opening that speaks to a specific pain point, 3 bullet points of key benefits (not features), one piece of social proof (I'll add a real testimonial: [paste it]), and a clear call to action. Deadline: [date]. Under 300 words."

Prompt 3: Re-engagement Email

"Write a re-engagement email for subscribers who haven't opened my emails in 90 days. The subject line should create genuine curiosity or offer clear value. The body should acknowledge the silence without being awkward, offer something genuinely useful, and give them a clear choice: stay subscribed or unsubscribe easily. Tone: honest and warm."

Social Media Content Prompts

Prompt 4: Educational Instagram Post

"Write an Instagram caption for an educational post about [specific topic]. Structure: Hook line that stops the scroll, 3–4 short paragraphs with the tip, a question at the end to encourage comments, and 5 relevant hashtags. Maximum 200 words. First person as me."

Prompt 5: Personal Story Post

"Write a personal story post for [platform] about a time when [brief description of business experience or lesson]. Start with the conflict, build to what I tried that didn't work, then share the breakthrough. End with a lesson my followers can apply. 150–200 words. First person, conversational."

Prompt 6: A Month of Post Ideas

"Generate 20 social media post ideas for my [business type]. Include: 5 educational tips, 3 behind-the-scenes, 3 customer transformation ideas, 4 FAQ-style posts, 2 motivational posts, and 3 promotional posts. Give me just the concept and angle for each — not the full posts."

Blog and SEO Content Prompts

Prompt 7: The Expert Interview Method

"I want to write a blog post answering this question: [specific question]. Before you write anything, ask me up to 10 questions to produce a truly helpful, unique post showcasing my expertise, real case studies, and opinions. Ask the questions first — do not write the post yet." Then answer the questions, and follow up: "Now write a 1,500-word blog post based on my answers. Include an H1 with keyword [keyword], H2 and H3 subheadings, and a conclusion with a CTA to [your course/service]."

This is the method described by SEO expert Matt Diamonte that produced consistent first-page Google rankings. The resulting post is built on your genuine expertise rather than generic AI knowledge. Learn how to use it as part of a full SEO content system in our guide to using AI to write blog posts that rank on Google.

Prompt 8: Meta Title and Description Generator

"Write 3 options each for the page title and meta description for a blog post titled: [your title]. Target keyword: [keyword]. Page titles under 60 characters. Meta descriptions 150–160 characters, including the keyword naturally, with a compelling reason to click. Write for Australian small business owners."

Prompt 9: Internal Linking Suggestions

"I have written a blog post about [topic]. Here is the full text: [paste post]. Here is a list of other posts on my website: [list titles and URLs]. Suggest 5 natural internal linking opportunities — quote the specific sentence where the link would go, suggest the anchor text, and specify which post it should link to."

Google Ads Prompts

Prompt 10: Google Ads Headlines and Descriptions

"Write 15 Google Ads headlines and 5 descriptions for my [service]. Target keyword: [keyword]. Location: [city], Australia. Each headline under 30 characters. Each description under 90 characters. Include benefit-focused, urgency, trust, and CTA headlines. Service description: [describe it]."

Prompt 11: Facebook/Meta Ad Copy

"Write a Facebook ad for [specific offer]. Target: [describe ideal customer]. Include: a scroll-stopping first line, body copy that acknowledges the problem, agitates it, and positions my [product/service] as the solution, 3 benefit bullet points, and a clear CTA with urgency. Under 200 words."

Customer Service Prompts

Prompt 12: Review Response Templates

"Write 5 different response templates for 5-star Google reviews. Each should: thank the reviewer by name, reference a specific detail from their review, reinforce one of our key values, and invite them to return or refer a friend. Under 75 words each. Warm but professional."

Prompt 13: Handling a Negative Review

"Write a professional response to this negative Google review: [paste review]. Acknowledge the experience without admitting fault for inaccurate claims, express genuine concern, offer to resolve offline (include my email: [email]), and maintain a professional tone that shows future customers I handle issues seriously. Under 100 words."

Website and Conversion Prompts

Prompt 14: Homepage Headline and Subheadline

"Write 5 options for a homepage headline and subheadline for my [business type]. Primary customer: [description]. Their main problem: [problem]. My main solution: [solution]. My key differentiator: [differentiator]. Headlines under 8 words. Subheadlines 1–2 sentences expanding on the headline."

Prompt 15: Service Page Copy

"Write a service page for my [specific service]. Structure: H1 with keyword, opening paragraph addressing the customer's pain point, what's included (3–5 bullets), how it works (3-step process), who it's for, why choose us (3 specific differentiators — [my actual points]), and a strong CTA. Target keyword: [keyword]. Australian English."

General and Strategy Prompts

Prompt 16: Marketing Strategy Brainstorm

"I'm a [business type] targeting [customer type] in [location], Australia. My current marketing channels are [list]. My monthly marketing budget is approximately $[amount]. Suggest 5 marketing activities I should prioritise in the next 90 days to increase leads, ranked by likely ROI. Be specific and practical."

Prompt 17: Email Subject Lines

"Write 15 email subject line options for an email about [topic]. My audience is [description]. Include curiosity-driven lines, benefit-focused lines, urgency lines, and question-based lines. Keep each under 50 characters. Flag your top 3 recommendations."

Prompt 18: Website FAQ Section

"Write a FAQ section for my [service page/website]. Include 8–10 questions that address the most common concerns, objections, and questions potential customers have before buying [your service]. Answer each question in 2–4 sentences. Australian English."

Prompt 19: Customer Persona

"Write a detailed customer persona for my ideal client. They are a [description of who you serve]. Include: demographics, their biggest frustrations with [your service category], what they search for on Google when they need help, what they look for in a [service provider], and the emotional outcome they want from working with someone like me."

Prompt 20: Content Ideas from Customer Questions

"Here is a list of 10 questions my customers regularly ask me: [paste your questions]. For each one, suggest a blog post title that would rank on Google, the target keyword, and a brief 2-sentence description of what the post should cover. Format as a table."

Using AI as Part of Your Marketing System

These prompts work best when combined with your own expertise. AI is the engine; your knowledge is the fuel. The more specific and personal the information you give it — real case studies, actual client results, your genuine opinions — the more unique and valuable the output. For the broader SEO context, our Five Pillars of Digital Marketing for Australian Small Business frames where AI tools fit within your complete marketing strategy.

Our Digital Marketing Essentials Course includes a full AI and Creator Tools module covering ChatGPT, Claude, and Canva AI in your workflow. See also our in-depth guide to the best AI tools for small business marketing in 2026.