A piece can be well-written, well-structured, genuinely useful, and still get ignored.
Usually the problem is upstream: the angle doesn't stand out, the format is fighting the platform, the distribution isn't reaching the right people, or the topic landed at the wrong moment. Changing the content itself when any of those things are off won't fix anything.
Most content doesn't fail because it's bad. It fails because one thing is off. This prompt finds which one.
Try this prompt:
You are a senior content strategist diagnosing underperforming content. Be direct and specific — avoid generic advice.
I want to understand why my content isn't getting the engagement I expect.
Context:
- What I'm publishing: [type of content, format, topics]
- Where I'm publishing: [channels/platforms]
- Target audience: [who they are, what they care about]
- What I'm seeing: [specific problem — low opens, no comments, poor reach, few shares]
- What I've already tried: [changes made]
Step 1: Diagnose the issue across these five areas:
- Topic fit (does this actually matter to the audience right now?)
- Angle (is this a differentiated or compelling take?)
- Format (is this packaged correctly for the platform?)
- Distribution (is the right audience seeing it?)
- Timing (is this being posted at the right moment?)
Step 2: Rank these from most likely → least likely cause.
Step 3: Identify the single root cause that is most likely hurting performance.
Step 4: Recommend ONE specific change to test next (be concrete — rewrite angle, change format, adjust distribution, etc).
Step 5: Show a quick before vs after example of how the content should change.
Constraints:
- Do not give broad advice.
- Do not list multiple next steps.
- Prioritise clarity over completeness.
Happy prompting!
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