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Most research requests fail before ChatGPT has even started. “Research this market” sounds specific, but it gives AI no standard for what matters, which sources count as credible, what it should be looking for, or how the findings will be used.
The result is usually a long, reasonable-sounding summary that tells you a few things you already knew, adds a handful of trends, and leaves you no closer to deciding whether to pursue an audience, change a message, prioritize a channel, or build a campaign around an idea.
Research only becomes valuable when it changes what you do next.
Brief it like you would brief a capable colleague: start with the decision, spell out the questions that need answering, ask it to challenge the assumption behind the work, and tell it exactly what a useful output looks like.
Try this prompt:
You are a research analyst supporting a marketing decision.
I need to decide:
[DESCRIBE THE DECISION YOU NEED TO MAKE]
Research topic:
[DESCRIBE THE MARKET, AUDIENCE, CATEGORY, COMPETITOR, OR OPPORTUNITY]
The research needs to answer:
1. What does the available evidence suggest about this opportunity?
2. What problems, needs, or questions does the target audience appear to have?
3. What are competitors or alternatives currently saying and doing?
4. What claims, trends, or assumptions should be treated with caution?
5. What information is still missing before we make a decision?
6. Based on the evidence, what are the strongest strategic options?
Prioritize:
- Recent and credible sources
- Primary sources, original research, customer evidence, and reputable industry publications
- Specific examples and direct links to sources
- Evidence that challenges the original assumption, not just evidence that supports it
Avoid:
- Generic trend summaries
- Unsupported claims
- Treating competitor messaging as proof that something works
Format the final output as:
1. Executive summary
2. Key findings and supporting evidence
3. Competitor or market observations
4. Assumptions and gaps
5. Strategic implications
6. Recommended next step
7. Sources
Happy prompting!
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