Matt Barker Shares AI Prompting Strategy for Better LinkedIn Content

In a recent LinkedIn post, Matt Barker discusses a refined approach to using AI tools like Claude for generating LinkedIn content, emphasizing a shift from lengthy prompts to an interactive question-and-answer format.

Barker highlights that while AI can be a powerful tool for content creation, the method of prompting significantly impacts the quality and specificity of the output. He suggests that traditional, long-form prompts often lead to generic content because the AI has to guess the user’s intent and context.

“questions force you to clarify what you actually want”

According to Barker, this interactive method transforms vague ideas into concrete content briefs. He explains that by asking the AI to first pose questions, users are compelled to think more deeply about their message, leading to more personalized and impactful posts.

The Pitfalls of Long Prompts

Barker argues that extensive prompts, while seemingly comprehensive, can be counterproductive. He notes that these lengthy inputs often result in numerous revisions as the AI attempts to interpret the user’s underlying goals.

“long prompts make AI guess your context”

This guessing game, in Barker’s view, can dilute the unique voice and specific experiences that make a LinkedIn post resonate with an audience. Instead, he advocates for a more collaborative AI interaction.

Interactive Prompting for Authenticity

The core of Barker’s strategy lies in leveraging AI’s conversational capabilities. He provides an example where instead of prompting Claude to “write a LinkedIn post about productivity for busy founders,” a user can instruct it to “ask me questions about productivity for busy founders, then write a linkedin post from my answers.”

This approach prompts the AI to ask clarifying questions such as:

• Who is the founder?
• What is their time drain?
• What have they tried?

Barker emphasizes that this dialogue allows the content to be grounded in real-world experiences, moving beyond generic advice. “Interactive prompting = posts written from your actual Lived Experience,” he states.

“one question saves 17 prompt revisions later”

This method not only ensures greater specificity but also significantly speeds up the content creation process, making it both faster and more enjoyable, as Barker puts it.

Alternative Tools and Personal Experience

While advocating for this interactive prompting technique, Barker also briefly mentions his preferred tool, magicpost.in, which he uses to manage his extensive LinkedIn presence. He notes that this tool leverages his history of over 2,500 posts to draft new content effectively.

Barker, who shares his expertise in growing LinkedIn presence through fast, easy, and fun post creation at mattbarker.xyz, aims to empower others to create more engaging content by refining their use of AI tools.