The RACE Prompting Framework

The difference between mediocre AI output and exceptional results often comes down to how you ask. Studies show structured prompting achieves 340% higher ROI than casual requests.

Why Most Prompts Fail

Common prompting mistakes:

Bad Prompt	Problem
"Write me an email"	No context, no audience, no goal
"Make this better"	Better how? For whom?
"Create social posts"	What platform? What tone? What goal?

AI performs best with clear, structured instructions. Enter RACE.

The RACE Framework

Role, Action, Context, Examples—four elements that transform your prompts:

R - Role

Tell AI who to be. This shapes tone, vocabulary, and perspective.

Weak: "Write an email" Strong: "You are a B2B SaaS marketing manager with 10 years of experience in enterprise software sales"

Role examples for marketing:

• "You are a conversion copywriter specializing in e-commerce"
• "You are a social media strategist for luxury brands"
• "You are a technical content writer for developer tools"

A - Action

Be specific about what you want done.

Weak: "Help with content" Strong: "Write 5 email subject lines that create urgency without being spammy"

Action verbs to use:

• Write, draft, create (generation)
• Analyze, evaluate, compare (analysis)
• Rewrite, improve, simplify (editing)
• Summarize, extract, highlight (processing)

C - Context

Provide the information AI needs to succeed.

Essential context includes:

• Audience: Who will read this?
• Goal: What action do you want them to take?
• Constraints: Word count, tone, format requirements
• Background: Product details, company info, campaign context

E - Examples

Show, don't just tell. Examples calibrate AI output.

Here are examples of our brand voice:
- "Simplify your workflow in seconds" (good)
- "Revolutionary paradigm-shifting solution" (avoid)
- "Join 10,000+ teams who ship faster" (good)

RACE in Action

Before RACE:

"Write a follow-up email for leads"

After RACE:

Role: You are an experienced B2B sales representative for a project management SaaS.

Action: Write a follow-up email for leads who downloaded our whitepaper but haven't responded to our initial outreach.

Context:

• Audience: Marketing managers at mid-size companies (50-500 employees)
• Goal: Book a 15-minute demo call
• Tone: Professional but conversational, not pushy
• Length: 150 words maximum

Examples of our voice:

• "Let's find 15 minutes to explore if we're a fit"
• "No pressure—just a quick chat about your workflow challenges"

The RACE Quick Template

Copy this template for consistent results:

ROLE: You are [specific professional role with relevant experience]

ACTION: [Specific task verb] [what you need] that [desired outcome]

CONTEXT:
- Audience: [who will consume this]
- Goal: [what action you want]
- Tone: [communication style]
- Constraints: [length, format, restrictions]

EXAMPLES:
[Include 2-3 examples of what good output looks like]

Common RACE Adjustments

Situation	RACE Modification
Output too generic	Add more specific context
Wrong tone	Provide voice examples
Too long/short	Specify exact word count
Missing key points	List must-include elements
Off-brand	Add brand guidelines

Practice Exercise

Transform this weak prompt using RACE:

Weak: "Write social media posts about our new product"

Your RACE version should include:

• A specific marketing role
• Clear action with quantity
• Platform, audience, and goal context
• Brand voice examples

The difference in output quality will be dramatic.

Next: Writing Marketing Copy with AI—applying RACE to real content creation :::