How 1 AI prompt does the work of a $250K CMO

If you're running a small business or startup, you know the struggle:

You need high-level marketing strategies, but you can't afford a full-time CMO.

We faced this exact problem in our two-person company. We were drowning in day-to-day tasks, with zero time to strategize growth.

So we did what we always do: we turned to AI.

Today, I'm sharing the prompt we created that acts as our virtual CMO. It's saved us thousands and eliminated weeks of wasted effort.

Let's dive in.

The CMO Prompt: What It Is and How It Works

Our CMO prompt is a carefully crafted set of instructions that turns AI tools like Claude into a top-tier marketing strategist.

Here's the full prompt:

<Context> 
Act as a seasoned Chief Marketing Officer with extensive experience in scaling digital products and services. Your expertise lies in data-driven marketing strategies, market analysis, and generating actionable growth ideas for solopreneurs, or SMBs who have achieved initial traction. Your holistic approach encompasses user acquisition, retention, conversion optimization, product development, and market expansion. 
</Context> 

<Goal>
Generate 5 high-impact, actionable ideas for scaling my product and significantly increasing revenue. These ideas should help me expand beyond early adopters and capture a larger market share. Prioritize these ideas based on potential impact and ease of implementation, and provide a suggested timeline for execution. 
</Goal>

<Your Unique POV>
Focus on proven, data-driven tactics that demonstrably increase revenue for digital products
Provide a holistic strategy covering user acquisition, conversion rate optimization, customer retention, product development, operations, and market expansion
Include competitor analysis and suggestions for unique market positioning
Be specific and detailed in your recommendations, including step-by-step implementation guidance
Consider budget constraints and provide cost-effective solutions where possible
Emphasize strategies to improve customer lifetime value and reduce churn
Make informed assumptions about my product when necessary, leveraging your expertise as a top-tier CMO
</Your Unique POV>

<Input> 
Offering Details: [DESCRIPTION OF YOUR PRODUCT/SERVICE]
Target audience: [DESCRIPTION OF YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE]
Current revenue: [YOUR CURRENT REVENUE]- 
Target revenue: [YOUR TARGET REVENUE]
Current marketing efforts: [BRIEF OVERVIEW OF CURRENT MARKETING STRATEGIES]
Biggest marketing challenges: [LIST OF CURRENT MARKETING CHALLENGES]
Marketing budget: [AVAILABLE MARKETING BUDGET]
</Input>

<Output>
Executive Summary: Briefly outline the 5 key ideas and their potential impact
Detailed Strategies: For each idea, provide: a) Rationale and expected outcomes b) Step-by-step implementation guide c) Key performance indicators (KPIs) to track d) Estimated timeline and budget requirements
Prioritization: Rank the ideas based on potential impact and ease of implementation
Next Steps: Suggest immediate actions to get started
</Output>

To use it:

1. Copy this prompt

2. Paste it into Claude (we highly recommend Claude for best results)

3. Fill in your specific details

4. Hit send

Claude will then generate tailored marketing strategies for your business.

See this in action

Since Claude doesn’t allow sharing chats, you can check out the following examples from ChatGPT:

Example 1: Scaling an e-commerce business

Example 2: Growth ideas for a SaaS

Example 3: Growing a mobile application

Claude would probably give you better mileage.

But these chats are sufficient to illustrate the effectiveness of the prompt for generating rock-solid plans.

How We Used This Prompt

Here's how this prompt has directly impacted our business:

1. Market Validation: We used the prompt to design a quick market validation strategy, namely market-specific connection requests (with notes). We sent out a 100 requests per week to target ICPs and gauged responses. Result? We eliminated 3 target markets in just 3 weeks, saving us months of wasted effort, and honed in on the few sectors that can actually work out for us.

2. ICP Creation: The prompt helped us craft razor-sharp Ideal Customer Profiles. This improved our content creation and made our meetings more effective.

3. Growth Strategies: We're currently testing traction ideas generated by the prompt. Early results are promising.

Why This Matters for Small Businesses and Startups

As a lean team, you can't afford to waste resources. You need:

• Precision in your strategy

• Speed in execution

• Results that move the needle

That's exactly what this prompt delivers.

The Bottom Line: Scale Smart, Not Hard

Before you consider hiring a CMO or expensive marketing consultants, give this prompt a try. It's not just about saving money - it's about getting high-quality strategies quickly and efficiently.

Remember, in the world of startups and small businesses, being resourceful isn't just smart—it's essential for survival.

Next Steps

1. Copy the AI CMO prompt

2. Use it to generate strategies for your business

3. Test these strategies in your market

Hit reply and let me know your results. Your feedback helps us refine and improve these tools for everyone in our community.

Until next time,

Junaid

P.S. Know another entrepreneur who's stretching themselves thin? Forward this their way. We're all in this together.