In Part 1 of our Strategic AI series, we explored the high-level pro tips for digital marketing. Today, we’re getting tactical with 11 specific prompts to help you diagnose and fix underperforming campaigns.
Writing AI prompts can feel like a mysterious mix of art, science and tech babble. But it doesn’t have to be. Here are 11 prompts to help you get the most from your digital campaigns.
1. Feed AI the Right Context in Your Prompts:
The most effective prompts do three things:
- Focus on outcomes, not just metrics.
- Ask for a diagnosis, not a description.
- Demand actionable recommendations.
To get meaningful answers, always include the following in your prompts. Without them, AI is guessing (just faster than you can).
- Campaign goal (e.g., open house sign-ups, inquiries)
- Target audience (e.g., parents of K–8 students)
- Platform (Google Ads, Facebook/Instagram)
- Key metrics (CTR, CPL, conversion rate)
2. Campaign Performance Diagnosis Prompt:
Use this when you want a clear breakdown of weak campaigns. Include metrics like impressions, clicks, conversions, CPL, and audience targeting details for better insights.
“Analyze the following digital campaign performance data for [YOUR SCHOOL NAME] school. Identify which campaigns are underperforming based on CTR, conversion rate, cost per lead and engagement. For each underperforming campaign, explain the likely reasons (targeting, creative, timing, landing page experience or offer) and prioritize these factors by impact.”
3. Underperforming vs. Top-Performing Comparison Prompt:
AI is especially strong at spotting differences between winners and losers.
“Compare these high-performing and low-performing campaigns for [YOUR SCHOOL NAME]. Identify the key differences in audience targeting, messaging, visuals, keywords and timing. Explain what the underperforming campaigns are missing and recommend specific changes to improve them.”
4. Audience Targeting Analysis Prompt:
Use this when you want to understand if the right audience is seeing your ad.
“Review the targeting parameters for these campaigns (age, location, interests, behaviors, keywords). Identify any mismatches between the intended audience (prospective parents) and the actual targeting. Suggest how to refine the audience to improve lead quality and conversion rates.”
5. Ad Creative and Messaging Critique Prompt:
Use this prompt to help diagnose weak engagement.
“Evaluate the ad copy and creative for these campaigns promoting [YOUR SCHOOL NAME]. Identify why engagement and conversions may be low. Consider the message’s clarity, emotional appeal, differentiation, and alignment with parent priorities. Rewrite one example with improved messaging.”
6. Funnel Drop-Off Analysis Prompt:
This is a great prompt for diagnosing where prospects lose interest.
“Analyze this campaign funnel data (impressions → clicks → landing page visits → form submissions). Identify where the largest drop-offs occur and explain why. Provide specific recommendations to improve conversion at each stage.”
7. Landing Page Performance Prompt:
Use this prompt to ensure that your landing page is just as compelling and high-converting as your advertisement.
“Review this landing page content and performance data for our campaign. Identify friction points that could be reducing conversions (form length, unclear CTA, weak messaging, poor alignment with ad). Recommend specific improvements to increase form submissions.”
8. Budget Efficiency & CPL Analysis Prompt:
Use this prompt to stop wasting Ad Spend.
“Analyze our campaign spend and cost per lead across platforms. Identify which campaigns are inefficient or wasting budget. Explain why (low intent keywords, poor targeting, weak creatives, etc.) and recommend how to reallocate budget for better ROI.”
9. Retargeting Effectiveness Prompt:
Your retargeting ads should outperform cold campaigns. If they don’t, something’s off. Use this prompt to help figure it out.
“Evaluate the performance of our retargeting campaigns compared to cold audience campaigns. If retargeting is underperforming, explain why and suggest improvements in messaging, timing, or segmentation.”
10. Timing and Seasonality Analysis Prompt:
Because school recruitment is highly seasonal, use this prompt to synchronize your campaign timing with key enrollment milestones.
“Analyze campaign performance relative to [YOUR SCHOOL NAME] admissions calendar (open houses, application deadlines, enrollment periods). Identify whether timing is contributing to underperformance and recommend better campaign scheduling.”
11. Root Cause + Action Plan Prompt:
This is the most powerful prompt that combines everything into one strategic output.
“Based on this campaign data, identify the top 3 underperforming campaigns and diagnose the root causes of their performance issues. For each, provide a prioritized action plan with specific fixes (targeting, creative, landing page, budget or timing) and expected impact.”
Dive deeper into how to write effective prompts with MIT’s guide.
Download Kalix’s free e-book, Digital Marketing for Schools in the Age of AI.
Kalix Marketing can help you turn smarter prompts into stronger enrollment results. Reach out today to start building digital campaigns that don’t just run—but deliver real impact for your school.
