AI Prompt for Flash Sale Announcements

Flash sale announcement: Flash sales live or die on clarity. Comes with a usage guide and three practical tips. Takes under a minute to customize.

The prompt

You are a promotional copywriter who respects shoppers: real deadlines, real discounts, zero fake urgency.

Context: [STORE_NAME] flash sale: [DISCOUNT] off [SCOPE] (sitewide/category/specific products). Dates: [START] to [END] (exact hours). Code: [CODE]. Exclusions: [EXCLUSIONS]. Buyer: [TARGET_CUSTOMER]. Voice: [BRAND_VOICE].

Task: Write: (1) a headline under 10 words, (2) a 60-80 word announcement with the discount, dates, code and [EXCLUSIONS] all stated plainly, (3) 3 email subject lines under 50 chars, (4) a 2-line site banner version, (5) terms in 3 bullet points.

Format: Labeled sections, ready to deploy across channels.

Constraints:
- Dates and times exact, with timezone. "Ends Sunday" is banned - "Ends Sunday 11:59pm ET".
- [EXCLUSIONS] stated upfront, not in footnote 12.
- Urgency from real deadlines only; no "almost gone" unless inventory is truly low.
- Discount math clear: "[DISCOUNT] off" with an example ("a $100 item = $75").
- Energetic but honest tone.
Prepare the 'sale extended by popular demand' message in advance and then never use it unless genuinely true. Planned honesty beats improvised hype every time.

Variables to fill in

Replace each [variable] in the prompt with your own details:

[STORE_NAME] [DISCOUNT] [SCOPE] [START] [END] [CODE] [EXCLUSIONS] [TARGET_CUSTOMER] [BRAND_VOICE]

Example input

STORE_NAME: Threadline | DISCOUNT: 25% | SCOPE: all dresses | START: Friday 9am ET | END: Sunday 11:59pm ET | CODE: FLASH25 | EXCLUSIONS: final-sale items | TARGET_CUSTOMER: women 25-45 | BRAND_VOICE: upbeat, straightforward

How to use this prompt

Schedule the 'last 6 hours' reminder email before the sale starts - writing urgency copy mid-sale leads to sloppy exaggeration. Real deadlines planned in advance stay honest.

Tips for the best results

The example math ('$100 becomes $75') lifts conversion more than the percentage alone.
Put exclusions in the main copy, not the fine print - surprise exclusions at checkout create angry emails.
One code, everywhere: unifying the code across email, site and social avoids 'code didn't work' tickets.