Most people use AI writing tools the same way they'd use a search engine with extra steps. You type in what you want, you get something back, you sigh a little, and you start editing. The output is fine. It's just not quite right. The voice is off, or the details are generic, or it misses the actual point you were trying to make.
Here's what's usually going wrong: you're giving the AI an answer when you should be starting with a conversation.
The single most useful shift we've made at PortlandLabs in how we use AI for writing is this. Before asking it to write anything, we ask it to ask us questions first. It sounds almost too simple, but it changes the quality of the output dramatically.
The Information Gap Problem
AI hates a vacuum. If you don't give it the "why," it invents one based on the average of the entire internet. That's where you get the hollow corporate tone, the vague claims, the bullet points that could apply to literally anyone.
When you ask it to interview you first, you fill that vacuum before a single word gets written. You surface the specific example, the real opinion, the thing that only you or your organization would say. The AI isn't guessing anymore. It's working with actual material. You're giving it the soul of the piece before it builds the body.
Cold Prompt vs. Interviewed Prompt
The difference is easier to show than explain.
Cold Prompt Result
"Concrete CMS offers robust security features for your enterprise needs."
Interviewed Prompt Result
"When we built the permissions workflow for a 50-person government team last year, we learned pretty quickly that security isn't just about code. It's about who can publish what, and when, and who has to sign off before it goes live."
Same topic. One could have come from any CMS vendor on the planet. The other could only have come from us.
Just Like a Good Discovery Call
Here's the thing: you already know this process. You wouldn't build a website without a discovery phase. You wouldn't kick off a project without understanding what the client actually needs. Writing is no different. The interview method is just applying that same discipline to content.
At PortlandLabs, we talk a lot about what makes Concrete CMS different. In-context editing means seeing the real thing as you build it rather than guessing how it'll look when it's done. The same logic applies here. Get the real material on the table first, then build.
How We Use It at PortlandLabs
When we're writing a blog post for Concrete CMS, we don't start with "write me a blog post about X." We start with this:
"I need to write a blog post for Concrete CMS about [topic]. Before you write anything, ask me questions that will help you write something specific, useful, and in our voice. Don't start drafting until I've answered."
What comes back is usually five to eight questions we hadn't thought to answer upfront. Who is this for? What's the one thing you want them to walk away believing? Is there a real example that illustrates this? What's the opinion here, not just the information?
Answering those questions takes maybe ten minutes. And here's the pitch for anyone who's busy: ten minutes of answering questions is faster than an hour of rewriting a draft that missed the point. The interviewed draft is genuinely usable. The cold draft is a starting point you have to argue with.
The Personas That Actually Work
The prompts get even more useful when you give the AI a specific role to play before it asks its questions. The persona shapes what it notices, what it pushes back on, and what kinds of follow-up it thinks to ask. Here are the four we come back to most at PortlandLabs, with the full prompt for each.
For a Blog Post: The Investigative Journalist
An investigative journalist who has covered this industry for 20 years and has no patience for press release language. This persona is useful because it pushes back on vague claims and won't let you off the hook with a safe, generic angle. It will find the uncomfortable truth you were about to paper over.
"I want to write a post about [topic]. You are an investigative journalist who has covered this industry for 20 years and has no patience for press release language. Ask me 5 to 7 pointed questions to uncover the real angle, the specific audience pain points, and the inconvenient truths most people in this space won't say out loud. Do not write the post yet."
For a Support or Community Response: The Seasoned Mediator
A mediator who has sat across the table from thousands of frustrated people and knows that what someone says they're upset about is rarely the whole story. This persona is useful when you need to respond to something emotionally charged without making it worse. It slows you down before you say something you'll regret.
"I need to respond to someone who [describe the situation]. You are a mediator who has sat across the table from thousands of frustrated people and knows that what someone says they're upset about is rarely the whole story. Ask me 5 pointed questions to understand what actually happened, what this person really needs to hear, and what a fair resolution looks like. Do not write anything yet."
For a Sales Email or Outreach: The Skeptical Buyer
A skeptical senior buyer who has deleted a thousand cold emails and knows every trick in the playbook. This persona is useful because it forces you to think about what your prospect actually cares about rather than what you want to say about yourself. If your pitch can't survive this persona's questions, it won't survive the prospect's inbox either.
"I'm reaching out to a prospect at [type of organization] about [what we're offering]. You are a skeptical senior buyer who has deleted a thousand cold emails and knows every trick in the playbook. Ask me 5 pointed questions about this prospect's real situation and what it would actually take for someone like them to care. Do not write anything yet."
For Anything Where You're Stuck: The Editor Who Has Seen It All
A seasoned editor who suspects the obvious angle is the wrong one. This persona is useful when you know you have something to say but can't figure out what shape it should take. It won't let you settle for the first idea that shows up.
"I'm trying to write [type of content] but I'm not sure where to start. You are a seasoned editor who suspects the obvious angle is the wrong one. Ask me 5 to 7 questions to find the more interesting story hiding underneath. Do not write anything yet."
Why This Matters for Website Teams Specifically
If you manage a website for a living, you're probably already being asked to produce more content with the same resources. AI can genuinely help with that. But the teams getting the most out of it aren't the ones prompting harder. They're the ones prompting smarter, treating the AI less like a vending machine and more like a collaborator that needs context to do its job.
The same principle applies to how we think about Concrete CMS. A CMS is only as good as the content strategy behind it. Give people a powerful tool with no clear structure or ownership, and you get a pile of pages nobody maintains. Give them the same tool with clear roles, workflows, and a reason to trust what's on the site, and you get something people actually use.
The interview prompt method is the content strategy version of that. It's not about the tool. It's about the process you bring to it.
Try It Once Today
Good writing comes from having something specific to say. AI can help you say it well, but it can't invent the substance. When you ask it to interview you first, you're not outsourcing your thinking. You're using the tool to make your thinking more efficient, and then handing it the material it needs to actually be useful.
Try it once today, even just for a simple email, and see if you spend less time hitting the backspace key.
Learn More
Interested in saving time and having a secure website? Learn what Concrete CMS can do for you.