AI tools need repeated instructions to stay on brand, experts say

You set up a custom AI tool, gave it rules and brand guidelines, maybe even told it never to use em dashes. And yet, there they are — em dashes, everywhere, every time.

You're not alone. Even well-configured AI tools drift from their instructions. The fix isn't better technology. It's better systems, according to the communications industry publication Ragan.

Here's what communications pros who get consistent results have figured out, and what Realtors® can learn from their playbook.

Stop assuming it remembered

AI tools don't carry your preferences from task to task the way you might expect. Each session, you're essentially starting fresh. That means the instructions you entered once, weeks ago, aren't reliably running in the background.

The solution: treat every prompt like the tool is hearing your standards for the first time.

Build your own "brand bible" document

Create a simple reference file that captures how you communicate. Think of it as your personal style guide. Include things like:

• Words and phrases you never use (jargon, clichés, anything that sounds robotic)
• Your preferred tone (warm and direct? formal? neighborhood-expert casual?)
• The structure you want — neighborhood updates, market stats, calls to action

Attach that document to your prompt every single time you use AI to draft content.

Repeat yourself, with purpose

Redundancy isn't a bug here, it's the strategy. Restate your key rules at the top of each prompt, break tasks into steps and test outputs regularly to catch drift before it reaches a customer.

Users getting the best results from AI aren't using smarter tools. Rather, they're using smarter systems.

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