AI is Reshaping Public Relations. Why You Need to Join the Revolution!

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has quickly moved from the fringes of science fiction into the core of our professional lives, causing both excitement and apprehension among public relations professionals. Many of us wonder how technologies like ChatGPT might alter our roles, particularly for those of us whose days are filled with writing, content creation and content marketing.

AI can be a tool that augments our capabilities and improves our results.

Regardless of how you feel about AI, the truth is that it is here to stay. Its role will only increase as more apps become available and increase in sophistication. Rather than succumbing to fear, we should view AI as a transformative opportunity that is not here to replace us as public relations professionals or our PR agency, but to redefine our roles and enhance our capabilities. The future of PR involves a blend of art and science, where professionals will have a vast array of AI tools to complement our work and elevate our creative processes.

Increase Efficiency:

AI tools allow us to automate routine tasks, such as drafting pitches, blogs, and media briefing documents that we can leverage for media relations. What once took hours can now be achieved in minutes. This shift not only boosts productivity but also frees up our time for more creative and strategic endeavors. The key here, however, is to focus on the word “draft.” AI tools are not meant to produce your final product. They can help bring together our key ideas. It is then up to us to nuance the draft into something that is relevant for our audience. Additionally, junior PR professionals, often bogged down by administrative tasks, can now leverage AI for media monitoring, list building, and comprehensive research, enhancing efficiency across the board.

Research and Anticipate Threats and Risks:

While many AI tools focus on historical data, by understanding how to use these tools, PR professionals can determine current and imminent potential threats, track shifting trends, and adapt to consumer preferences with greater precision. This helps in strategizing more effectively, mitigating risks, and seizing opportunities.

Chat GPT and other chatbot programs, when used correctly, can improve productivity.

Act as an Assistant:

AI’s role as an assistant is perhaps its most underrated benefit. It can’t run errands, but it can significantly improve the quality of our work. AI chatbots and specialized platforms act as virtual coaches, helping to refine our writing and offering suggestions for improvement. These tools also assist with ideation, research, and optimizing content for search engines, serving as invaluable resources for skill enhancement and creative exploration. Again, the key here is to ensure we use this content as a first step and refine as needed. This includes doing additional research to ensure the content spit out by the chatbot is correct (spoiler alert: ChatGPT is not always correct).

Help us to Better Engage with Audiences:

With AI, the guesswork in content creation is greatly reduced. Several PR-focused tools already utilize predictive AI to tailor pitches to journalists, making media placements more impactful and adding to effective brand awareness. This predictive capability extends to finding the right creators for our influencer marketing efforts and crafting resonant content for blogs, press releases, and social media. In the end, it ensures our messages not only reach but also engage our target audience.

Predictive Insights:

In an unpredictable industry, predictive AI offers a significant advantage. It enables us to foresee potential threats, track shifting trends, and adapt to consumer preferences with greater precision. This foresight helps in strategizing more effectively, mitigating risks, and seizing opportunities. This tool is also invaluable for reputation management and crisis communications strategies.

As AI continues to evolve, its rapid integration into PR practices is inevitable. However, rather than watching from the sidelines in fear, it is in our interest to embrace AI as an important tool that augments our capabilities and improves our results. The early adopters among us are not just keeping pace; they are setting the stage for a future where AI and human creativity combine to push the boundaries of what’s possible in public relations.

If you’d like help with your thought leadership strategy and content, please reach out to us at info@amplifyonline.ca.