Not using AI yet? Here’s three ways for PRs to get started

Public relations is the business of people and relationships. It’s in the name. To be successful in this industry, practitioners need to understand their audience’s wants, needs, motivations, and attitudes, all while forging and fostering strong interpersonal bonds with a wide range of groups.

In the digital age, this is becoming much more challenging. Trends change like the weather, and both good and bad news spreads far and fast. Word-of-mouth no longer means telling one’s immediate network of friends and family, as the internet spreads experiences across oceans. We saw this recently when a US-based food influencer shared details about a negative dining experience on TikTok, with users outside of the US resharing the video and even UK media outlets covering the ordeal. This goes to show that for many comms professionals today keeping on top of conversations and reputational threats can be a full-time occupation.

Thankfully for PR pros, AI may be the solution for keeping up and even getting ahead. These are the top three use cases PR practitioners are currently exploring or will be using very soon.

1. Audience segmentation and social listening

To effectively communicate with your audiences, you must know who they are and what they want. Even if you think you know them well, you will likely find that there is always more to learn. Needs, attitudes, and behaviours evolve quickly. What your stakeholders are looking for from your brand may shift as conditions change. It may also seem like everything is fine when a crisis is bubbling under the surface.

This is where audience insight and social listening platforms can be majorly beneficial. An unfathomable amount of customer data and information is collected each day. Sorting through and making sense of it all could also be a full-time job. Even if PR pros dedicate all their time to analysing this information, they only end up scratching the surface. By the time any insights are formed, things will likely have already moved on and this intel may no longer be of any use.

AI doesn’t have this problem thanks to its ability to analyse data in real-time and in more depth than a human ever could. AI-based platforms can provide information about audience demographics, trending topics, and what types of content will best serve their needs, just to name a few. Social listening tools such as Brandwatch and Signal AI monitor thousands of online conversations in real-time to identify where your audiences are discussing your brand, what they’re saying, and how they feel about your organisation or products.

Knowing this information is unbelievably valuable to PR practitioners. Not only does it help them keep ahead of potential crises and intervene before things get out of hand, but it also helps them to tailor their messaging and inform the content they deliver to their audiences.

2. Content creation

Of course, AI can help with that, too. Several tools in the market enable PR pros to automate their content creation effectively by keeping an eye on the trends and making recommendations for content, as well as drafting it for you with a consistent brand voice.

Advancements in Large Language Models (LLMs) and the underlying Natural Language Processing (NLP) capabilities that power them have led to a whole host of AI tools that can draft copy that is engaging and human-like. ChatGPT and Bard have captured the attention and the imagination of the public over the past year, while more advanced tools like Jasper have become mainstays for brands like Google, Airbnb, and IBM when it comes to writing everything from social posts to blog content to website copy. Employing these tools can help alleviate some of the burdens on PR pros who need to push out loads of content quickly yet effectively.

3. Media relations

When that content needs to be released through third-party media, AI can help with pitching. PRophet and Muck Rack are two of the most popular AI-powered media relations tools on the market today. PRophet uses AI, natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML) to analyse past reporter behaviour and predict future reporting potential before going to market with a pitch while also allowing the user to adjust for variables such as breaking news, editor influence, relationship with the reporter, or a spokesperson’s performance when running analysis. Muck Rack leverages AI to provide advanced media monitoring, better reporting and analysis, and more targeted pitching with built-in capability to generate tailored pitch messages.

With AI in the mix, journalists end up with pitches for stories that best meet their needs while PR pros can maximise their success rates and ensure that their stories are picked up by the right publications for their target audiences.

These are just some of the benefits that AI can bring in the PR space. In the business of people and relationships, practitioners need to be thinking ahead about ways that they can build and strengthen their partnerships with technology. It will certainly be interesting to see the developments and innovations that spring up in this space as more and more agencies, professionals, and brands get on board.

Katie King is CEO of AI in Business, which consults and trains organisations in AI. She is the author of AI Strategy for Sales and Marketing (2022) and Using Artificial Intelligence in Marketing: How to Harness AI and Maintain the Competitive Edge (2019). King is also a keynote speaker and has delivered two TEDx talks.

King will be speaking on PR, AI, ethics and what comes next? at the CIPR’s Horizon event taking place at Ham Yard Hotel in London on Tuesday 14 November. Her session will cover the opportunities, challenges and ethical questions raised by integration of AI tools/platforms in PR workflows, project management and content creation. Tickets available from £75.