AI: The Not-So-Secret Weapon of Public Relations

As a public relations director at a full-service marketing and advertising agency, I know firsthand how challenging it can be to consistently come up with creative and effective strategies for our clients. The industry continues to change and the speed of that innovation is reflected in the evolution of artificial intelligence, or AI. 

AI is no longer just a buzzword or a futuristic concept; it’s a tangible, practical tool that is transforming the way we work in PR. We use AI like ChatGPT to help us generate ideas, enhance our writing, and streamline our research. It’s a secret weapon that PR pros are not so secret about.

Effective Content Creation

For instance, when we need help with writer’s block or crafting better connections between ideas, we turn to ChatGPT to help us generate new ideas and improve the flow of our writing. We also utilize AI in our everyday press releases, using it to provide alternate headlines and rework quotes to keep things clear, but never boring. And when it comes to creating questions for interviews with our thought leader clients, ChatGPT helps us think outside the box and prompts us to ask insightful, thought-provoking questions that elicit great answers.

But it’s not just external writing that we use AI for. We also leverage this technology to create internal memos and intranet posts about agency events and initiatives, and to brainstorm grassroots event ideas and other activations. By doing so, we can focus on the big picture strategy and leverage AI for tactics and supporting details. ChatGPT is more than happy to lend a hand (or a brain, as it were).

Striking a Balance

Now, some might argue that relying on AI takes away from the human touch that is so vital in PR. But I would argue the opposite. We are careful to use it as a tool, but only as a tool. By using AI like ChatGPT to handle the more mundane and time-consuming aspects of our work like summarizing notes or reworking headlines, we can free up more time and energy to focus on the creative and strategic elements (including media relationships or pitching) that require a human touch. It’s all about finding the right balance.

Plus, let’s face it: AI is only going to become more prevalent in the PR industry. If we don’t embrace it and learn how to use it effectively, we risk falling behind the competition. And that’s not a risk I’m willing to take.

So, there you have it: the not-so-secret weapon of public relations. AI, and specifically ChatGPT, has become a helpful tool for my team and me, and I have no doubt that it will continue to play a major role in the future of PR. And the best part? ChatGPT drafted this blog post. That’s right, I provided the expertise, topic and tone, and ChatGPT took care of the first draft. Talk about efficiency.

Utilizing AI is a great way to augment your skills and combat that writer’s block. Your experience, tone, style and editing is the core of the content, and the wordsmithing from AI support can help give you new ways to articulate your original thoughts. If you’re not already using AI in your PR work, now is the time to start. Don’t be afraid to embrace the technology, experiment with different uses and see how it can help you and your team become more creative, efficient, and effective in your practice.

Mary Claire Hill

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