Social Media Strategy | Online PR | Proactive Report | Sally Falkow

The Proactive Reports is a blog about social media strategy, shifts in media consumption and online PR trends

Sally Falkow - Social Media Strategist

Artificial Intelligence and the Practice of PR

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artificial intelligence and the practice of public relations

Technology has had a big impact on the media landscape and the practice of PR in the last 20 years.

We’re now in another huge leap in technology with artificial intelligence. This is similar to the shift that occurred with the introduction of social media almost 20 years ago.

And once again the PR community is wary of this new technology and hesitant to adopt it. And yet it can help create better content, improve targeting, and increase PR effectiveness.

However, the adoption of this new technology is not without its challenges. Just as happened with social media, many PR practitioners are not jumping in.

Why should you embrace AI?  It allows you to analyze large amounts of data, generate insights, and identify trends in real-time. This makes it easier to develop targeted campaigns, measure the impact of their efforts, and make informed decisions about future strategies.

Here are some ways AI can help you:

  1. Audience Analysis and Tracking: AI algorithms can analyze data and identify patterns in consumer behavior. This let’s you find the right audience and target your messages in a way not possible before.
  2. Content Creation: Once you know the audience insights, AI can help you create high-quality content that resonates with your audience. AI-powered tools can help generate headlines, craft social media posts, and even write news articles.
  3. Crisis Management: In times of crisis, PR practitioners need to act quickly and decisively. AI can help you stay ahead of potential crises by monitoring social media channels, news outlets, and other sources of information. This can help you identify potential crises before they escalate.
  4. Measurement and analytics: AI-powered tools can help PR practitioners measure the impact of their efforts. They can also measure their return on investment (ROI). Lastly, they can pinpoint areas that need improvement.

Why PR Practitioners are Wary of AI

One of the main concerns is that AI may replace human creativity and intuition, which are essential elements of successful public relations campaigns.  AI will not take your job -. However, the person who learns how to use AI effectively may certainly take your job.

Another concern is the potential for AI to be used for unethical purposes, such as the spread of disinformation or the manipulation of public opinion. Finally, there is also the fear that AI may make mistakes or misinterpret data, leading to incorrect or harmful conclusions.

How PR Practitioners Can Leverage AI

Despite these concerns, PR practitioners can still leverage AI to enhance their efforts. Here are some ways they can do so:

  1. Embrace AI as a tool, not a replacement: Rather than viewing AI as a threat, PR practitioners should embrace it as a tool to help them improve their work. AI can augment their creativity and intuition, allowing them to work more efficiently and effectively.
  2. Invest in the right AI tools: PR practitioners should carefully evaluate the AI tools available to them and choose the ones that best fit their needs. They should look for tools that are easy to use, reliable, and offer real-time insights.
  3. Use AI to analyze data and gain insights: PR practitioners can use AI to analyze large amounts of data and gain insights into consumer behavior, media trends, and other factors that can inform their campaigns.
  4. Use AI to automate routine tasks: AI can be used to automate routine tasks such as social media posting, email outreach, and media monitoring, freeing up PR professionals to focus on more strategic work.

Takeaways for PR Practitioners

AI will have a profound effect on the practice of PR. It happened with social media and it is going to happen again.

You can either embrace it and learn to leverage AI to create better content, improve targeting, and measure the impact of your PR efforts, or get left behind. And, as most companies are not yet using it, this is the time to be a front runner and get ahead of the curve.

By investing in the right tools, using AI to analyze data and gain insights, and using AI to automate routine tasks you can stay ahead of the curve and deliver better results for your company or your clients