Since ChatGPT was announced in late 2022, there have been a plethora of articles you can read about what it can and cannot do. You may already be very familiar with ChatGPT having used it yourself, but there are a few folks who might be apprehensive about using it and its potential.
We put ChatGPT to the test by using it to help write this blog.
The Chat
Prompt: How are public relations professionals using ChatGPT
Answer: Public relations professionals are using ChatGPT in a variety of ways to enhance their communication and outreach strategies. Some of the ways in which ChatGPT is being used include:
- Creating engaging content: Public relations professionals are using ChatGPT to create engaging content for their clients, such as social media posts, blog articles, press releases, and website copy. ChatGPT can help generate new ideas for content and provide insights into what topics are currently trending.
- Monitoring online conversations: ChatGPT can help public relations professionals monitor online conversations related to their clients or their industry. This can help them identify potential issues or opportunities for engagement and respond in a timely manner.
- Personalizing communication: ChatGPT can be used to personalize communication with stakeholders, such as customers, investors, or journalists. By using natural language processing, ChatGPT can help create more personalized messages that resonate with individual recipients.
- Conducting research: Public relations professionals can use ChatGPT to conduct research on various topics, including market trends, consumer behavior, and industry news. ChatGPT can help gather information from multiple sources and provide insights that can inform communication strategies.
- Providing customer support: ChatGPT can be used to provide customer support by answering frequently asked questions or addressing common issues. This can help improve customer satisfaction and reduce the workload of customer service teams.
Overall, public relations professionals are using ChatGPT to enhance their communication strategies, improve engagement with stakeholders, and stay on top of industry trends and conversations.
The (Short) Analysis
A pithy, three-hundred-word article. It’s not too bad upon first read, but most PR pros will recognize the inaccuracies, inconsistencies, and impossibilities of this “blog post” and its lack of voice. It’s not quite substantial enough for our blog.
However, this is a great starting point (and just made my job a little bit easier). We took out what didn’t work.
The Final Product
PR pros are busy. Never-ending media lists, regular client meetings (if you’re an agency like us), and the ever-evolving media landscape make it difficult to find time for everything. Enter ChatGPT. The AI writing platform has made headlines and become meme fodder for the internet, and PR pros can see the potential.
Many public relations professionals are now using ChatGPT to enhance their communication and outreach strategies and here’s how you can take advantage too:
- Creating engaging content: Public relations professionals are using ChatGPT to create engaging content for their clients, such as social media posts, blog articles, press releases, and website copy. It can help generate new ideas for content and make writing blog posts or even press releases a little easier.
- Starting a short media pitch: One of the hardest things about doing media relations can be creating short media pitches. It’s difficult to take a broad topic or company and boil it down to 50-100 words, but ChatGPT can start a media pitch for you—cutting out the time spent staring widely at your email draft not knowing what to type. After it gives you a draft, edit it to fit your personal voice and double-check for inaccurate information.
- Refining research: It is possible to use ChatGPT to find keywords in long stretches of text. This can be useful when you’re short on time or when you may be unsure if an article is relevant to your company or client. To find keywords using ChatGPT prompt with “Tell me the keywords in the following text:” and then provide the text.
- Giving a head start on client support: Sending an email to a client or executive can be intimidating, but ChatGPT can give you a good place to start if you’re unsure about what to say. This can help improve client satisfaction and potentially reduce the workload of your teams. Before you send that email, ensure there is no incorrect information and that your own personal voice shines through. No one wants an email that was obviously written by an AI!
Overall, ChatGPT is a useful tool, and it can and should be used to assist PR teams, but as many articles have found before, it has its limitations. PR pros are a lot more than factories that churn out press releases or social media copy, so it feels like public relations will remain relatively the same. But ChatGPT and other A.I. tools aren’t going anywhere, so stay up-to-date and familiar with them as they may become even more necessary in the future.
