AI Says: PR is More Important Than Ever

Guest blog from Kristine Glenn, Fat Cat Communications and member of The Marketing Pack

Ready to get your brand into the news and be part of the AI-powered conversation? Reach out at kglenn@fatcatcommunications.com.

READ ORIGINAL BLOG HERE: https://www.fatcatcommunications.com/ai-says-pr-is-more-important-than-ever/

Ask anyone what public relations is, and you’ll probably hear some variation of “writing press releases and getting people in the news.” I’m going to forego my normal soapbox that PR is so much more, because the media relations facet of PR is having a moment right now, and I’m super excited about that.

AI is rapidly changing the way people find and consume information. Just look at your searches on Google. The first thing you get is the AI Overview, which, let’s face it, is the easiest thing to skim through. Other places people are going to get information are AI tools like Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini.

So, when these AI-enabled searches come back, what information are they citing?

MuckRack, a software company that develops public relations software, just published a report called “What is AI reading?” According to its published methodology, it analyzed over 1,000,000 links from AI responses to queries posed in ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude. And here’s what it found:

AI likes to cite what we in PR call earned media.

Earned media includes mentions in news sites, third-party corporate blogs and content not owned by our clients, scientific journals and research papers, government sites, public agencies and non-profit organizations, social platforms like LinkedIn and Reddit, and aggregators like Wikipedia.

In its tests, more than 89% of links cited by AI were from earned media sources, with 27% specifically originating from journalists. If the queries were phrased in a way that implied a level of recency, links cited by AI from journalism jumped to 49%.

What media outlets does AI like?

According to MuckRack’s report, it differed between the three AI systems. Media outlets popular for both ChatGPT and Gemini included:

·         Reuters.com

·         Axios.com

·         FT.com

·         Time.com

·         Forbes.com

Claude liked CNBC.com, NPR.org, and finance.yahoo.com.

While these were the most frequent results, AI also identified niche-appropriate outlets like goodhousekeeping.com, sciencedirect.com, faa.gov, and nielsen.com.

for specific industries, such as finance and insurance, travel/airline, healthcare, technology, and media and entertainment.

Get your name in the news.

Media relations has always been integral to public relations, and despite the changes brought about by AI, it's not going away. So, how do you get your name in the news today? It requires building strong media relationships and understanding what makes a good news story, and that’s where Fat Cat Communications can help.

Building good media relationships.

Getting your company’s story in the news isn't about sending out a generic press release; it's about building genuine connections with journalists. Think of it like any other valuable professional relationship – it takes effort, understanding, and a bit of finesse.

• Know who you're talking to: Before anything else, thoroughly research journalists who cover your industry or topics. Dive into their past articles to understand what genuinely interests them. This isn't just about finding any journalist; it's about finding the right journalist for your story.

• Personalize every connection: Say goodbye to mass emails. Every pitch sent needs to be custom-tailored to explain why your news is a perfect fit for the journalist's audience and their specific reporting interests.

• Be a go-to expert: Be seen as a valuable resource. This means offering insights, data, and connections that can help journalists, even if it's not directly tied to a specific pitch. When they need an expert comment, they'll think of you.

• Respect journalists’ time: Journalists are incredibly busy. Be mindful of their deadlines and how they prefer to communicate. Quick, clear responses are key.

• Offer real value: It's not just about what you want; it's about what you can give. Look for opportunities to share valuable trends, data, or unique perspectives that can genuinely help their reporting, even outside of a direct story pitch. This builds trust and goodwill.

• Be ready to engage: If a journalist expresses interest, make sure you're prepared to respond quickly, provide any additional information they need, and be available for interviews. Speed and accessibility can make all the difference.

So, while AI is shaking up how we find information, the fundamental power of earned media, especially from trusted journalistic sources, is more apparent than ever. It's not just about getting noticed; it's about becoming a credible, authoritative voice in the conversations that matter most to your audience.