Artificial intelligence within public relations is growing. Tools such as ChatGPT, Claude 2 and Bard are changing how PR professionals are working without giving up creative control. According to Prowly, the most popular applications of AI in PR include idea generation, content creation, research, reporting and monitoring.
In general, use ChatGPT when writing projects like press releases, regular internal communication features, award and conference submissions and basic client memos. When creating prompts, it’s best practice to be as specific as possible.
Below are tips to effectively write PR prompts in ChatGPT:
- Beat writer’s block. Instead of wasting time staring at a blank Word document, use prompts like “shorten this,” “rewrite this,” “suggest some alternatives to,” and “write a few variants of” to help generate ideas for whatever communication piece you are creating.
- Generate persuasive subject lines. As PR professionals know, email subject lines should be catchy and compelling to drive an open from a journalist. The same goes for writing them using ChatGPT. The more you can give the AI tool in your prompt the better. For example, “Create a subject line for [XYZ]. Keep the tone of the subject line [XYZ]. The target audience is [XYZ] and the advantages of using the solution include [ABC].”
- Analyze data. ChatGPT can help provide clarity for research and data by reading Excel and Google Sheets. After you paste your data into the prompt area, a sample prompt could be, “Write a short paragraph that gives an analysis of the data provided from a stakeholder survey.”
- Create an outline of your comms work. While you don’t want to rely on the tool to give you a full press release and have to re-write it, try using prompts that promote outlining. For example, “Create a brief bullet point outline for a press release for a new line of competition bikes.”
Don’t be afraid to refine your prompt. If you aren’t satisfied with your answers, do some refining to your prompt. Using words like “edit,” “provide,” “elaborate,” and “clarify” can help. As an example, “Provide five alternative subject lines that are shorter and that have the word EXCLUSIVE at the front.”
ChatGPT is NOT as effective for PR professionals with the following:
- Count words. When writing prompts, stay away from things like “cut 200 words,” “add 300 words” or “write an 800-word piece.”
- Target media lists. While ChatGPT is good at suggesting media outlets, it is unable to suggest specific reporters.
- Pitch. In the AI era, it’s important that pitches be written so that a journalist can’t tell whether it was written by AI or not. In our experience, AI pitches are too generic and lack a conversational tone.