Everyone asks What AI tools do you use? Does it help or harm your workflow? What do you need to consider when using it? Using AI can assist in many roles. The most important thing to remember is trust but verify. It is not 100 percent perfect. But it is getting there. For the record, nothing is 100 percent perfect.
I have been using AI for a variety of functions. One of the key things we need are solid media and influencer lists. Yes, there are the media relations platforms: Cision, Meltwater, and Muck Rack. I have used two of the three and tested the other. All have their merits and demerits. In many instances, what’s wrong with them isn’t entirely their fault.
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Thanks to the consolidation of the news market, the media landscape is changing. Reporters who used to cover telecom may still cover it. But add healthcare or earnings to their beats. Some of the top reporters who you worked with at Bloomberg News, Dow Jones, and The Wall Street Journal are now freelancing for them and writing for other outlets or doing work on the client side. Their @wsj.com email address is dead. Most are using Gmail. Keeping track of who is covering what, their news submission preferences, and deadlines is harder to track. The media platforms try. However, it is difficult. Also, some databases aren’t broad enough. While they offer international databases, they generally stick to major foreign cities and aren’t wide enough for some projects.
That’s where AI comes in. It is excellent for typing in the subject matter you want covered and asking who covers it nationally and in key geographic regions. More often than not, it can give you a fairly detailed list of reporters, their deadlines, and contact information. For me, this has worked better than the list-building exercises in the media databases mentioned.
I know some people who use AI to write their marketing materials. Should you? That’s your choice. I write all of the material on my Substack and WordPress platforms. If you used AI detection scanners, they’d say 0. Do I use AI to help me? Yes. I usually write everything and use various AI tools in Google and elsewhere to check readability and get ideas to shorten or further explain. It can also help you tailor it towards a specific audience.
Is this using AI to write your piece? Not at all. In the old days, you had fun, interesting brainstorming sessions, and people got together in conference rooms and mapped things out. These days we do it on Zoom or maybe via email or chat. It works. Sometimes it doesn’t. But for the most part, we are more independent and too swamped to do the classic sessions. I miss those. AI has been a great friend for brainstorming. It pulls data from a variety of sources and will tell you which audience it is appropriate for.
Is it taking the job away? Not at all. It is a valuable tool. Should you swear by it and drop your traditional reviews and edits? Nope. Use it like you use everything else.
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