Communications and PR In the Age of Digital Transformation
The digital transformation buzzword has managed to infiltrate all business units, including the communications and PR sector. In the age of artificial intelligence, automated communication, social media apps, and more - the dawn of the media evolution is upon us! To stay updated on current digital trends, I’ve chosen a few to share to help you on that transformative journey.
Artificial Intelligence in PR
“The good news for comms pros: [the digital future] will be a blend of both technology and human insight. Most experts suggest AI will augment that strategic thinking by synthesizing details the way marketing automation has done for other parts of the enterprise.” - Cision’s State of the Media Report, 2019.
The rest of the industry appears to fall in line with this trend, with a healthy balance of skepticism and pure curiosity when it comes to the role AI will play in public relations day-to-day activities. In terms of how AI might impact our industry in the short term, it’s important for communicators to lay a foundation and have an open mind for automation. Whether it’s starting out with a few pilot processes, utilizing AI for data purposes, or looking at ways AI can enhance the humanistic approach your team is already taking, there are many simple ways to add these new technologies into your workflow.
“By taking advantage of massive quantities of data and using AI to draw insights on it, PR pros can now . . . cut through clutter and find useful, relevant data, quantify buzz and press hits, properly attribute revenue, know which tactics are working, spot brand and revenue indicators and identify PR funnel accelerators.” – Ragan Communications, Why & How You Should Use AI in Your PR Efforts, 2019.
Digital Transformation in Corporate Communications
“Communications has a rather obvious imperative in channel digitalization: to leverage digital technology to facilitate and improve communication,” –Smarter With Gartner, What Digitization Means for Corporate Communications, 2019.
Automating communications tactics can help in-house communication professionals and corporate PR teams to save precious time by experimenting with chatbots to take some basic messaging activities off their hands. One easy example your team might already be utilizing is Facebook Messenger’s automated response message that you customize. Automated messages can allow for audiences to get access to the information and resources they are seeking sooner, and free up time for communication professionals to develop overall messaging and strategy tactics.
Digital Transformation leads to an integrated, human-centric approach across all business units, breaking down silos. For communications leaders, this can help us all to further reach our audiences, develop new channels of communication, and cross-collaborate across existing channels for ease and optimization. In corporate communications, it’s vital that comms leaders get behind the transformation efforts of the entire organization, to help the change management process happen smoothly and effectively throughout the company for their internal audiences.
Utilizing New Digital Tools
“By using AI and PR/marketing automation, PR pros can do their job more efficiently and use the time to expand on a strategy that delivers results (while providing the data analytics that proves PR ROI).” – Meltwater, What Does PR Automation Mean for PR Pros, 2018.
Whether you’re using Trendkite for media monitoring and reporting, BlogDash to target influencers, Basecamp for campaign projects, or Hootsuite for social listening and scheduling…new digital software is all around us. These tools have only just begun integrating with our everyday work as PR professionals. New software will allow for further ease and optimization when it comes to media monitoring, media list building, and social media management.
In the end, digital transformation efforts are manifesting all across our industry. For both in-house and agency PR professionals, it is critical to understand these new efforts and adapt to the new initiatives that are coming our way. To stay updated on emerging PR trends, consider joining PRSA Colorado – it’s a great way to elevate your knowledge!
