Angel Media’s Justine Halifax on the AI debate: PR professionals versus ChatGPT

PR professional or ChatGPT?

That’s the question we’re asking when it comes to writing press releases to promote your business.

With finances strained, PR budgets can often be one of the first to be cut by SMEs and independent businesses, so it’s no surprise to hear that companies are starting to explore free AI options to help improve marketing and drive sales.

But is AI the right way to go when it comes to writing a successful press release? Or should you still invest in a PR professional?

Daily Focus spoke to former award-winning journalist Justine Halifax, who is now the founder and CEO of successful Staffordshire-based PR consultancy Angel Media, to get her opinion.

Billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson once said: “A good PR story is infinitely more effective than a front page ad.”

But much like a first impression, or delivery of an elevator pitch, you have just a few seconds to grab the attention of a busy journalist when your PR hits their already swamped inbox.

How do I know this?

Because, while I’m now a PR professional, I spent over two decades sitting over the other side of the desk as a journalist, feature writer and news editor.

So, I know first-hand all the boxes that a firm’s press release needs to tick to be successful.

That’s why, I’d argue, that a PR professional with a journalistic background should be your first port of call if you’re looking to secure media coverage that successfully raises your profile and heightens awareness of your business.

But a question that I’m increasingly being asked is whether I’d recommend companies, with limited PR budgets, use AI to write press releases for them.

While AI certainly has a potential role to play in helping improve your corporate marketing, I’d argue it’s better deployed in other forms of promotion, like creating blogs or some social media posts (but not all), rather than in the creation of press releases.

And here’s why…

• AI, although capable of generating text based on references, will typically follow pre-defined patterns and it lacks (currently that is!) the inventive or creative capacity to create engaging and tailored press releases.

• Either you, or your AI, would still need an in-depth understanding of exactly what makes the media, and journalists you’re approaching, tick for your PR to be a success.

• If you don’t know what should (and shouldn’t) be in a press release to pique a journalist’s topical interest at the time of creating it (which can vary by the day) your PR will likely fail.

• Your PR will need to cover off a host of elements a journalist needs to be included for them to be able to publish it. If not, and it generates too much work for them to pursue, it will fail. For example have you ticked the 5 basic boxes of “Who, What, Where, When and Why?” Or have you left these questions unanswered?

• Your PR will still need to be presented as a story that promotes your business within it and does not sound like an advert.  If it falls into the latter camp, it will fail. And, not only that, but you’ll also likely receive an email/call from the platform’s sales team asking to discuss rates for adverts/advertorials/commercial features for your PR instead!

• And, even if you tick all of the above, another key to your PR being a success is knowing who to pitch your PR too. An extensive and up-to-date contact list takes time to accumulate, but it’s something your PR professional will have ready to go in their arsenal.

Of course, making the written word sound as exciting as possible and bringing a variety of topics to life isn’t everyone’s forte, and above is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the elements you need to tick off to give your PR the best chance at success.

If you’re a busy CEO, or a sole trader wearing many hats, with a limited PR budget, then AI could play a part in helping you get the ball rolling by creating a skeleton for your press release.

But it’s still incredibly important to have human input (including a legal check) to ensure that your PR wins you the all-important media coverage you’re seeking.

Remember even reduced time spent writing PR, with the help of AI, is still wasted time if it fails to achieve its goal.