Hi,
One of the best questions I’ve ever been asked in my career is who is this press release trying to reach — customers, investors, or employees?
A fellow PR person who was helping out one of my clients on a launch asked it in our first meeting, and I’ve stolen it so many times since. It’s served as a great reminder that press releases, or really any public communication in general, has one of three audiences. Sometimes, yes, it’s a combination of two. Rarely is it ever three.
But now, I’m adding a fourth audience. Computers. By computers, of course, I mean AI and LLMs.
So, here’s another question: how are the computers perceiving you?
It’s a question I never thought I’d ask, but here we are. And it’s changing the way I think about the original question. The answer is no longer just customers, investors, or employees. It’s also the systems that are quietly forming opinions about your brand on behalf of everyone else.
Unlike customers who don’t read quarterly reports, or employees who skip the weekly customer newsletters, LLMs don’t miss things. They see it all, and use it to influence people asking questions in places you’ll never see.
More than ever, the answers depend on the context.
This week on LinkedIn, I described the difference between earned and owned media. And while the difference has always been clear to those of us “in the biz,” I’m seeing a need to make it more clear to everyone.
Owned media (blog posts, email newsletters, LinkedIn posts) drives awareness. They (should) give your audiences the clearest idea of what the problem is and how you can solve it. Owned media answers the “What does X company do?” prompts on LLMs.
Earned media (press mentions, UGC, random recommendations on Reddit) drives authority. It signals to your audiences, including LLMs, that your company is worth considering for <insert your value proposition here>. When someone asks ChatGPT the question, “What companies are the best for XYZ?” earned media is what gets your name on the list.
What does this mean for founders? There’s no such thing as throwaway content anymore. The “About Section” of your website better line up with what you told that reporter about your company last week. If an influencer mentions how much they love a feature of your product, it might be time to feature it more prominently on your website.
It’s more important than ever to be intentional about what you’re putting into the world. Now it’s not all just being read, but remembered and referenced in conversations you’re not a part of.
So now, when I’m working on a press release, I ask a better question. Not just “who is this for?” but “how will this be perceived?” Not just by humans, but by the systems shaping how humans find you?
See you next week,
Megan