Suppose you’re interested in building or launching a new artificial intelligence (AI) company. In that case, you should know that it’s almost impossible to be successful in this space without a good public relations (PR) strategy. But what exactly should your PR strategy consist of? And why is it so crucial for a company that should hypothetically live or die based on the merits of its products?
The Role of PR
PR is an excellent strategic tool for AI companies – and companies in countless other industries, as well. PR utilizes a variety of different channels and strategies to promote a brand, control the narrative around that brand, and ultimately help that brand generate more sales and become more profitable.
The overall objectives of PR strategies are to:
- Increase brand awareness – One of the primary objectives of any PR strategy is to increase brand awareness. The more people that know about your brand, the better; it’s a way to increase traffic, engagements, and sales.
- Increase credibility and trust – Similarly, PR aims to increase credibility and trust. With effective control over your public relations, you’ll cultivate much more confidence with the people who matter and encourage them to engage with your brand more frequently.
- Generate traffic – Through a combination of content marketing, press releases, social media posts, email, and other strategies, PR can help you generate traffic to your website. As long as your website remains persuasive and capable of earning conversions, this is a massive boon for your brand.
- Build and maintain relationships – PR is also an avenue for building and maintaining relationships with new customers, as well as business partners and collaborators. Better relationships improve your business in a multitude of ways.
- Influence opinions – PR experts are also capable of influencing public opinion. If you have exciting news to announce, PR experts can make it even more exciting. If you have bad news to report, PR experts can make it seem less bad. Even small nudges can make a big difference on a large enough scale.
Key Challenges for New AI Companies
Why is this so important for AI companies, in particular?
Let’s take a look at some of the biggest challenges for new AI companies and how PR can address them:
- Visibility in an oversaturated market – AI is incredibly popular, and for good reason. But because of all the excitement, the market has become somewhat oversaturated. AI companies need to achieve brand awareness and visibility in this crowded market, but it’s almost impossible to do it without a PR campaign.
- You are demonstrating expertise – If you want people to use your product, they need to see you and your developers as genuine experts in the field. Why use an AI product if another outclasses it? PR is one of the most appropriate ways to demonstrate your expertise strategically.
- You are gaining public trust – We live in an era of distrust. For AI companies, distrust is a significant issue; if users can’t trust your product or the way you handle user data, they won’t use your products. With a PR agency on your side, it’s much easier to gain the public trust you need.
- It is remaining financially stable – Money can be tight in the early days of a tech startup, so it’s essential to find cost-effective strategies. Fortunately, PR has a relatively high return on investment (ROI), all but guaranteeing that your investment will pay off.
How to Use PR Strategically
So, how can AI startups use PR strategically and effectively?
Choose the right firm
PR is much easier and much more effective when handled by genuine experts. Additionally, your campaign is going to be more informed and smoother if you have a good relationship with the experts you work with. That’s why it’s so important to choose the right firm from the very beginning; do your due diligence when searching for the right partner.
Know your market and your brand
Work to understand your market and your brand, inside and out. Only if you have a consistent brand identity and a thorough understanding of your target demographics will your messaging achieve its full potential.
Show off your knowledge and expertise
The more credibility and trust you can build, the better. It would be best if you found ways to show off your knowledge and expertise in the field of AI, such as by publishing better content more frequently or earning awards and recognition from known authorities.
Build an omnichannel presence
An omnichannel presence incorporates many different channels and platforms, hopefully reaching as many people as possible in as many ways as possible. This doesn’t mean you should mindlessly spam people across every channel you come across, but it does mean you should strategize your messaging across many different outlets.
Engage with your audience
It’s not enough to message your audience. You need to engage with them genuinely. That means listening to what they say, answering their questions, and building individual relationships.
With a PR firm on your side, your AI company will be much more likely to be successful. You’ll enjoy greater brand awareness, more brand trust, and a broader online footprint you can use to distribute your messages. While it’s not technically a necessity, any AI company that doesn’t have a PR strategy is at a marked disadvantage against its competitors.