The way people search for companies and products online is changing.

This is part 2 in a two-part podcast series. In this episode our conversation explores communications tactics businesses can use to enhance their visibility within AI-driven searches. And the result will be greater engagement with your target audiences.

The HMC team talks about the importance of having a robust communication plan, which is the starting point to ensuring you have consistent and authoritative content on a variety of online channels. And when you do, AI search engines will find you and recommend you.

Takeaways:

• Brands must develop a robust communications strategy and online content plan to enhance visibility in AI searches.
• Understanding brand messaging and personality is crucial for differentiation in a competitive market.
• Engaging with online media with news stories and thought leadership can significantly improve AI optimization outcomes.
• Creating high-quality, human-centered content is essential for building trust with audiences and AI platforms.
• Leveraging partnerships to generate credible endorsements by third-parties can enhance a brand's online authority.
• Brands should actively seek out and respond to frequently asked questions to improve AIO and relevance.

Links referenced in this episode:

• wearehmc.co.nz

Companies mentioned in this episode:

• HMC
• ChatGPT
• Cloud Gemini
• TripAdvisor
• Instagram
• PR Institute of New Zealand

You're listening to Crunch, a podcast by award winning public relations agency hmc.

Crunch stands for Crucial Chats over Lunch.

These are bite sized discussions for business leaders that can easily be digested over your lunch hour, on your morning commute or whenever you listen to your favourite podcasts.

Crunch tackles a variety of topics to help business leaders build their knowledge in strategic communication and public relations.

On behalf of the HMC team, it's our privilege to welcome you into Crunch.

Welcome back to Crunch.

This is part two of a podcast focusing on how online search is changing and the rise of LLMs like ChatGPT in search.

Last time we talked about how that change is affecting brands and in today's episode we'll give you the solutions so that you can take action.

We've been talking about how AI search is sort of changing the landscape and how as a company, as an organization, as a person, people are doing research in your space.

You want to come up in those AI searches.

So today we're going to talk a little bit about, yeah, that action plan basically and I guess the role of PR and comms in helping you to be found.

The first step in all this is to have, you know, we always come back to this, don't we team having a good PR strategy and action plan as born boring as that sounds, but that's what you need.

And you know, like we were saying in episode one, like this isn't something terribly new here, but it's just the way that search is changing shows the incredible importance I guess of having that strategic and proactive comms plan.

So yeah, what do you guys think about that?

I think there's one thing in here that we mentioned in the first part around about the importance of understanding and being clear about your brand personality and messaging.

Because if product versus product is gonna be same same and you've gotta make a way to stand out, really understanding how you're gonna position yourself and the language and methods you're gonna use to do that becomes even more important.

It's just not about pretty pictures and making you visually stand out.

You've gotta stand out in terms of messaging and content just as clearly and.

People are gonna be desperate or like yearning to have contact with other people too.

So if you can make the people within your business more visible, actually have people behind the brand, I think that's gon.

Well, PR is always about trust and confidence, right?

And this is the thing that distinguishes us from advertising per se and this is where it's at.

So it's like this is really PR's time to shine.

So really strategically tackling the communications you're currently doing and making sure you're really getting the bang for buck for that, and making sure that every piece of content is human, is high quality and is leveraged in all these different ways so it doesn't die a death and you're a newsletter.

That's good.

That's good.

Yeah.

And I think, you know, obviously when you do a comms strategy.

A comms plan, like Vicki was saying.

Yeah.

Part of that is really sitting down and nutting out your key messages.

Because like we were saying before, you know, the ChatGPT and Cloud Gemini, whoever you're using, is looking for that consistency.

So once you have those key messages, it's like, how are we going to repeat these everywhere we are sort of thing.

So in practical terms, if we delve, you know, right into tactics of your comms plan, which I know it's always easy to get right into the tactics, but what are the sorts of things that we're talking about that your brand could consider doing online?

Well, lately I've been thinking, I've been doing a lot of thought leadership.

So I write for a lot of CEOs.

We're often blogging or we're writing on LinkedIn, but we also know that when we get something actually printed in the news, in the media, it is so much more helpful in terms of AI optimization.

So actually being braver about putting some of that content, you know, pitching that, or even putting forward an opinion piece, an editorial, I mean, it works, it's worth it sometimes I think.

Yeah, yeah.

And thinking, I guess, and this is something we talk about a lot at hmc, is like having that one piece.

But how can we eke the most out of it and do a couple different things with it?

Cause I know, like when you're talking there, Natalie, about doing some thought leadership for these execs, I know you were doing a piece the other day and thinking it was probably gonna land on LinkedIn.

And then we thought, actually this is an op ed, we can pitch to the.

And we were successful in doing that.

So I think it's as you're creating this content, it's thinking about, where else can we make this land?

The value of that is huge in so many ways when I think about it now, at the time it was like, really?

Do you think this will fly?

It did fly, but I think thereafter it's gonna have so much more value.

It will show up in lots of other contexts.

In research around this particular industry.

In ways that it would never have done if it only set on LinkedIn.

Yeah, good point.

I guess another thing, Emma, that you, I know have done with some of your clients is actually doing some FAQs on websites because let's answer the questions people are searching for.

Yeah, and I mean that works well for SEO purposes, but go onto Reddit, ask your AI platform, what are people searching for and how can I answer it?

Like, I think with our content we always have to think about the value that we're adding to our audience.

It's not just content for content's sake.

And so answering those questions directly in natural language, that is fitting with our brand voice.

Yeah.

Does that mean we can't write our FAQs with ChatGPT?

I don't know.

Maybe as a starting point, but I don't know how well is yours trained?

No, when AI, it's reading AI.

Oh gosh, there's all those tools that you can run your stuff through AI detectors.

I'm sure that there's an AI specialist out there, but I don't know if you're penalized so much for using AI.

I guess it all comes back to what you were saying earlier, Emma, about not only are we as humans desiring that overused word, authentic sort of human crafted content, but LLMs want to see that real stuff too and they're pulling that through and giving it more authority, I suppose, I guess.

Getting back to what other things can brands be doing?

I know like when we did an example sort of search for hmc, we found that actually our mentions on our industry website prints.

We're a member of the PR Institute of New Zealand that was pulled through a lot.

So I guess it sees that as an authority.

If your industry is talking about you, that's sort of online.

So how can you, you know, if you're a part of a membership organization, entering their awards and things like that, you know, getting them to talk a little bit about you is a good thing.

Or maybe offering to do a blog on their channels or that sort of thing.

Even reviews.

I know we've talked about reviews with some of our clients and getting them to do their Google reviews better.

But even like I was using TripAdvisor over the weekend, you know, and it's using AI now in terms of like what, you know, the reviews that it's feeding up to you and that sort of thing.

So I think particularly if you have products, reviews are really important.

The other thing too is case studies I think are really good.

You know, we've Got a client at the moment and they've got a really good case study and we're using it as that core piece of content to then put it onto lots of different channels.

But a case study as opposed to just a project highlight, that's somebody else vouching for you and saying, yeah, this company has done really great work and I'm happy to endorse it and say that I've been working with them.

We've gone through a cycle, haven't we, of digital excitement about, look at me, look at me, this is great.

And now what AI is allowing is or prove it then.

So we're getting depth into the promises that we're making and actually putting some substance behind it.

Yes.

So where's the ideal place for review like that to actually sit?

I know you're saying multiple places, but where does it sit in an enduring way?

Beyond organic social media?

Or is that enough?

Do you mean for the customer case studies?

Yeah, I guess, like having them on your website.

Maybe the customer would do something on their own platforms as well to support it.

Social media, you can use them as gated content to then get people onto your newsletter.

But I think the key with the case study that I'm thinking of in particular, there are lots of different pain points that are addressed for the customer.

So it's not just, here's the case study, voila.

You can then extract that information and have lots of different focuses in the way that you use that information.

People like to see people like them responding to a product and not just the corporate voice.

And it's also an opportunity to make your customer the hero.

You know, it's not about you, it's about saying how great your customer is for choosing you.

Yeah, nice.

What do you guys think about this?

Because I've been thinking about this lately and I don't know if we've quite got there yet, but when doing a communication strategy, really, AI should be a key audience.

Now, for us, I think for our clients, you know, as they're putting together their plan of what they're going to be doing, it's not only reaching your human audiences, but it's also.

And is this going to be good for AI search PR professionals?

We've always been really good at identifying what a journalist will pick up to be able to run that story as opposed to just writing good copy.

So now it's, well, not just what will a journalist publish, but what will AI highlight as.

Well, I hadn't actually thought about having AI as a separate audience.

I guess There's a few approaches you could take.

Right.

It could just be melded into everything from this point on.

Because it really touches everything.

Yes.

In every part of a comms plan where we're suggesting various tactics, there will probably be a role for AI.

Yeah.

One other question I've been mulling over myself too, is our PR services.

We generally work with medium to large businesses that have a budget for this sort of thing and we are helping them to create this content and to be found online.

But does the local plumber need to be thinking about a version of this as well?

Because I'm just thinking, like, if I went on to ChatGPT and said, you know, I need a major plumbing project done at my house, blah, blah, blah, who would you recommend?

I mean, like, seriously, if you're not doing any of this and you're the best plumber in town, it's not going to pull you through as one that I should maybe give a call to.

I think it's just that.

Going back to the SEO basics.

Yeah.

So, you know, have you got your Google business profile?

Because even, even with Google, they have their AI search or summaries at the top now.

And so if you're not doing the SEO basics, you're not going to appear in that part of the AI.

So if you're listening today and you really haven't done much of this, you know, now that you got to get your comms plan sorted, understand your key messages, where you're going to be going, what sort of research would you suggest that a company needs to do if they want to add AI, I guess, as an audience for that comms plan, what would be your first step?

Make a plan and I think do some research.

Right.

Like let's say we're doing it for the local plumbing agency, go on to AI, probably in incognito mode on your browser and act like a customer and find out, are you coming through?

If you're coming through, is it accurate?

If you're researching products in your product category, what is AI saying about you?

And then you'll have a good baseline for what's out there.

I think that's probably a good place to start.

Do you think?

I think I'd also have a look at who is ranking and have a look at their website, their social media.

Like, what are they doing that you're not doing?

I'm not sure that AI gives you results, you know, like the same that Google would.

So it's hard, I think, to see how you're ranking from an AI perspective because I think it just, it doesn't offer it up in a ring order way.

That's true.

I think.

Yeah.

The search itself, the nuance and the ways that we ask what we ask of the.

The likes of ChatGPT versus Google are different.

And so we need to be different and more nuanced when we're making these checks initially too.

Right.

We expect a lot more of ChatGPT and a lot more breadth, depth, pulling from different data sources.

So the questions will be framed differently.

I suppose there's an interesting balance between make sure you have all the relevant information there that will make sure you come up in one of those searches, which means you are going to be samey samey as your competitors as well.

So all that information is essential so that you are found.

But then there's that kind of brand fairy dust of are you telling the story that in a way that makes you stand up or gives you a point of difference that you, you look more interesting or more relevant or just nicer to work with, whatever your key brand criteria will be.

Just so there's that balance, I think, of having enough information and the right information to make you be found, but that extra bit to make you stand out.

The other interesting thing around all of this is we know that what you put into an AI platform is what you get out.

So thinking about the prompts, so you know, if you're in a specific industry, maybe just ask your AI platform, I want to know how to find out how I'm perceived.

Can you suggest a prompt for me and it will write the prompt for you?

Yeah, good point.

Or you might be able to go on Google or Reddit, for example, and there are people that are prompt engineers, that's their job and they write prompts for certain things.

So surely somebody's already designed a very useful prompt that you can throw in.

As we've been talking about today, in terms of action plan, it's telling your story really, really well everywhere that your audience sort of hangs out.

And I think one thing we haven't talked about today is the new change just last week, that Instagram is now searchable by not only Google, but AI as well.

So if you haven't looked at your company's Instagram a while, you might want to do that and I guess remember what an important channel that is to sort of add into the mix as well.

I guess we talked a little bit already about.

This isn't just about me talking about me online.

Right.

We've talked about how it's Important to get others talking about you as well.

So what does that mean in practical terms?

Building those strong partnerships for your brand right from the beginning or with a free new product development to make sure that there are, there are other people who can endorse or have been part of your journey, so they understand and can talk with relevance and authority about your product as well or your service.

That's good.

When you were talking about partners there, Vicky, I'm thinking about one of our clients that they have a lot of partnerships and, you know, they're doing things like providing content for partners, e newsletters or social media platforms or that sort of thing.

So.

So again, that's a really great way.

Think about who you do business with and think, oh, you know what, we could offer a really great valuable article for some of their online platforms and people are always looking for and they probably welcome that, you know, fills a gap for them sometimes.

So that's good.

I think we also forget, well, I'm guilty of doing this, forgetting about our internal audiences as well.

A lot of your employees have LinkedIn profiles and stuff.

And you know, obviously not everyone's keen on social media and having a platform, but there will be some champions within your company and having them kind of endorse your company as an employee, choosing to do that by sharing your content and being excited and engaged in the company, I think that adds some extra credibility as well.

I saw the phrase employee generated content.

I mean, we'd all heard of user generated content before, but now employee generated content is clearly leaping to the top for this very reason.

And there's other reasons to do that too, because it helps to build morale with employees.

It indicates the level of trust that you have that you're willing to allow your employees to speak freely on behalf of the company.

But it also means that you've done your internal comms really well and that they've nailed the elevator pitch.

They know exactly what you're about.

So let's go around the table and you know, what's one of your, I guess a key takeaway from what we've been talking about in these last two episodes of our podcast.

Natalie, what would you say is a key takeaway for some of our clients?

Number one is no one can afford to put their head in the sand anymore.

And AI is not an afterthought.

It's something that needs to be melded with your communications and marketing approach in a really blended, kind of seamless way.

It's powerful and people are using it in the trust and confidence that people feel about a certain brand.

It's something that we can't afford to overlook anymore.

How about you, Vicky?

What do you think is a key.

Takeaway, as always, is the focus on understanding your brand and your positioning and how you want to be perceived in your marketplace.

Because if you're inconsistent or wavering in your messaging and your key purpose, you're not going to do a great job and the systems will get confused.

Because you're sounding confused for me, I.

Would just back that up and say the basic fundamentals of good communication are still in play and it's nothing to be panicked about.

Put your plan in place and do your comms well and you'll be rewarded by the AI gods.

Natalie had a good little sound bite there a while ago saying that, yes, this is PR's time to shine.

I think it is our time to shine because the AI search and how important it is to be in there.

This isn't about a buy now sort of offer.

This is about people doing their research, whether it is on your product category, on your company in particular.

And PR's role is to build that trust like we were talking about earlier.

So it's not about a buy now sort of message.

It's about just building that trust up in multiple channels over time with a consistent message.

And that is what we thrive in and what we do well.

So at the end of every crunch, we always ask a lunch question because crunch stands for crucial Chats over lunch.

We're hoping that you're getting the chance to listen to this podcast maybe over your lunch hour.

So I thought, since we were talking about AI today, my question to Emma, Vicky and Natalie is if AI could see what you eat for lunch every weekday, what would it say is your absolute favorite thing to eat for lunch?

And then based on that answer, is the LLM hallucinating or is it accurate?

Natalie, come on.

It's just going to show up.

Sushi, sushi and more sushi and it would not be hallucinating.

Oh, right, so it's not hallucinating.

That's good.

Okay.

How about you, Vicki?

I'd love to say that it's going to show up a balanced, healthy, myriad of beautiful home cooked creations, but no, it's going to take sushi as well, I'm afraid.

And is it hallucinating or is it accurate?

That is your favorite lunch.

I think it's from being back working in the city and I've missed it from not being working in the city.

So it'll probably wear off after a few months, but at the moment, yes, it's sushi.

Excellent.

I think I like to keep my AI guessing.

It never knows if it's going to be leftovers or if I'm doing a money savings challenge and I'm eating a sandwich and then some weeks I'm stressed out and I'm eating my emotions.

So I'm eating sushi.

Sushi as well.

It would have no idea.

Like to keep it guessing.

Excellent.

No, I have a good variety I think too, but probably out of everything it sees me eating, it would probably say I like a good wrap.

And yeah, I probably do like a good wrap.

It's certainly not my favorite lunch, but wouldn't be hallucinating altogether so in these past two episodes of Crunch we've been talking about the way people search online is changing fast, and it's clear that showing up in AI search is about having the right story in the right places told consistently.

Incredibly strategic PR isn't just a nice to have anymore, it's now part of your digital discoverability strategy.

So ask yourself if ChatGPT was answering a question about your industry, would it mention you?

If you want help building that kind of presence, we'd love to chat.

You can find us at wearehmc Co nz and if you found this episode helpful, hit subscribe because we've got a lot more communications conversations coming your way.

Thanks for joining us today for the Crunch Podcast, brought to you by New Zealand PR agency hmc.

Make sure you hit the subscribe button so you don't miss our next video episode.

See you next time.