While a great relationship with an editor might get your pitch read, it doesn’t guarantee coverage – that is where the hard work comes in. Spending time crafting pitches tailored to an editor’s specific beat and interest sets PR pros up for the best opportunity to have clients interviewed or featured. Working closely with clients to ensure their stories weave naturally into newsworthy moments and trending conversations is key.
As the news landscape moves faster than ever, newsrooms grapple with layoffs, and new content mediums emerge, PR pros need to be ever vigilant as to where opportunities reside. Q4 is an excellent time for PR agencies to reflect on their 2025 goals, successes, and challenges, and to counsel clients on how they can stay relevant heading into 2026.
Below are four critical areas where PR people should be guiding their clients:
1. Have a Unique POV or Tangible Proof Points
Reporters don’t want to hear your client echo the same thing every other company in your industry says; they want unique commentary. A strong and differentiated point of view or proof of impact, such as a customer case study or data, can be the difference between top-tier inclusion and a pitch that lands flat.
2. Respect the Speed of the Media
When a story breaks, the media doesn’t wait. If your client isn’t ready with a comment or a compelling take within minutes, the opportunity can vanish as quickly as it appeared. Rapid response, especially in top-tier media, can be incredibly effective when done correctly. To prepare, PR pros should discuss what topics clients can provide quick thoughts on, the best times to reach them, and the expectations and time commitments of a rapid-response program.
3. Embrace AEO and GEO
AI is fundamentally changing how companies can be found – and PR is playing a big role in that. When your clients’ prospects give tools like ChatGPT or Perplexity prompts such as “what is the best enterprise CX platform” or “what are the best family-to-school communications platforms,” the results often highlight articles in high-value media where your client may have shared expertise or been featured for offering relevant solutions.
PR pros should also guide clients to pursue media opportunities in both leading industry outlets, as well as publications that frequently appear in AI-driven searches. When paired with AEO/GEO-focused blog posts and thought leadership on LinkedIn, this strategy helps enhance company visibility and credibility.
4. Bring a Positive, Solutions-Oriented Attitude to Every Opportunity
Successful PR partnerships thrive on collaboration and trust with the client. This includes listening to the clients needs, understanding what matters to them, and bringing a can-do attitude, while also setting realistic expectations. Saying “yes” doesn’t need to feel like an overpromise; it should mean offering practical solutions, creative approaches, and a steady optimism that keeps the momentum going.
Heading into 2026, the agency-client partnerships with the most value will be those that blend strategic foresight with positive and practical execution. By helping clients define their unique POVs, prepare for the speed of the news cycle, and optimize for AI-driven visibility, PR pros can keep their clients relevant and visible.
To learn more about how Zer0 to 5ive can help drive visibility and industry leadership for your company drop us a line.
By Lindsay Hull
Generative AI tools, like ChatGPT, have been all the rage this year. In fact, ChatGPT is on track to surpass 100 million monthly active users, according to data. For PR professionals, generative AI tools hold tremendous opportunities. In this blog post, we will explore a few ways that PR pros can utilize generative AI to enhance and improve productivity.
1. Idea and Brainstorming Partner
Generative AI tools provide a unique opportunity for PR professionals, who can use AI as a virtual brainstorming partner. By inputting a topic or challenge, these tools can generate ideas and suggest fresh angles and concepts that could potentially fuel creative thinking during brainstorming sessions. Plus, as AI is constantly improving, the quality of its output is ever-increasing – meaning that in the future it will be able to offer even more original suggestions.
2. Making Content Generation More Efficient
Generative AI tools can be used to create compelling content for blog posts, social media posts, and more. Through using these tools, PR professionals can provide prompts and generate drafts, headlines, or creative ideas that can then be refined and polished. The use of generative AI allows for a more efficient process when creating content for multiple platforms and various audiences.
3. Easily Craft Key Messages
Generative AI tools can be used by PR pros to quickly create talking points and key messages. By providing the necessary data and context, these tools can generate starting points that can then be adjusted and customized. This allows PR professionals to quickly produce content that is creative, unique, and tailored to the specific needs of their clients; all without needing to spend time creating copy from scratch.
Important Note
It is essential to remember that generative AI tools are not foolproof, and any content generated must be edited carefully to best suit the requirements of your client, as well as reworked to ensure you are not rehashing someone else’s content. An MIT Technology Review article recently quoted an expert saying “they (ChatGPT) are predictive systems that are generating the most likely words, given your question and everything they’ve been trained on.” It is important to take the time to go over the output thoroughly, ensuring that it meets expectations and accurately conveys a client’s message. Additionally, it is critical to remember that automated content generation should never replace manual effort; a human touch and careful review is required to ensure the best output. PR professionals should be providing the strategy. We should not be using AI content at face value, but rather as a starting point for our own creativity.
Leveraging the Latest Tools to Stay Ahead of the Curve
Generative AI tools have opened up a world of possibilities for PR professionals. From utilizing them as idea generation partners to making content generation more efficient, Generative AI tools are arguably some of the most powerful tools available to assist with strategic PR efforts. We should all be looking for ways we can use this type of technology to stay ahead of the curve.
What are some other implementations of AI in your daily work that you are finding useful?