Digital PR Campaign with AI

What You'll Need

Active accounts for ChatGPT Plus, BuzzSumo Pro, HARO (Help a Reporter Out), and Hunter.io. You'll also need a newsworthy angle or story about your brand, product launch, industry insight, or expert commentary. Prepare your company bio, spokesperson credentials, and any supporting data or assets before starting.

Step 1: Identify Trending Topics and PR Opportunities

Time: 45 minutes | Tool: BuzzSumo Log into BuzzSumo and navigate to the Content Research tab. Enter broad keywords related to your industry in the search bar, then set the date filter to "Past 7 days" to find trending topics. Look for articles with high engagement (500+ social shares) and recent publication dates. Export the top 20 trending articles to a CSV file. Switch to BuzzSumo's Question Analyzer tool and search for questions related to your expertise area. Set filters for "Past 30 days" and sort by "Most asked." This reveals what journalists and content creators are actively seeking information about. Note any recurring themes or question types that align with your company's expertise. Use the Influencers tab to identify active journalists covering your industry. Filter by location (if relevant for local PR), follower count (10K+), and engagement rate (2%+). Save promising journalist profiles to a list for later outreach. Focus on those who regularly tweet about industry topics and have ".com" websites in their bios.

Step 2: Develop Your Story Angle with AI

Time: 30 minutes | Tool: ChatGPT Open ChatGPT and input this prompt: "Based on these trending topics [paste your BuzzSumo findings], help me develop 5 unique story angles for [your company/industry]. Each angle should include a compelling headline, key talking points, and why it's newsworthy right now." Provide specific details about your company's recent developments, data insights, or expert opinions. Review ChatGPT's suggestions and select the 2-3 most compelling angles. For each chosen angle, ask ChatGPT to expand it into a full story pitch including: opening hook, supporting data points, expert quotes, and a clear call-to-action for journalists. Request multiple variations of each pitch to A/B test your messaging. Create a master document with your refined story angles, supporting materials, and key messaging points. This becomes your PR brief that you'll reference throughout the campaign. Include specific statistics, quotes, and any multimedia assets that support your narrative.

Step 3: Find Target Journalists and Outlets

Time: 40 minutes | Tool: Hunter.io & HARO In Hunter.io, use the Domain Search feature to find journalist email addresses at target publications. Start with major industry publications, then work down to niche blogs and local outlets. Enter domains like "techcrunch.com" or "marketingland.com" and filter results by job titles containing "journalist," "editor," or "reporter." Verify email addresses using Hunter.io's Email Verifier to ensure deliverability. Download verified contacts into a spreadsheet with columns for name, email, outlet, beat coverage, and recent articles. Add Twitter handles when available for social media research. Sign up for HARO and browse current journalist requests. Look for queries that align with your story angles or where you can provide expert commentary. HARO emails are sent three times daily, so check consistently throughout your campaign period. Bookmark relevant ongoing queries and set up Google Alerts for keywords related to your expertise. For each target journalist, research their recent articles to understand their writing style and preferred topics. This intelligence helps you personalize your outreach and increases response rates significantly.

Step 4: Craft Personalized Pitch Emails

Time: 50 minutes | Tool: ChatGPT Return to ChatGPT with this prompt: "Write a personalized pitch email for [journalist name] at [publication]. They recently wrote about [specific article title]. My story angle is [your angle]. Keep it under 150 words, include a compelling subject line, and mention their recent work authentically." Generate multiple email variations for different types of journalists: breaking news reporters, feature writers, and industry analysts. Each should have a different tone and focus. Breaking news pitches should emphasize timeliness and data, while feature story pitches can be more narrative-driven. Create email templates for common scenarios: initial pitch, follow-up after no response, follow-up with additional information, and thank you after coverage. Use ChatGPT to generate subject line variations that avoid spam filters while grabbing attention. Test phrases like "Data insight for [publication name]" or "Expert available: [topic]." Build your email sequences in a spreadsheet with personalization fields clearly marked. This allows you to customize at scale while maintaining the personal touch that journalists value. Include backup talking points for each angle in case journalists want different perspectives.

Step 5: Execute Outreach Campaign

Time: 90 minutes | Tool: Email client + tracking Send your initial outreach emails in batches of 25-30 per day to avoid triggering spam filters. Personalize each email using the journalist research from Step 3. Send emails between 10 AM and 2 PM on weekdays for optimal open rates, avoiding Mondays and Fridays when possible. Set up email tracking using your email client's read receipt function or a tool like Mixmax to monitor opens and clicks. Create a simple tracking spreadsheet with columns for journalist name, email sent date, opened (Y/N), responded (Y/N), and outcome. This data helps refine your approach for future campaigns. Respond to HARO queries immediately when they match your expertise. HARO responses should be sent within 2-4 hours of receiving the query for best results. Include your credentials, a direct quote answering their question, and offer additional information or interviews if needed. Monitor social media mentions of your outreach topics. If journalists tweet about related subjects, engage thoughtfully with their posts. This builds familiarity before they see your pitch email and increases recognition when it arrives.

Step 6: Follow Up and Measure Results

Time: 45 minutes | Tool: ChatGPT + spreadsheet Send follow-up emails 5-7 days after your initial outreach if you haven't received a response. Use ChatGPT to generate follow-up templates that add value rather than just asking "did you see my email?" Provide new data points, additional expert sources, or timely hooks that make your story more relevant. Track all responses in your spreadsheet, categorizing them as: interested and pursuing, interested but not right now, not interested, or no response. For "interested but not right now" responses, schedule follow-ups for 2-4 weeks later with updated angles or seasonal hooks. Measure campaign success by tracking: total emails sent, response rate, interview requests generated, articles published, backlinks earned, and social media mentions. A successful campaign typically achieves a 15-20% response rate and secures 2-3 pieces of coverage per 100 outreach emails. For journalists who cover your story, add them to your ongoing PR contact list. Send them regular updates, exclusive data insights, and early access to company news. Building these relationships pays dividends for future campaigns and ongoing brand visibility.

Common Pitfalls

• Sending generic mass emails without researching the journalist's recent work or beat coverage
• Following up too frequently or too soon, which can damage your sender reputation and journalist relationships
• Focusing only on major publications while ignoring niche industry blogs that often have higher engagement rates
• Not having backup story angles ready when journalists want different perspectives or additional sources

Expected Results

A well-executed digital PR campaign should generate 15-20% response rates from journalists and secure 2-5 pieces of coverage within 30 days. Quality metrics include backlinks from domains with DA 50+, social media shares of published articles, and ongoing journalist relationships for future campaigns. Track brand mention sentiment and search result improvements for your target keywords as secondary success indicators.