Nathan Miller is the Founder and CEO of Miller Ink, a strategic communications firm.
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When speaking with communications students or others at my PR firm, I often make the point that many of the most important insights in our field were developed thousands of years ago. For instance, I have yet to find a better formula for an effective speech or piece of persuasive writing than Aristotle’s ethos, pathos and logos. Yet, during my time as a communications professional, which began in the mid-aughts, I have watched as the fundamentals—writing skills, strategic thinking, emotional intelligence, the ability to truly listen to and understand an audience—have been de-emphasized in favor of shinier objects related to the rise of the internet and social media.
I think our field has suffered as a result. So probably have the careers of many professionals who make it up.
If your digital ad reaches millions of people but doesn’t have a message that moves and motivates your target audience, what’s the point? If you know how to slide into the DMs of an influencer, but can’t develop a coherent and compelling communications program for a client, how valuable are you for them? If you know what’s trending on TikTok but can’t write competently or think strategically, what is your professional ceiling?
It seems to me that many early and mid-career professionals now populating the communications field have not thought to ask these questions. Now, their careers have likely stagnated.
Don’t get me wrong. It is vitally important to understand how to navigate dramatic changes in our space, whether that means leveraging social media or placing press in the face of seismic shifts in journalism.
However, you also must be rooted in the fundamentals of communications. This is going to become even more stark in the coming years as AI could replace many entry-level communications jobs.
When I gave ChatGPT the writing test our agency asks prospective team members to take, it came back with a response better than at least half of our applicants. AI can already create social media calendars, design graphics, draft captions, write blog posts, monitor digital ad budgets, send targeted sales emails and press releases, and engage online influencers as well as or better than many entry-level professionals.
What does this mean for the future of those in the communications field?
First, it means that you must understand how these AI tools work, and how to harness them to make your work more effective and efficient. Those operating without them will be outgunned in the near future.
Second, it means that you should invest the time and obtain the experience to develop the higher-level skills that machines don’t have (and won’t have for the foreseeable future).
Learn how to manage clients with sensitivity and nuance, particularly when things don’t go as planned.
Don’t settle for the bland and formulaic press release (which, unfortunately, is the bread and butter of many communications professionals today); the machines can already tick that box. Instead, learn how to capture the unique angle of every story and put words on a page so that the information is organized powerfully and with a headline that captures a reporter’s attention.
Develop uncanny listening skills and imagination so that you can put yourself in the shoes of a target audience, have empathy for their tastes and perceptions, and build a communications campaign that moves and motivates them.
If you develop these skills, AI will become a booster that allows you to stretch further and move faster, scaling new heights in this field. If you don’t, you may soon have to consider another line of work.
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