Building a media strategy for an AI-first audience

All PR professionals know that good communications have the customer’s needs front and center. The best also realize that you will have more success if you also tailor your campaign messages to meet the needs of specific journalists and media outlets. These two audiences have been the foundation of good corporate communications for as long as PR has been a profession.

Thanks to AI, however, things are changing. More often than not, the first audience that a brand needs to win over is neither a customer nor a journalist. In fact, they’re not even human. 

Why AI is now your first audience

According to Forrester, 94% of B2B buyers report using AI in their decision-making process, while twice as many buyers named generative AI or conversational search as a more meaningful or important source of information than any other source. Marketers therefore should view AI search tools as their first audience. Winning the human conversation and winning the AI answer are two sides of the same coin.Brands that think in term

What kind of earned media wins the AI answer

The best way to show up in AI search summaries is through earned media, which accounts for 84% of all AI citations. But not all earned media is equal. When it comes to industry-specific topics, AI models prefer authoritative, third-party subject matter experts above owned brand content. Or to put it another way: AI models favor brands that are cited in trade and vertical publications. 

Major tier-one coverage is great. We all love it. But without these trade and vertical hits, your brand is all but invisible when AI models search for category leaders. That in turn means it’s highly unlikely that you’ll show up on your buyer’s shortlist. Your business pitch is dead in the water before it’s even had a chance to leave harbor. 

Why a layered media strategy pays off twice 

That said, focusing on an AI-first audience actually helps brands secure tier-one coverage. This is because it involves working closely with trade reporters, most of whom ultimately end up working at top-tier national or business publications. Cultivating them early means a big payoff down the line.

Savvy communicators therefore aim for a layered media mix that builds authority along the way. Tier-one coverage builds brand awareness and executive authority. Trade and specialist coverage provides the technical depth that feeds content intelligence and third-party authority and validation while boosting AI discoverability. A successful communications campaign is balanced and well rounded, reaching all audiences wherever they may be.

How do you tie media strategy to business outcomes?

The key to success in communications is in fact no different to any element of business insofar as the solution needs to relate to the business requirement. Brands that think in terms of measurable business outcomes rather than tactical media tiers will always outperform their peers. 

Before you create a media strategy, ask yourself what you are trying to achieve. If, for example, you want to build executive reputation and prestige then this is where tier-one national media, business publications, and executive speaking engagements really come into play.

However, if the aim is to support investor confidence, then the media mix will be different, with much more of a focus on financial media, business media, and industry analysts. Similarly, if you’re looking to grow your lead pipeline and influence buyers, then you should heavily index toward trade publications, LinkedIn, customer stories, and specialist industry media, which provide stronger validation among technical practitioners and evaluators. If your goal is simply to show up in AEO, then the priority is a diversified portfolio of communications.

How can authority mapping assist media planning?

Brands can prioritize their media lists by creating an authority matrix that visualizes which channels of communication carry the most weight according to the industry and the business outcome you’re trying to achieve (translated into who you are trying to influence or reach). A generalized B2B snapshot based on a target audience would look something like this:

The matrix illustrates how different channels contribute to authority, providing a snapshot of how different channels serve different purposes, and giving an opportunity for brands to incorporate how AI decides whether to cite a brand. 

No single channel supports every objective. The process of mapping your media provides visual evidence of the role various media mixes play depending on your goals, and enables you to create the optimum balance each time. 

When it comes down to actually shifting the dial on business outcomes, successful brands create tailored media mixes to meet the needs of each specific goal. These organizations don’t just benefit from hero coverage. They increase awareness, improve AEO, generate leads, and drive sales in a way that’s impactful and measurable.

SourceCode Communications can help you heatmap and prioritize your media to meet your business objectives. Get in touch to learn more.