The year of the real, RSS feeds are back, and a new comms anthem

Hey Besties,

We’re back. Let’s see what made it in the group chat this week 👇️ 

✨ My big prediction: On top of my predictions post (which side note, not sure if I’m surprised we ticked off #2 so quickly), I think this will be the year of the real. NOT using AI will be the differentiator.

🎙️ Speaking of AI: I spoke with Muck Rack on how comms pros should use AI in 2026. My spiciest point? Super customized journo pitches might scream AI, and the relationship part of media relations will matter more. They need to know the human behind the inbox.

📰 The power of RSS feeds: Head of Comms at Reality Defender Scott Steinhardt gifted us with a step-by-step way to stay on top of news in an increasingly fragmented media landscape. The tech hack is simple: old-school RSS feeds.

🤖 Feed the robs: Is your good data sitting on your corporate blog? Stacker and Scrunch found that articles published on multiple media sites had a 325% increase in AI citations. Worth considering if you want LLMs to cite find your stuff.

🎵 Job hunt innovation? I know the job market is rough, friends… but have you considered making AI slop to stand out? 🥴 Someone may have applied to be Suno's Head of Comms with a Suno AI-generated song that might be our new anthem? If anyone has the backstory, hit me up.

🛍️ One for the road: Just in time for the holidays to be over and your New Year’s resolutions to ban unnecessary work swag... I present the Comms Bestie Swag Store. No, this is not super serious (check out the creation story), but yes, you can really buy from it and yes, I take requests.

Chat soon,
Gab Ferree
Founder & Your Comms BFF, Off the Record

PS: Last edition’s most-clicked was Crackle PR’s AEO news release template.

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