MIRROR WORK: AI and the psychology of trust & communication

We have all experienced incredible connections that suddenly go cold.

This behavior, or loss of engagement, is an indicator of broken trust, lack of interest, competitor influence, or new and different priorities.

In business, we analyze our digital media views, likes, shares, comments, and sales conversions to help us tweak our marketing strategies and nurture meaningful connections that fit our goals and values. We then use that data to build trust through transparency and valuable content & communications.

If it feels like this work——to show up as a business and a human being online——is constantly changing and hard to keep up with while running the rest of your operations, it is. Since 2014, I have seen several iterations of how digital media impacts culture, how culture impacts business, and how business impacts the tools and strategies that communications practitioners use to connect with customers and stakeholders.

However, no matter how digital media and culture evolves, we can always rely on behavioral patterns to give us discretion and direction. Humans are customers and customers are real people whose values, class status, politics, peer relationships, and emotional impulses influence the course of their lives.

So, for small businesses, start-ups, or non-profit organizations looking to buy their time back and hire a content & communications consultant to help build their business, here is some advice before you do:

Strategic communications counselors are a mirror. The exciting work comes before creating media lists, social media goals, and revenue projections. It starts simply. With you, the leader, telling us your story. With that story, we will serve not only as a champion for your vision, but a continuous reflection of how clearly and potently your message shows up online.

With tools like AI, it makes sense that businesses think they can do this work themselves.

The reality is that you CAN do it yourself.
You can learn to do most anything yourself.
You can learn to dye your hair.
You can learn to change your tire.
You can learn to sew clothes.
You can cook your own meals.

In fact, I think it’s important that we all learn self-sustaining skills. What matters is who you partner with to empower you to do it well.

This is why I have spent the past three months developing OFFICE HOURS WITH THE PR POET: Content & Communications Workshops, Learning Cohorts, and Intensives, officially launching next week. These programs are rigorously designed to empower artists, authors, and entrepreneurs with the knowledge and skills needed to run their own content & communications programs.

Over the past ten years in the business world, I have seen so many great leaders and brands miss opportunities to tell their story and create new strong and trusting customer relationships because they didn’t have a great communicator who leads like a teacher at the helm. That’s what I hope to become in this next chapter. A sounding board, an accountability partner, an expert voice for navigating and communicating about complex topics that impact the business’s brand, finances, stakeholders, and operations.

AI is a reality and a tool but it is not a human with experience. AI doesn't make donations to causes that it cares about. It doesn't know what it feels like to experience deep loss or life-changing happiness. It doesn't have associations with trending audio or know what it feels like to be an active member of a community.

You can build starter frameworks, content, and ideas with AI, but you cannot learn to build trust with human beings without another human being. And trust——well, that’s just good business.