This is a chapter from #PRstack: AI tools for marketing, media, and public relations, the latest #FuturePRoof publication. You can buy a copy of the complete book from Amazon in Kindle and print formats. The Kindle version doesn’t include images due to format limitations.
Otter.ai by Tom Bestwick | Practitioner
Otter.ai is an AI-powered transcription tool that streamlines content gathering, meeting minute taking, and media monitoring for public relations teams by automatically converting audio into editable text.
A lot of AI tools have launched to market in the last 12 months, and it is easy to forget some of the services that have been around for several years.
Otter.ai is one of those tools. And yet, despite the growing collection at our fingertips, this innovative automated transcription and voice note service remains one of the most useful, demonstrating its value across multiple industries, of which public relations is one.
Part of the role that comes with being a public relations practitioner requires talking to people, whether that is journalists, clients, agencies, or consumers. Over the last 100 years, those conversations have been relayed by shorthand and voice dictators, all before the arduous and time-consuming task of transcribing would need to be completed.
Otter.ai removes all of that and has become an invaluable part of a practitioner’s arsenal when it comes to improving both the accuracy and efficiency of audio transcription.
What is Otter.ai?
While Otter.ai is an automatic transcription and voice note service powered by artificial intelligence at its core, in 2022, the service added a series of new features for Business and Enterprise users, making it a one-stop-shop for meeting management - aided by its capability to connect with our essential daily management and communications apps including Slack, Zoom, Dropbox, and both Google and Microsoft Calendar.
Otter.ai has sophisticated algorithms that can accurately transcribe spoken words into written text in real-time. Since launching in 2016, it has acted as a personal assistant - now known as an OtterPilot - that records meetings, interviews, and brainstorming sessions, all while removing the time-draining process that comes with transcribing.
Data shows that, on average, it will take a human as long as four hours to transcribe a one-hour-long audio file. Tools such as Otter.ai complete this task in a matter of seconds, freeing our hands up to focus on the final edit and putting the copy to good use.
Where Otter.ai fits within the public relations workflow
Otter.ai mostly operates at the content-gathering stage of the public relations workflow.
In the example of public relations, let’s say there has been some national breaking news that you feel one of your clients is well-placed to add commentary to. Time is of the essence and by recording a short interview with your stakeholder and gathering their insights and expertise, you can quickly package up their thoughts and respond to the opportunity as quickly as possible but also repurpose the commentary for other communication tools.
This is just one example of how Otter.ai is making public relations practitioners more efficient while making tactics such as reactive public relations more competitive. Other uses of AI include meeting minutes, content creation and media monitoring.
Meeting minutes
During client meetings or internal brainstorming sessions, Otter.ai can record and transcribe discussions, eliminating the need for manual note-taking and allowing public relations practitioners to actively participate in the conversation and demonstrate creativity unhindered.
Content creation
Tying into the first point, Otter.ai expedites the content creation process. A focused 30-minute conversation with an industry expert will yield a range of content opportunities that can be utilised across press releases, blog posts, and social media. Otter.ai saves time but also ensures the original ideas and thoughts are preserved in the content.
Media monitoring
A core part of the role of public relations practitioner is keeping abreast of the trends for those we represent. With broadcast media, Otter.ai can transcribe content from radio and television broadcasts, podcasts, and online videos. Beyond transcribing it, though, the output provides accurate and searchable content that can be analysed to identify trends, track media mentions, and measure the impact of campaigns.
Tom Bestwick, digital PR lead, Hallam
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-bestwick-pr/
Tom is a public relations and communications practitioner with over 10 years of experience. He leads the digital public relations function at Hallam, where he has worked after gaining experience within the football, leisure management and retail sectors.