Aug. 17, 2026
The Hairball that Gave Us Hope
AI Content Watermarking, SEO sabotage and a giant hairball in NYC are among the five topics discussed in this episode of That Solo Life.
Episode Summary
In this episode of That Solo Life, Karen and Michelle discuss five headlines from newsletters, online news, and blog posts that caught their attention recently. From the hotly debated AI content watermarking to how negative SEO is being used as a competitive weapon to the giant hairball that rolled through the streets of New York City, they provide their point of view and offer actionable takeaways for Solo PR Pros.
Episode Highlights
- [00:53] Topic 1: AI Content Watermarking — Transparency Without Context: Karen kicks off with the AI content watermarking debate — Anthropic and others beginning to watermark AI-generated content. Karen's take: she's not against transparency, but a watermark with no context misses the point. Using AI as an editing layer — the way she uses Grammarly or Claude to catch blind spots and pressure-test a draft — does not mean she didn't write the piece. The judgment, the voice, and the revision are still hers. The problem with a blanket token is that it can't distinguish between a thoughtful human-led workflow with an AI assist and a prompt-dump. AI slop isn't a new problem, bad writing predates computers by centuries. The real protection against it is not reading it, not publishing it, and not sharing it. Karen's practical point for the profession: even practitioners who believe they don't use AI almost certainly are as t's embedded in media databases, press release distribution tools, social platforms, and smartphones. The more productive stance is engaging with the question of how to use it responsibly.
- [09:05] Topic 1 Continued: AI Deception Is the Real Problem: Karen sharpens the point: what actually bothers her isn't AI-assisted writing, it's deceptive use, particularly AI-generated photos used to represent products or experiences. Restaurant menus with AI food photography. Shoe listings where the product looks nothing like what arrives. That's not a writing quality issue. That's a consumer trust issue. And it's where the conversation about AI authenticity needs to focus.
- [11:51] Topic 2: Negative SEO as Competitive Weaponry: Karen flags a story that surprised her: litigation underway around US businesses deliberately using toxic backlinks to damage competitors' online visibility. SEO sabotage as a competitive tactic. Karen's immediate reaction: she's dealt with malware attacks that required a full site cleanse and Google resubmission, but she'd never thought of backlinks being weaponized intentionally. The takeaway for solo practitioners: check your own backlinks. Your clients with in-house SEO teams may already be doing this, but smaller clients probably aren't. And your own name and brand reputation can be attached to toxic links you're not aware of.
- [14:28] Topic 3: The K-18 Hairball — Experiential Marketing Having Its Moment: Michelle brings the story of hair care brand K-18 rolling a giant hairball — called The Tumble Hair — through the streets of New York City to launch their Future IQ hair longevity serum. The stunt stopped New Yorkers. New Yorkers. Karen's read: in an era where AI generates infinite digital content, real physical experiences create the kind of surprise and shareability that no algorithm can manufacture. The hairball was genuinely alarming to look at, and it worked — lots of social media, lots of engagement, lots of earned coverage. The bigger signal: people are still craving real things, even if the real thing is a giant rolling hairball.
- [17:48] Topic 4: Summer Reading Recommendations: Karen and Michelle swap what they've been reading. Michelle is midway through We Solve Murders by Richard Osman and praises the tight chapters, quick pace, and social media influencer murders as the entry point for a bigger caper involving a private security firm. Karen finished Olivia Strauss Is Running Out of Time by Angela Brown, a novel that deals with mortality and the dreams people shelve, in a way that's more funny and page-turning than heavy, and that left her with a genuine nudge to dust off things she'd pushed aside. Both recommend reading outside of business books to sharpen writing and restore creativity. They challenge listeners to get through a book or two before summer ends.
- [22:16] Topic 5: The Library Card Is a Surprisingly Useful Business Tool: Michelle, who serves on a public library board, makes the case: a library card gives you access to global publications through services like PressReader, which means major newspapers and trade outlets without individual subscription costs. For solo practitioners trimming budgets without wanting to lose access to media that matters, this is a real option. Libraries also now offer tools, appliances, and in some cases co-working space. Michelle and Karen both note that modern libraries are significantly more useful than their reputation suggests — and that getting a card is a genuinely practical move for anyone in the information business.
Resources Mentioned
- PR News: PR Roundup: Claude’s Watermark Debate, the Say-Do Gap Is Killing Culture, and a Giant Hairball Rolls Through NYC
- Search Engine Land: Judge lets SEO sabotage lawsuit over toxic backlinks move forward
- Richard Osman: We Solve Murders
- Angela Brown: Olivia Strauss Is Running Out of Time, Author Website
- Additional Resources for Solo PR Pros
- PressReader: Global newspaper and magazine access (often available through your library card): pressreader.com
- National Library Card Sign-Up Month (September): ala.org
- Solo PR Pro: soloprpro.com
- That Solo Life podcast website: thatsololife.com
Host & Show Info
That Solo Life is a podcast created for public relations, communication, and marketing professionals who work as independent and small practitioners. Hosted by Karen Swim, APR, President of Solo PR Pro, and Michelle Kane, Principal of Voice Matters, the show delivers expert insights, encouragement, and practical advice for solo PR pros navigating today's dynamic professional landscape.
Listen to all episodes and catch up on previous conversations at thatsololife.com.
Did this episode inspire you? If you found value in this conversation, please take a moment to leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us reach more solo pros just like you! Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode.
That Solo Life, Episode 352: The Hairball that Gave Us Hope
Michelle Kane (00:13):
Hey, Karen. Hello. I know our episodes drop on a Monday, but since it's Friday, what do you think of doing a five things Friday theme this week?
Karen Swim, APR (00:25):
I absolutely love that. And I mean, as we sit here on this Friday, and I'm sure when this episode hits, people will be able to relate. It's been a really fast-paced month, a fast-paced week, but it's been exhausting. So we're both a little tired. Yes.
Michelle Kane (00:45):
A little fried. So we're going to be fried Friday with five fun things. Oh,
Karen Swim, APR (00:50):
There you have it. Let's
Michelle Kane (00:52):
Get into it. All right.
Karen Swim, APR (00:53):
There we go. Well, let's start with the. Maybe we'll start with the not fun thing first. One fun thing, not one serious thing and then a fun thing. There we go. There is tons of content, debate, conversation, insights about the AI content watermark. Let's talk about that.
Michelle Kane (01:20):
Yeah, let's get into that. Yeah. So I know it's starting with Anthropic and maybe some others. They're going to start watermarking content created through their channels, which has caused many to erupt with cheers and some to erupt with cheers. And as with most things, there's more of a middle ground, right?
Karen Swim, APR (01:44):
Yeah.
Michelle Kane (01:46):
Yeah. I don't know. I'm not sure how I feel about this yet.
Karen Swim, APR (01:50):
I feel not great about it. I think it's a step,
(01:55):
But I don't know that it's the right step. So I am all for transparency, disclosure and how you're using AI. But for those of us who are thoughtfully using AI for our workflows, even for editing, using AI in your writing does not mean that you did not write the piece, that you did not apply your judgment. So for example, I've used Grammarly a lot just to see my own blind spots. You write something, you go over it, you edit it. I'll run it through an editor. Is there anything that's problematic? Did I miss something? And I may look at those grammarly suggestions and I may pull in that draft, but then I'll go over it again and rework stuff like, "I don't really like the way that it said this, so I'm going to say it this way." Same thing with an AI engine like Claude.
(02:54):
That doesn't mean I didn't write it. It doesn't. So the problem with the token to me is that there's no context to it. It's just like, okay, AI was used, but how was it used? And does that take away from whatever the result being a great piece that was generated by a human being with maybe a soft assist from AI?
Michelle Kane (03:18):
Yeah, I do agree with you. As we've long said here, it's a tool when used responsibly, when used as part of a craft, right? Because especially as we get deeper into it, it's really so much of how you are using it. You can't just say, "Write me 500 words on X." It's not going to give you the same thing as a seasoned communicator knowing what we need or, "Hey, can you help me out with this?" And really considering it more of a defacto team member in a way
Karen Swim, APR (04:01):
Than
Michelle Kane (04:02):
Just a straight up, "All right, do my work for me." And honestly, as a control freak to a certain degree, it's like, "Don't you tell me what was what? I know what I put into this." So yeah, I think I see this backfiring for them a bit. It definitely needs a lot more consideration before fully launching.
Karen Swim, APR (04:31):
I mean, again, we are in the wild west, right? Yeah, we are. And everyone, every company, every person is figuring this out. There's going to be a lot of talmault I predict in the next few years as we figure out the place. However, for those that are like, "I hate AI, I never use it." You really are using it. You may not be actively using the AI engines in your work or in your design work or whatever. But if you have a smartphone, you're using social media, you're using any tool, media database, press release, distribution service. It's hard to touch anything these days without AI being involved. So just recognize that even though you think you may not be using AI, yep, you are. You really are using it. You're participating in it. And so I encourage our professional community to not just hate it, turned a blind eye to it, but learn, be a part of the solution because there's a lot of figuring out that has to happen.
(05:45):
Pick a lane. Maybe you are interested in teaching and figuring out, are there responsible ways that this can be incorporated into PR work? Totally. I find it incredibly useful to help me research things like competitive intelligence, the media landscape, spotting trends. That's not irresponsible use, but we focus to me on AI slop. And I'm sorry, I'm just not as worried about that because can we just be honest and say that bad writing has existed long before computers? There are things that are just not good. Books, manuscripts, websites. Do you remember the websites from old industries that had all the black stuff and the cartoon images that made you want to stab your eyes out because it was so bad? But to an industry, it was so normal that it was good. So I think we're fighting the wrong battle. AI slop is not the problem.
(06:52):
It's human beings being involved. And here's a good way not to encourage AI slop. Don't read it. Don't publish it. We can protect ourselves from all kinds of bad writing by not reading it, sharing it. If you are a publisher publishing it, that's a good way to shut it down. But we act like this is the only battle on the AI front and there's bigger issues that we really should be considering.
Michelle Kane (07:22):
Yeah. And I mean, I do get it. The frustrating thing is it's both frustrating, but actually heartening. And hopefully our listeners across the country are seeing this. In my local groups, everyone is so over the AI slop of the flyers because it's all the block text followed by the handwritten thing. Too much information everywhere. And what I see in this is an incredible opportunity for communications professionals to educate because yes, yes, people who go to school for design, yeah, that wasn't a scam, everyone. It's a real profession knowing where to place things, knowing when not to place something. White space is your friend, your eye and your brain. Graphic designers are trained on this. We to a certain degree are trained on this to know where the eye flows when it looks at a piece of paper so you get your message through. And also diluting your brand with this stuff.
(08:33):
Because if everyone looks the same, I don't want to hear you complain that your store or your business isn't standing out. So be smart about it. It is kind of funny when I see commenters begging, "Please go back to the crap you were making on
Karen Swim, APR (08:47):
Canva." That is hilarious. And
Michelle Kane (08:54):
These are everyday. This is not like people in the industry. These are people. So
Karen Swim, APR (09:01):
It's a
Michelle Kane (09:01):
Glimmer of hope in our world.
Karen Swim, APR (09:05):
I think for me, I don't really see all the flyers and I'm not. But what does bother me is when it becomes deceptive, right? So whether it's in written content or the thing that really gets under my skin is these AI photos that are used to represent your product or service. That's wrong. If you're selling food, your restaurant, I don't want to see AI photos. I want to see pictures of your actual food because I'm coming there and that visual is a part of it. It's the experience. It's the description of the dish and what's in it, and it's seeing an actual photo. And even if it's not a pretty polished photo, I want to see what the food looks like. I don't want a menu that has AI or stock photos on it. If I'm buying a pair of shoes, can I see the actual shoes?
(10:02):
Because I don't want to get to a store and then have it look completely different. That is deceptive. So let's
Michelle Kane (10:09):
Definitely, definitely. And look, I know a lot of businesses are on super slim margins. So even if you can't hire a designer or a photographer, but trust me, there are so many solo designers and photographers out there who really are not going to rob you of your money. In fact, if you approach them to fix something that you made in AI, that's going to cost a lot more than just saying, "Here's what I'm thinking," and they'll just do it outright. But let's take that all the way down to you can do okay with your cell phone. Those cameras are pretty darn good.
Karen Swim, APR (10:49):
I hate to say that, but it's true. And some things are fine. At least it's genuine. I mean, again, we know everybody is fighting the budget issue. And in this case, AI is not always the answer. Sometimes it's better to just be honest, genuine, transparent. I shared food photos and I'm like, "Listen, I'm not a food photographer. I'm not even a photographer. I'm actually pretty terrible taking a picture. I'm so happy with how this came together and what I did that I had to share it." Now put that out in the wide public, but I'll share it to my little groups.
Michelle Kane (11:34):
Yeah, because when it comes down to it, it could be costing you money in that it's money you'll never see walking through your door because people might look at an
Karen Swim, APR (11:42):
AI
Michelle Kane (11:43):
Generated photo and just go, "Nope, next."
Karen Swim, APR (11:45):
Yes, absolutely.
Michelle Kane (11:47):
Well, speaking of next, there's something else out there. Negative
Karen Swim, APR (11:50):
SEO.
Michelle Kane (11:51):
Talk to me a little bit about that, Karen, because you brought that up and I though, ew.
Karen Swim, APR (11:55):
So there's some litigation pending, and I'll share a link to this newsletter that landed in my inbox. And I was like, "Wait a minute. I think I can share the link." But anyway, so there's a US battle, right? And it's over SEO sabotage. What? Who even knew that that was a thing? So businesses are deliberately using toxic backlinks to damage the online visibility of competitors. Crazy making. I mean, I'm not surprised because we've seen this with the rage farms, but that's crazy. So when I thought about that, how many of you have ever encountered malware I have where I had to call in a service and cleanse my website and do the whole resubmit to Google because somebody had hacked the site and put in horrible content? Well, think about this being applied to backlinks. And so I think for all of us, we've thought about negative SEO as part for the course and you do what you can to push the negative stuff down.
(13:10):
I never thought of it being weaponized against you. Well, there may be legal recourse for businesses. And so for me, the eye-opener was, oh my God, I need to actually go through and check backlinks for myself, for my own sites. Your clients may have SEO experts internally who are already doing this, but if they don't, maybe small, medium businesses aren't this savvy. It's something to make your clients aware of it, but it's also something we should be aware of to make sure that our names and brand reputations aren't attached to toxic backlinks. Never knew this.
Michelle Kane (13:49):
Wow. Yeah. And I know at least within the auto realm of digital advertising, the automakers have rules that you can't do certain things against fellow retailers. So that's fine in a controlled environment like that. But for other businesses that don't have those protections or at least those ground rules, this is definitely
Karen Swim, APR (14:19):
Yet
Michelle Kane (14:20):
Another thing for us to keep track of.
Karen Swim, APR (14:22):
Definitely.
Michelle Kane (14:25):
Good times, good times. Well, speaking of good
Karen Swim, APR (14:27):
Times,
Michelle Kane (14:28):
The fine people of New York City witnessed something interesting rolling through the streets. I won't make hairball sounds because I don't want to make anyone feel ill.
Karen Swim, APR (14:37):
Yeah. Tell us about this, Michelle. This is crazy.
Michelle Kane (14:43):
So apparently, you know what? In a world of AI, experiential marketing is having a moment. The hair product company, K-18, literally rolled a giant hairball through the streets of New York City in promotion of one of their products. And honestly, the notion of a giant hairball makes me want to gag, but I'll try not to. But we just though this was kind of hysterical. It's like, I'm sorry, a what? A what was rolling
Karen Swim, APR (15:18):
Through
Michelle Kane (15:18):
The streets?
Karen Swim, APR (15:19):
Yeah. But
Michelle Kane (15:20):
Yeah, apparently it was successful. And it's just, again, acknowledging that we are still craving real things even if it's a hairball.
Karen Swim, APR (15:30):
Even if it's a hairball. So yeah, this was crazy because it was a stunt called The Tumble Hair. And of course, actually some people were shocked and it was for the launch of their product, Future IQ, I think. And so it's some hair longevity serum. But what was funny to me is that this happened in New York City and New Yorkers actually did stop to be like, "What is that?" I'm sorry, New Yorkers, y'all are the most unbothered people on the planet. And so in my mind you would be like, "Eh." But New Yorkers are intrigued by saying something. That must have been one gigantic hairball. So there was a lot of social media, which you want with your experience. A lot of people writing about it, a lot of engagement. And so it was successful.
Michelle Kane (16:30):
Yeah, exactly. Well, and the only thing I could think is it would get their attention, especially if it's in their way. I'm walking here. Move, hairball, move. And if anyone's ever tried to navigate their way through Times Square trying to meet people for a show, you know what I'm talking about. I turn into a New Yorker. I'm like.
Karen Swim, APR (16:56):
Exactly. Exactly. So I don't know. I've never been on the experiential marketing side of the fence that I can remember. I don't know. Sometimes parts of my career escape me. But God bless. I'm glad that this worked out. They
Michelle Kane (17:15):
Do work
Karen Swim, APR (17:15):
Hard. And it was a little bit of real life, in-person fun. So good on you, K-18.
Michelle Kane (17:24):
I'm going to have to find out if. I have two very dear friends of mine are experiential marketing veterans. I'm going to have to ping them and be like, "Did you do the hairball?" I will ask. Yes. Yes, definitely. Because yeah, that is something they would do.
Karen Swim, APR (17:48):
All right. We haven't talked about books in a long time. It's not about time of year for the Beachy Reads. Are you reading anything fun?
Michelle Kane (17:58):
It is actually, yes. You know what? I am in my quest to become a more voracious reader. I am actually digging in on something called We Solve Murders by Richard Osmond. And it is really good. I'm about halfway through. Definitely a great beach read, good summer read. Actually good anytime of the year read, but it's engaging because he's a good tightwriter and us word nerds will appreciate that. The chapters are really short and snappy. You're moving along, which keeps you turning the page. It's about a private security firm and there are murders of social media influencers are a part of it, but they're just cogs in the wheel of a bigger scheme. So it's got a little secret agent flavor, interesting characters on the run. Everyone from seasoned pros to, shall we say, armchair detectives. So I'll leave it at that. How about you, Karen?
(19:04):
I
Karen Swim, APR (19:04):
Love that. Actually, that book was in a saved article of mine of the books that you have to read this year because I'm always adding to my book list.
Michelle Kane (19:15):
Cool.
Karen Swim, APR (19:15):
Yeah. I haven't gone to the beach to read, but this summer I did read recently this summer, I read a book called Olivia Strauss is Running Out of Time
(19:31):
By Angela Brown. And it actually was such a great read. It was interesting in that the underlying topic really dealt with life and death matters and just that sense of we have this finite amount of time to live. There's a plot twist in it that I won't spoil for you, but it was done in this very relatable way as we look at the dreams that we pushed aside, the things that we didn't go after. And what happens if you're confronted with, "I only have so much time left." But it was really a fun read. It kept me engaged in turning the pages and wanting to finish it to see what was going to happen. And it was also very inspiring because I think tackling a subject like that is something that everybody on earth can relate to. None of us has an infinite amount of days.
(20:33):
And so it inspired me to like, "Huh, dust off some of those things. Let's take a look at the things that you shoved aside and let's think about being more intentional in the season of your life." So yeah, good read. Olivia Strauss is Running Out of Time by Angela Brown. Highly recommend it. I'm reading another fun one too, but maybe we'll have another book talk here on the podcast. Absolutely. Last time we talked about business books. So maybe next time we talk about the fun stuff that we're reading to you.
Michelle Kane (21:04):
And you know what? The fun stuff's important because even just the way that you summarized your experience with that book, it matters because the books, they make us think, they help us even relate to ourselves. And it's also good to read someone else's writing. It gets us out of our own head. It
Karen Swim, APR (21:24):
Does. It inspires our creativity. I always think that reading outside of work, different genres is really helpful to sharpen our own writing. So yeah.
Michelle Kane (21:35):
Yeah. Yeah. I know. I've long tried to conquer that ingrained Pennsylvania Dutch work ethic. Oh, don't sit and read. Must always be doing. I'm like, shut up, I have to go read.
Karen Swim, APR (21:51):
I love reading. I've always loved to read. And I know that most of our audience, they're big readers too because people who read are attracted to this profession. So it's a common interest that we all share, but sometimes life gets in the way and you don't have enough time for it. So make some time before the summer goes away to grab a good book for fun. Yes.
Michelle Kane (22:16):
We
Karen Swim, APR (22:17):
Have to be about business. We love learning. We love business books, but challenge yourself to get through a book or two before the summer ends.
Michelle Kane (22:24):
Yeah, definitely. And just looking ahead to September, September is National Library Card Month. So I would be a poor public library board member if I did not suggest that you get a library card. And honestly, they offer great things. I know my local library and many around us. With your library card, you can access publications from around the world, newspapers if we're all looking to trim subscriptions, which many of us are, even though if we have the bandwidth, I always say support your local media. But if you're trying to trim your budgets right now, I know my library offers pressreader.com, so you can read all sorts of newspapers just with your little library card.
Karen Swim, APR (23:12):
I love that. It's a shameless
Michelle Kane (23:14):
Plug.
Karen Swim, APR (23:15):
Yeah. And librarians are very modern. I know that we have this viewpoint, so they do offer a lot of services. Yeah, they
Michelle Kane (23:23):
Do.
Karen Swim, APR (23:23):
Libraries that have the appliances that you can borrow. Yeah. The
Michelle Kane (23:30):
Library of things, we call it. You get a power washer.
Karen Swim, APR (23:34):
Yes. Bunt
Michelle Kane (23:35):
Pant, bunt cake pan. Yeah.
Karen Swim, APR (23:37):
It's a great place to go.
Michelle Kane (23:39):
Yeah, it really is. Even a lot of them have work pods. I know our library is looking to partner with the local chamber to create a co-working day here and there. So anyway, just running off the tangent. Well, that wraps up our fun Friday that you're listening to on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. But we're glad you're along with us for this ride. And of course we are committed to helping our fellow solos just do well and succeed in business. So please hit us up at soloprpro.com or that sololife.com. And until next time, thanks for listening to that Solo Life.
Michelle Kane (00:13):
Hey, Karen. Hello. I know our episodes drop on a Monday, but since it's Friday, what do you think of doing a five things Friday theme this week?
Karen Swim, APR (00:25):
I absolutely love that. And I mean, as we sit here on this Friday, and I'm sure when this episode hits, people will be able to relate. It's been a really fast-paced month, a fast-paced week, but it's been exhausting. So we're both a little tired. Yes.
Michelle Kane (00:45):
A little fried. So we're going to be fried Friday with five fun things. Oh,
Karen Swim, APR (00:50):
There you have it. Let's
Michelle Kane (00:52):
Get into it. All right.
Karen Swim, APR (00:53):
There we go. Well, let's start with the. Maybe we'll start with the not fun thing first. One fun thing, not one serious thing and then a fun thing. There we go. There is tons of content, debate, conversation, insights about the AI content watermark. Let's talk about that.
Michelle Kane (01:20):
Yeah, let's get into that. Yeah. So I know it's starting with Anthropic and maybe some others. They're going to start watermarking content created through their channels, which has caused many to erupt with cheers and some to erupt with cheers. And as with most things, there's more of a middle ground, right?
Karen Swim, APR (01:44):
Yeah.
Michelle Kane (01:46):
Yeah. I don't know. I'm not sure how I feel about this yet.
Karen Swim, APR (01:50):
I feel not great about it. I think it's a step,
(01:55):
But I don't know that it's the right step. So I am all for transparency, disclosure and how you're using AI. But for those of us who are thoughtfully using AI for our workflows, even for editing, using AI in your writing does not mean that you did not write the piece, that you did not apply your judgment. So for example, I've used Grammarly a lot just to see my own blind spots. You write something, you go over it, you edit it. I'll run it through an editor. Is there anything that's problematic? Did I miss something? And I may look at those grammarly suggestions and I may pull in that draft, but then I'll go over it again and rework stuff like, "I don't really like the way that it said this, so I'm going to say it this way." Same thing with an AI engine like Claude.
(02:54):
That doesn't mean I didn't write it. It doesn't. So the problem with the token to me is that there's no context to it. It's just like, okay, AI was used, but how was it used? And does that take away from whatever the result being a great piece that was generated by a human being with maybe a soft assist from AI?
Michelle Kane (03:18):
Yeah, I do agree with you. As we've long said here, it's a tool when used responsibly, when used as part of a craft, right? Because especially as we get deeper into it, it's really so much of how you are using it. You can't just say, "Write me 500 words on X." It's not going to give you the same thing as a seasoned communicator knowing what we need or, "Hey, can you help me out with this?" And really considering it more of a defacto team member in a way
Karen Swim, APR (04:01):
Than
Michelle Kane (04:02):
Just a straight up, "All right, do my work for me." And honestly, as a control freak to a certain degree, it's like, "Don't you tell me what was what? I know what I put into this." So yeah, I think I see this backfiring for them a bit. It definitely needs a lot more consideration before fully launching.
Karen Swim, APR (04:31):
I mean, again, we are in the wild west, right? Yeah, we are. And everyone, every company, every person is figuring this out. There's going to be a lot of talmault I predict in the next few years as we figure out the place. However, for those that are like, "I hate AI, I never use it." You really are using it. You may not be actively using the AI engines in your work or in your design work or whatever. But if you have a smartphone, you're using social media, you're using any tool, media database, press release, distribution service. It's hard to touch anything these days without AI being involved. So just recognize that even though you think you may not be using AI, yep, you are. You really are using it. You're participating in it. And so I encourage our professional community to not just hate it, turned a blind eye to it, but learn, be a part of the solution because there's a lot of figuring out that has to happen.
(05:45):
Pick a lane. Maybe you are interested in teaching and figuring out, are there responsible ways that this can be incorporated into PR work? Totally. I find it incredibly useful to help me research things like competitive intelligence, the media landscape, spotting trends. That's not irresponsible use, but we focus to me on AI slop. And I'm sorry, I'm just not as worried about that because can we just be honest and say that bad writing has existed long before computers? There are things that are just not good. Books, manuscripts, websites. Do you remember the websites from old industries that had all the black stuff and the cartoon images that made you want to stab your eyes out because it was so bad? But to an industry, it was so normal that it was good. So I think we're fighting the wrong battle. AI slop is not the problem.
(06:52):
It's human beings being involved. And here's a good way not to encourage AI slop. Don't read it. Don't publish it. We can protect ourselves from all kinds of bad writing by not reading it, sharing it. If you are a publisher publishing it, that's a good way to shut it down. But we act like this is the only battle on the AI front and there's bigger issues that we really should be considering.
Michelle Kane (07:22):
Yeah. And I mean, I do get it. The frustrating thing is it's both frustrating, but actually heartening. And hopefully our listeners across the country are seeing this. In my local groups, everyone is so over the AI slop of the flyers because it's all the block text followed by the handwritten thing. Too much information everywhere. And what I see in this is an incredible opportunity for communications professionals to educate because yes, yes, people who go to school for design, yeah, that wasn't a scam, everyone. It's a real profession knowing where to place things, knowing when not to place something. White space is your friend, your eye and your brain. Graphic designers are trained on this. We to a certain degree are trained on this to know where the eye flows when it looks at a piece of paper so you get your message through. And also diluting your brand with this stuff.
(08:33):
Because if everyone looks the same, I don't want to hear you complain that your store or your business isn't standing out. So be smart about it. It is kind of funny when I see commenters begging, "Please go back to the crap you were making on
Karen Swim, APR (08:47):
Canva." That is hilarious. And
Michelle Kane (08:54):
These are everyday. This is not like people in the industry. These are people. So
Karen Swim, APR (09:01):
It's a
Michelle Kane (09:01):
Glimmer of hope in our world.
Karen Swim, APR (09:05):
I think for me, I don't really see all the flyers and I'm not. But what does bother me is when it becomes deceptive, right? So whether it's in written content or the thing that really gets under my skin is these AI photos that are used to represent your product or service. That's wrong. If you're selling food, your restaurant, I don't want to see AI photos. I want to see pictures of your actual food because I'm coming there and that visual is a part of it. It's the experience. It's the description of the dish and what's in it, and it's seeing an actual photo. And even if it's not a pretty polished photo, I want to see what the food looks like. I don't want a menu that has AI or stock photos on it. If I'm buying a pair of shoes, can I see the actual shoes?
(10:02):
Because I don't want to get to a store and then have it look completely different. That is deceptive. So let's
Michelle Kane (10:09):
Definitely, definitely. And look, I know a lot of businesses are on super slim margins. So even if you can't hire a designer or a photographer, but trust me, there are so many solo designers and photographers out there who really are not going to rob you of your money. In fact, if you approach them to fix something that you made in AI, that's going to cost a lot more than just saying, "Here's what I'm thinking," and they'll just do it outright. But let's take that all the way down to you can do okay with your cell phone. Those cameras are pretty darn good.
Karen Swim, APR (10:49):
I hate to say that, but it's true. And some things are fine. At least it's genuine. I mean, again, we know everybody is fighting the budget issue. And in this case, AI is not always the answer. Sometimes it's better to just be honest, genuine, transparent. I shared food photos and I'm like, "Listen, I'm not a food photographer. I'm not even a photographer. I'm actually pretty terrible taking a picture. I'm so happy with how this came together and what I did that I had to share it." Now put that out in the wide public, but I'll share it to my little groups.
Michelle Kane (11:34):
Yeah, because when it comes down to it, it could be costing you money in that it's money you'll never see walking through your door because people might look at an
Karen Swim, APR (11:42):
AI
Michelle Kane (11:43):
Generated photo and just go, "Nope, next."
Karen Swim, APR (11:45):
Yes, absolutely.
Michelle Kane (11:47):
Well, speaking of next, there's something else out there. Negative
Karen Swim, APR (11:50):
SEO.
Michelle Kane (11:51):
Talk to me a little bit about that, Karen, because you brought that up and I though, ew.
Karen Swim, APR (11:55):
So there's some litigation pending, and I'll share a link to this newsletter that landed in my inbox. And I was like, "Wait a minute. I think I can share the link." But anyway, so there's a US battle, right? And it's over SEO sabotage. What? Who even knew that that was a thing? So businesses are deliberately using toxic backlinks to damage the online visibility of competitors. Crazy making. I mean, I'm not surprised because we've seen this with the rage farms, but that's crazy. So when I thought about that, how many of you have ever encountered malware I have where I had to call in a service and cleanse my website and do the whole resubmit to Google because somebody had hacked the site and put in horrible content? Well, think about this being applied to backlinks. And so I think for all of us, we've thought about negative SEO as part for the course and you do what you can to push the negative stuff down.
(13:10):
I never thought of it being weaponized against you. Well, there may be legal recourse for businesses. And so for me, the eye-opener was, oh my God, I need to actually go through and check backlinks for myself, for my own sites. Your clients may have SEO experts internally who are already doing this, but if they don't, maybe small, medium businesses aren't this savvy. It's something to make your clients aware of it, but it's also something we should be aware of to make sure that our names and brand reputations aren't attached to toxic backlinks. Never knew this.
Michelle Kane (13:49):
Wow. Yeah. And I know at least within the auto realm of digital advertising, the automakers have rules that you can't do certain things against fellow retailers. So that's fine in a controlled environment like that. But for other businesses that don't have those protections or at least those ground rules, this is definitely
Karen Swim, APR (14:19):
Yet
Michelle Kane (14:20):
Another thing for us to keep track of.
Karen Swim, APR (14:22):
Definitely.
Michelle Kane (14:25):
Good times, good times. Well, speaking of good
Karen Swim, APR (14:27):
Times,
Michelle Kane (14:28):
The fine people of New York City witnessed something interesting rolling through the streets. I won't make hairball sounds because I don't want to make anyone feel ill.
Karen Swim, APR (14:37):
Yeah. Tell us about this, Michelle. This is crazy.
Michelle Kane (14:43):
So apparently, you know what? In a world of AI, experiential marketing is having a moment. The hair product company, K-18, literally rolled a giant hairball through the streets of New York City in promotion of one of their products. And honestly, the notion of a giant hairball makes me want to gag, but I'll try not to. But we just though this was kind of hysterical. It's like, I'm sorry, a what? A what was rolling
Karen Swim, APR (15:18):
Through
Michelle Kane (15:18):
The streets?
Karen Swim, APR (15:19):
Yeah. But
Michelle Kane (15:20):
Yeah, apparently it was successful. And it's just, again, acknowledging that we are still craving real things even if it's a hairball.
Karen Swim, APR (15:30):
Even if it's a hairball. So yeah, this was crazy because it was a stunt called The Tumble Hair. And of course, actually some people were shocked and it was for the launch of their product, Future IQ, I think. And so it's some hair longevity serum. But what was funny to me is that this happened in New York City and New Yorkers actually did stop to be like, "What is that?" I'm sorry, New Yorkers, y'all are the most unbothered people on the planet. And so in my mind you would be like, "Eh." But New Yorkers are intrigued by saying something. That must have been one gigantic hairball. So there was a lot of social media, which you want with your experience. A lot of people writing about it, a lot of engagement. And so it was successful.
Michelle Kane (16:30):
Yeah, exactly. Well, and the only thing I could think is it would get their attention, especially if it's in their way. I'm walking here. Move, hairball, move. And if anyone's ever tried to navigate their way through Times Square trying to meet people for a show, you know what I'm talking about. I turn into a New Yorker. I'm like.
Karen Swim, APR (16:56):
Exactly. Exactly. So I don't know. I've never been on the experiential marketing side of the fence that I can remember. I don't know. Sometimes parts of my career escape me. But God bless. I'm glad that this worked out. They
Michelle Kane (17:15):
Do work
Karen Swim, APR (17:15):
Hard. And it was a little bit of real life, in-person fun. So good on you, K-18.
Michelle Kane (17:24):
I'm going to have to find out if. I have two very dear friends of mine are experiential marketing veterans. I'm going to have to ping them and be like, "Did you do the hairball?" I will ask. Yes. Yes, definitely. Because yeah, that is something they would do.
Karen Swim, APR (17:48):
All right. We haven't talked about books in a long time. It's not about time of year for the Beachy Reads. Are you reading anything fun?
Michelle Kane (17:58):
It is actually, yes. You know what? I am in my quest to become a more voracious reader. I am actually digging in on something called We Solve Murders by Richard Osmond. And it is really good. I'm about halfway through. Definitely a great beach read, good summer read. Actually good anytime of the year read, but it's engaging because he's a good tightwriter and us word nerds will appreciate that. The chapters are really short and snappy. You're moving along, which keeps you turning the page. It's about a private security firm and there are murders of social media influencers are a part of it, but they're just cogs in the wheel of a bigger scheme. So it's got a little secret agent flavor, interesting characters on the run. Everyone from seasoned pros to, shall we say, armchair detectives. So I'll leave it at that. How about you, Karen?
(19:04):
I
Karen Swim, APR (19:04):
Love that. Actually, that book was in a saved article of mine of the books that you have to read this year because I'm always adding to my book list.
Michelle Kane (19:15):
Cool.
Karen Swim, APR (19:15):
Yeah. I haven't gone to the beach to read, but this summer I did read recently this summer, I read a book called Olivia Strauss is Running Out of Time
(19:31):
By Angela Brown. And it actually was such a great read. It was interesting in that the underlying topic really dealt with life and death matters and just that sense of we have this finite amount of time to live. There's a plot twist in it that I won't spoil for you, but it was done in this very relatable way as we look at the dreams that we pushed aside, the things that we didn't go after. And what happens if you're confronted with, "I only have so much time left." But it was really a fun read. It kept me engaged in turning the pages and wanting to finish it to see what was going to happen. And it was also very inspiring because I think tackling a subject like that is something that everybody on earth can relate to. None of us has an infinite amount of days.
(20:33):
And so it inspired me to like, "Huh, dust off some of those things. Let's take a look at the things that you shoved aside and let's think about being more intentional in the season of your life." So yeah, good read. Olivia Strauss is Running Out of Time by Angela Brown. Highly recommend it. I'm reading another fun one too, but maybe we'll have another book talk here on the podcast. Absolutely. Last time we talked about business books. So maybe next time we talk about the fun stuff that we're reading to you.
Michelle Kane (21:04):
And you know what? The fun stuff's important because even just the way that you summarized your experience with that book, it matters because the books, they make us think, they help us even relate to ourselves. And it's also good to read someone else's writing. It gets us out of our own head. It
Karen Swim, APR (21:24):
Does. It inspires our creativity. I always think that reading outside of work, different genres is really helpful to sharpen our own writing. So yeah.
Michelle Kane (21:35):
Yeah. Yeah. I know. I've long tried to conquer that ingrained Pennsylvania Dutch work ethic. Oh, don't sit and read. Must always be doing. I'm like, shut up, I have to go read.
Karen Swim, APR (21:51):
I love reading. I've always loved to read. And I know that most of our audience, they're big readers too because people who read are attracted to this profession. So it's a common interest that we all share, but sometimes life gets in the way and you don't have enough time for it. So make some time before the summer goes away to grab a good book for fun. Yes.
Michelle Kane (22:16):
We
Karen Swim, APR (22:17):
Have to be about business. We love learning. We love business books, but challenge yourself to get through a book or two before the summer ends.
Michelle Kane (22:24):
Yeah, definitely. And just looking ahead to September, September is National Library Card Month. So I would be a poor public library board member if I did not suggest that you get a library card. And honestly, they offer great things. I know my local library and many around us. With your library card, you can access publications from around the world, newspapers if we're all looking to trim subscriptions, which many of us are, even though if we have the bandwidth, I always say support your local media. But if you're trying to trim your budgets right now, I know my library offers pressreader.com, so you can read all sorts of newspapers just with your little library card.
Karen Swim, APR (23:12):
I love that. It's a shameless
Michelle Kane (23:14):
Plug.
Karen Swim, APR (23:15):
Yeah. And librarians are very modern. I know that we have this viewpoint, so they do offer a lot of services. Yeah, they
Michelle Kane (23:23):
Do.
Karen Swim, APR (23:23):
Libraries that have the appliances that you can borrow. Yeah. The
Michelle Kane (23:30):
Library of things, we call it. You get a power washer.
Karen Swim, APR (23:34):
Yes. Bunt
Michelle Kane (23:35):
Pant, bunt cake pan. Yeah.
Karen Swim, APR (23:37):
It's a great place to go.
Michelle Kane (23:39):
Yeah, it really is. Even a lot of them have work pods. I know our library is looking to partner with the local chamber to create a co-working day here and there. So anyway, just running off the tangent. Well, that wraps up our fun Friday that you're listening to on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. But we're glad you're along with us for this ride. And of course we are committed to helping our fellow solos just do well and succeed in business. So please hit us up at soloprpro.com or that sololife.com. And until next time, thanks for listening to that Solo Life.