Many agencies use Microsoft Copilot as their Large Language Model of choice, especially those working in government and public sector – a sector I know very well. So today I’m sharing some useful capabilities inside Microsoft 365 Copilot – specifically, the capabilities that communications professionals should actually care about.
What can you do with Copilot beyond the basic stuff like “summarise these emails,” or “improve this social media post.” I’m talking about the innovative use cases that are changing how comms teams operate.
Copilot in Loop for Campaign Planning
If you’re not using Microsoft Loop yet, pay attention. When you combine Loop with Copilot, you get a collaborative workspace where AI is an active participant.
Here’s how I’ve seen this used brilliantly. A government comms team was planning a public health campaign. They created a Loop workspace and used Copilot to generate audience personas based on their briefing documents. Then they asked Copilot to draft key messages for each persona, identify potential risks and sensitivities, and suggest channel strategies.
The team edited in real-time, with Copilot refining as they went. What used to take three planning meetings happened in one session.
The innovation here isn’t that Copilot writes things. It’s that Copilot thinks alongside you in a shared space. That’s a fundamentally different way of working.
Copilot in Teams for Stakeholder Intelligence
Here’s one that’s genuinely powerful for anyone managing complex stakeholder relationships.
After a Teams meeting with external partners or senior leadership, Copilot can do more than summarise what was said. You can ask it to identify underlying concerns that weren’t explicitly stated. Ask it to flag where there might be resistance to your proposal. Ask it to compare the tone of this meeting to previous ones.
One comms director I know uses this to prepare her manager for follow-up calls. She’ll ask Copilot: “Based on this meeting, what questions is the CEO likely to have that weren’t answered?” That’s stakeholder intelligence, not just note-taking.
The key is asking better questions of Copilot. Don’t just ask “what happened?” Ask “what does this mean?”
Copilot in Word for Structured Drafting
This one’s about using Copilot to maintain consistency across high-volume outputs.
Let’s say your team produces briefings, media interview prep, or media responses. You can upload your house style guide and previous examples as reference documents. Then, when you draft with Copilot, it doesn’t just write – it writes in your voice, following your structure.
I’ve seen teams create what they call “golden examples” – their best briefings, their best responses – and use those to train Copilot on what good looks like for their organisation.
The innovation? You’re not starting from scratch every time. You’re building institutional memory into the tool. Junior staff can produce senior-quality drafts because the AI has learned from your best work.
Three use cases: Loop for collaborative campaign planning, Teams for stakeholder intelligence, and Word for structured drafting at scale.
None of these is about AI doing your job. They’re about AI plus you being better than you alone. That’s the test – AI plus me, greater than me.
If you’re using Microsoft 365 and you haven’t explored Copilot properly yet, start with one of these three. Pick the one closest to a real problem you have this week.
And if you want to go deeper on AI for communications, check out my AI Playbook Diploma.
About the Podcast Host
AI and Communications Specialist | Author | Podcaster | International Speaker
Joanne Sweeney is a recognised leader in digital marketing and digital transformation, specialising in the practical application of AI to enhance communication strategies. The founder of Digital Training Institute, Joanne, empowers leaders and communications professionals to leverage AI responsibly and effectively, ensuring transparency, trust, and tangible results.
She completed the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Programme in AI and Public Policy this summer before launching her fourth book AI Playbook, in September. Joanne has also published two editions of Public Sector Marketing Pro, which were preceded by her first title, Social Media Under Investigation Law Enforcement and the Social Web.
Her books have become go-to resources for governments, public sector and policing agencies, as well as marketing and communications professionals, all navigating the challenges of the changing Internet.
Joanne is the host of the AI SIX Podcast, a daily six-minute podcast that provides actionable insights, expert interviews, and practical advice to help professionals navigate the new world of work.
