PR Pros: Do You Have These Tools in Your Tech Stack?

While the relationship-based world of public relations still relies heavily on human interaction, there are plenty of technology advancements that can help PR professionals become quicker and better at their jobs. These tools can save hours of Googling, add context to client accounts, assist in staying up-to-date on industry topics, and even help PR pros better measure the impact of their work.

Do you have these valuable tools in your tech stack?

Anewstip

This product allows you to go a step beyond building a standard media list by taking a look at what media influencers are talking about and how often. Anewstip makes it easy to search for media based on their tweets or news articles, filter by various constraints, and add the relevant results to a media list. This is also a great tool to easily check out what’s being said about your brand and its competitors.

Boomerang

Boomerang is a Gmail plugin that allows you to schedule emails and sets a reminder to follow up if you don’t hear back after sending a message—two useful functionalities when it comes to dealing with reporters. Schedule a pitch to hit a reporter’s inbox when he or she is most likely to read your message, like early in the morning or just after lunch. And get an automated reminder to send a follow-up pitch if your contact didn’t bite on the initial outreach.

Cision

Perhaps the most-utilized tool of communications professionals, Cision is best known for its vast media database. While the product is great in its basic media-list-building capability, Cision also offers services in distributing, monitoring, and tracking brand mentions.

Coverage Book

This tool saves vast amounts of time, as it pulls together screenshots and metrics in a single visual report that clients can easily understand. Reports are stored in one searchable location and can be viewed, edited, or shared from any connected device.

Critical Mention

This media-monitoring service is especially useful when searching for broadcast and radio mentions. Critical Mention allows you to clip and share coverage and provides helpful metrics on audience and reach.

Google Alerts

This free and easy resource sends media mentions straight to your inbox. Set up keyword searches of specific brands, spokespeople, or industry terms and be the first to know when an article is published. This tool is also helpful for PR pros to keep track of when a pitched opportunity has been published.

Help a Reporter Out (HARO)

HARO is a tool used to connect journalists and expert sources. Simply sign up for a free account and list your industry expertise, and HARO notifications will start arriving in your inbox. Reporters often fill out queries looking for experts on a given topic, which can lead to great rapid-response opportunities.

HubSpot

Primarily used as an inbound marketing and sales platform, Hubspot is a good resource for PR practitioners who take an integrated approach to communications and marketing. The tool helps connect the dots between media mentions and upticks in leads or inquiries—valuable for PR pros who are trying to prove return on investment.

Meltwater

A media intelligence company, Meltwater is useful for media monitoring and social media monitoring. The product pulls metrics on items such as website traffic, share of voice, top sources, and trending themes, and it displays data in easy-to-understand dashboards and one-click reports. The product also features a media database and distribution tool.

Trendkite

Trendkite’s software allows you to pick and choose which metrics you want to monitor and displays everything in one intuitive dashboard. The tool helps you easily assess areas of strength and areas that have opportunities for growth. Trendkite also offers monitoring capabilities, so you can easily track brand and competitor mentions.