Recommended Tools for Public Relations Professionals
What is Public Relations?
At its core, public relations (PR) refers to the practice of managing the image and information of a specific entity, whether that means an individual, organization, or company, with the intent to have an impact on public perception.
Public Relations professionals work as communications specialists, building and maintaining a positive public image and awareness for their clients. Although the role itself is diverse and ever-changing, the typical responsibilities of a Public Relations specialist are to create media content, such as press releases or op-eds, to shape public representation of a company, organization, or person through media outreach and networking.
The daily workflow of a public relations professional is constantly changing and subject to dynamic changes on behalf of the client, environment, and media landscape. Whether it's making meaningful media connections, writing and sending pitches, or managing media mentions, there is a lot to keep track of in this role.
PR professionals use tools to organize contacts, manage task flow, and keep track of media mentions in today's digital landscape. We've broken down a few of our favourite tools for Public relations professionals and how we use them in our day-to-day roles. From list building to media tracking - here are just a few of our favourites :
Critical Mention
Self-described as the fastest, most reliable all-in-one PR and earned media platform, Critical Mention features global media monitoring, a media contact database, and a robust analytics database.
While the platform features several unique services, its media mention monitoring is what sets it apart for our team. Critical Mention captures a diverse range of media mentions, including TV, Radio, Digital, Print, and social.
Similar to Google Alerts, Critical Mention features email alerts that can be sent as weekly digestives, daily updates, or even immediate notifications. This process ensures that clients are given timely updates when mentioned in the media, while also making sure there are no content errors or edits required.
Media mentions can be compiled into detailed reports that help PR professionals better understand media wins, mentions, and outcomes. Making use of this platform not only enables PR professionals to be more timely and detailed in their efforts but helps them to create competitive analysis with competitors and see what industry conversations are happening.
Other notable monitoring tools include: Google Alerts, TVEyes, Agility PR Solutions, and Prowly.
Cision
When it comes to Relationship management, Cision Connect brings the right media contacts to the right campaigns. Using their in-depth database, Cision works to improve outreach tactics, build better relationships, and secure more coverage amongst the PR industry.
Cision aims to help PR specialists be the best storyteller and analysts, all within one platform. With a constantly changing landscape and media roster, Cision provides a (mostly) accurate list of media contacts. These lists are used when building out pitches for specific campaigns and stories, ensuring each contact is a direct fit for the industry or topic. The lists provided by Cision are often sourced from Twitter and provide a current view of the reporter/journalist's beats, topics of interest, and employer.
In addition to helping specialists build media lists and manage relationships, Cision also provides annual reports on the state of PR. These reports provide beneficial information for professionals who are looking to deepen their industry knowledge.
Other notable monitoring tools include: Meltwater and MuckRack.
Muckrack
Similar to Cision, MuckRack offers a one-stop for a relationship-building platform. MuckRack is the best tool when it comes to finding recent, relevant media contacts. Unlike Cision, Muckrack offers free access to profiles for reporters, journalists, and media contacts. These pages give an excellent overview of recent articles written by media contacts so that PR professionals can better target their pitches.
Aligning pitches with specific media contacts is the best way to land a pitch and a common mistake many PR professionals make in the beginning. MuckRack is a great tool for beginners because it offers a lot of virtual courses, webinars, and tips for those who are learning.
Honourable Mentions:
When it comes to public relations, finding the right combination and communication strategy for your team is the best way to ensure that pitches land. Not all tools will work for all teams and there are always improvements and changes being made in the industry. The important thing is to stay curious and remain open-minded to trying new tactics and platforms. Finding the tools and techniques that work for you is all part of the process. If you have new tool suggestions, reach out and let us know!
Written by Emma Whiten, Editor of Marketing News Canada