Top 5 Public Relations Tools for Monitoring & Managing Your Communications

Achieving media coverage and successful public relations campaigns are the goals of every company. However, the key lies in effective planning and the use of PR tools to measure success. In this regard, we’ve outlined various recommendations, including both paid and free PR tools. Utilizing the right PR software can unlock numerous earned media opportunities precisely when they are ripe for the picking.

A 2018 survey from the Marketing Agency Growth Report Co. highlights the challenges faced by startups in their early years. Currently, over 72% of global companies are heavily investing in not only running PR campaigns but also leveraging a range of PR tools to enhance their chances of success.

What is Public Relations?

Public relations is a strategic communication process where information is conveyed on a company’s behalf to the public. The idea behind conveying this information is a mutually beneficial relationship for both sides. The company gets proper media attention, concerning whatever updates, upcoming product launches, etc., it has, and the public gets to benefit from the news.

Moving on, another definition of public relations would be to understand that the role of a public relations company is to “expose” your brand (*under the proper limelight, of course), your internal values, any newsworthy content, etc., to stakeholders or people who are going to be directly affected by those updates.

An upcoming product launch is something that can be hyped up through a PR stunt. Meanwhile, the public will look forward to the product release and make sure that they are first in line to purchase it. This is the kind of scenario that benefits both sides from a business point of view. That being said, let’s take a look at the role of public relations tools.

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What Are Public Relations Tools?

Public relations tools encompass a range of software solutions designed to streamline brand promotion, enhance outreach, and monitor conversion-driven outcomes. With both paid and free options available online, selecting the right tool hinges on your company’s specific needs. These tools offer a cost-effective means to automate various processes in an industry that continually evolves. Bloggers, influencers, media personnel, and other stakeholders increasingly turn to these programs for their public relations campaigns. These tools excel at generating media mentions, provide dedicated analytics panels for measuring results, and enable the creation of effective strategies for future campaigns. To ensure your next PR campaign’s success, consider consulting with a professional company to identify the most suitable key performance indicators (KPIs).

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5 Best Public Relations Tools to Use

Here are five of the best public relations tools

1. Cision

Cision is a leading public relations and communication platform that offers a wide range of tools and services to help businesses and PR professionals effectively manage their communication efforts. With Cision, you can monitor media coverage, connect with influencers, distribute press releases, and measure the impact of your PR campaigns.

Key features of Cision include:

1. Media Monitoring: Cision allows you to track mentions of your brand, products, or keywords across various media channels, including news articles, social media, and blogs.
2. Influencer Outreach: Identify and connect with influencers and journalists who can help amplify your message and reach a larger audience.
3. Press Release Distribution: Easily distribute press releases to targeted media outlets and journalists, ensuring your news reaches the right audience.
4. Analytics and Reporting: Measure the effectiveness of your PR efforts with detailed analytics and reporting tools. Track media mentions sentiment, and the impact of your campaigns.
5. Media Contacts Database: Access a comprehensive database of media contacts and influencers to streamline your outreach efforts.
6. Social Media Management: Monitor and engage with your audience on social media platforms, helping you stay on top of trends and conversations.

Cision is trusted by PR professionals worldwide to streamline their communication efforts, build relationships with media contacts, and achieve better results in their PR campaigns. It’s a versatile tool that offers a comprehensive suite of features to meet the diverse needs of PR and communication teams.

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2. Meltwater

Meltwater is a prominent public relations and media intelligence platform that empowers businesses and PR professionals to monitor media coverage, engage with their audience, and gain valuable insights into their brand’s reputation. It offers a suite of tools and services designed to enhance communication and decision-making processes.

Key features of Meltwater include:

1. Media Monitoring: Meltwater enables you to track mentions of your brand, competitors, and industry trends across online and offline media sources, including news articles, social media, and broadcast outlets.
2. Social Media Management: Manage your social media presence, schedule posts, engage with your audience, and monitor social media conversations relevant to your brand.
3. Media Contacts Database: Access a vast database of media contacts, journalists, and influencers to facilitate targeted outreach and relationship-building.
4. Influencer Identification: Identify and connect with key influencers and thought leaders who can help amplify your brand’s message.
5. Media Analysis: Measure the impact of your PR efforts with detailed analytics, sentiment analysis, and customizable reports.
6. Competitive Intelligence: Gain insights into your competitors’ media coverage and strategies to make informed decisions.
7. Press Release Distribution: Distribute press releases to reach journalists and media outlets, ensuring your news reaches a wide audience.

Meltwater is trusted by organizations worldwide to monitor media coverage, engage with their audience, and make data-driven decisions. It provides valuable tools and insights to enhance PR and communication strategies, ultimately helping businesses build and protect their brand reputation.

3. PR Newswire

PR Newswire is a renowned press release distribution service and a valuable resource for businesses and organizations looking to share their news and announcements with a wide audience. PR Newswire offers a range of services to help companies effectively distribute their press releases and multimedia content to journalists, media outlets, and online platforms.

Key features of PR Newswire include:

1. Press Release Distribution: PR Newswire allows businesses to distribute their press releases to a vast network of media outlets, newsrooms, and journalists, ensuring broad visibility for their news.
2. Multimedia Content: In addition to text-based press releases, PR Newswire supports multimedia content, including images, videos, and infographics, to enhance the impact of your news.
3. Global Reach: PR Newswire has a global distribution network, making it possible to reach audiences in various countries and regions.
4. Targeted Distribution: Businesses can choose to target specific industries, geographic locations, or audience segments, ensuring that their news reaches the right audience.
5. Measurement and Analytics: PR Newswire provides comprehensive analytics and reporting tools to track the performance of press releases, including media pickups, engagement, and reach.
6. Media Database: Access a database of media contacts and journalists to enhance media outreach efforts.
7. Earned Media Monitoring: Monitor media coverage and mentions of your press releases to gauge their impact and sentiment.

PR Newswire is a trusted platform for PR professionals and businesses to distribute their news and announcements effectively. It helps organizations connect with journalists, amplify their brand message, and build their reputation in the media landscape.

4. HubSpot PR Software

HubSpot PR is part of HubSpot’s comprehensive suite of marketing, sales, and customer service tools. While HubSpot primarily focuses on inbound marketing and sales, it offers PR software that helps organizations manage their public relations efforts more effectively.

Here are some key features and benefits of HubSpot PR Software:

1. Media Monitoring: HubSpot PR Software allows you to monitor media mentions and track conversations related to your brand, products, or industry across various online and offline channels.
2. Media Outreach: You can manage media relationships, track interactions with journalists and influencers, and streamline your outreach efforts within the HubSpot platform.
3. Press Release Management: Create and distribute press releases to targeted media outlets and journalists directly from the software. HubSpot also provides analytics to measure the impact of your press releases.
4. Social Media Management: HubSpot includes social media management tools that help you schedule posts, monitor social media conversations, and engage with your audience on platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
5. Analytics and Reporting: Measure the effectiveness of your PR efforts with HubSpot’s analytics and reporting features. Track media mentions, sentiment analysis, and the impact of your campaigns.
6. Integration: HubSpot PR Software seamlessly integrates with other HubSpot tools, allowing for a unified approach to marketing, sales, and public relations efforts.

While HubSpot PR Software may not be as specialized as dedicated PR platforms like Cision or Meltwater, it provides PR professionals with the tools they need to manage media relationships, monitor media coverage, and execute PR campaigns within the broader HubSpot ecosystem. This integration can be advantageous for organizations that prioritize alignment between PR, marketing, and sales efforts.

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5. TrendKite (now part of Cision)

TrendKite, now part of Cision is a public relations and media monitoring platform that specializes in PR analytics and insights. This platform provides PR professionals and businesses with the tools they need to monitor media coverage, measure the impact of their PR efforts, and make data-driven decisions.

Here are some key features and benefits of TrendKite:

1. Media Monitoring: TrendKite allows users to monitor media mentions and track coverage across online and offline channels, including news articles, social media, blogs, and broadcast outlets.
2. PR Analytics: The platform offers robust analytics and reporting features, providing insights into media coverage, sentiment analysis, audience reach, and competitive benchmarking.
3. Measurement of PR Impact: TrendKite helps PR professionals measure the impact of their efforts by quantifying the value of media coverage and demonstrating how it contributes to business goals.
4. Competitive Analysis: Users can compare their media coverage and PR performance against competitors to identify strengths and areas for improvement.
5. Influencer Identification: Identify and connect with key influencers and journalists who can help amplify your brand’s message.
6. Integration: TrendKite seamlessly integrates with other PR and marketing tools, allowing for a streamlined workflow and data sharing.

As part of Cision, TrendKite benefits from Cision’s extensive media database and distribution capabilities, making it a comprehensive PR analytics and monitoring solution for businesses and PR agencies. It helps organizations assess the impact of their PR efforts, refine their strategies, and ultimately achieve their PR goals.

These tools are widely used by PR professionals to streamline their efforts, monitor media mentions, and analyze the effectiveness of their PR campaigns.

Final Thoughts

Public relations tools have become indispensable assets in today’s fast-paced and highly connected digital landscape. These tools serve as powerful allies for businesses and PR professionals, enabling them to effectively manage their brand’s reputation, engage with their target audience, and make data-driven decisions. Whether it’s monitoring media coverage, identifying key influencers, distributing press releases, or measuring the impact of PR efforts, these tools offer a comprehensive suite of features to streamline PR campaigns.

The choice between free and paid public relations tools depends on the specific needs and budget of each organization. While free tools provide essential functionalities, paid tools often offer more advanced features and insights, making them valuable investments for businesses looking to maximize their PR efforts.

In an era where public perception and online reputation can make or break a brand, the use of these tools is not just a convenience but a necessity. By harnessing the capabilities of public relations tools, businesses can build stronger relationships with the media, better understand their audience, and ultimately succeed in conveying their message to the world.

As the PR landscape continues to evolve, staying up-to-date with the latest tools and technologies is crucial for maintaining a competitive edge. Embracing the right combination of public relations tools is the key to achieving PR goals, fostering brand loyalty, and ensuring long-term success in today’s dynamic communication environment.

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