5 recommended PR tools to scale your campaigns in 2021
The right PR tools can help practitioners execute campaigns at a more scalable approach. Here are 5 recommendations to check out.
The future is bright for the public relations (PR) space, as it is set to reach US$117.8 billion in 2023 at a 7% CAGR globally. By then, PR professionals will become even more data-driven, as indicated from a recent global survey by the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO).
The survey reveals that most practitioners plan to increase their investments in research, insights, planning, and analytics. The right PR tools can help them execute these with more speed, efficiency, and scale.
In no particular order, here are five recommended PR tools suitable for teams who operate in the earned media space. Check them out and see if they can complement your current martech stack.
Recommended PR tools
1. ContentGrow (press release creation)
According to a 2020 report by Cision, journalists still view press releases as the most useful information source to create a brand story. PR professionals looking to scale up their press release creation can try working on ContentGrow without adding to the firm’s in-house headcount.
The platform is a managed marketplace that connects organizations with professional freelance PR writers that can create press releases in various languages and industries around the world. PR teams work with freelance professionals inside ContentGrow’s online workspace, which also helps to facilitate international payments.
2. Wires: PRWeb, PRNewswire, Business Wire (distribution)
Press release distribution is another important aspect to tackle when it comes to earned media. One way to do this is by sending mass emails to journalists and hoping for the best. Alternatively, you can use a wire to gain media coverage and increase pickup.
Cision’s PRWeb and PRNewswire can help. PRWeb focuses on press release distribution only, allowing marketers to share and syndicate their release on hundreds of sites by sending the release to relevant journalists’ inboxes. The latter offers a wider range of services, including distribution (to thousands of media outlets and websites), microsite creation, radio tours, investor relations services, and more.
Berkshire Hathaway’s Business Wire is also a noteworthy tool in this respect. The firm claims it can reach more than 100,000 media outlets worldwide. This makes it one of the strongest press release distribution tools on the market in terms of reach.
See: For beginners: 6 tips on how to write a press release (with examples)
3. Prezly (journalist CRM)
According to a recent survey, journalists are more likely to write about a company that they recognize. This is why great PR teams invest time into building strong relationships with the media.
Marketers and PR pros can consider using CRM tools like Prezly to manage their journalist database. Prezly basically combines the spreadsheet and email function in one place, allowing practitioners to collaborate and track conversations with journalists in a single dashboard.
4. Critical Mention (media monitoring)
As mentioned in the ICCO global PR survey, analytics are key in any PR campaign. Tools like Critical Mention can help marketers track and measure their campaign success efficiently.
Critical Mention will track all news in the US, Canada, Europe, and the Middle East. The company claims notifications will arrive within 60 seconds of the news being published. The tool also allows for easy sharing and report customizations to help keep stakeholders in the loop.
5. CoverageBook (PR reports)
This tool is convenient for PR firms in particular, as account managers and executives usually spend lots of time (painstakingly) building slide decks that show the client the success and ROI of each campaign. CoverageBook allows teams to generate PR campaign reports in a matter of minutes.
Paste all media coverage links inside this tool, and CoverageBook will do the rest. The report will include screenshots of each coverage and important data such as estimated views, total social shares, and backlinks.
See: 6 recommended press release distribution services for PR teams
Save time and money when creating and distributing high-quality PR. ContentGrow's platform serves up the best freelance content professionals and helps marketing teams execute at scale. Fill out the form below to distribute your press release in APAC and beyond.
