Media outreach is a key component of digital PR. By connecting with the right journalists and influencers, PR professionals have a better chance of securing valuable coverage and engaging with their target audience.
Trouble is, the sheer number of outlets and content creators who might help you make an impact can feel overwhelming. Maintaining a media list, tracking pitches, and monitoring results takes a lot of time.
That’s where digital PR tools come in.
Designed to streamline PR processes, these resources are invaluable to anyone who wants to run effective campaigns.
Why Tools Are Important for Digital PR
Digital PR tools help with media outreach by automating tedious tasks and providing measurable metrics.
Efficiency and Automation
Think about how long it takes you to schedule emails, follow up on pitches, or generate reports. With the right digital PR tool, these tedious tasks can be automated.
Advanced platforms also offer real-time monitoring of media mentions and campaign performance. You have relevant data only a few clicks away rather than scattered among different websites.
Plus, alerts immediately notify you when something noteworthy happens so you can act quickly during crises. Given that misinformation spreads like wildfire online, timely responses are vital to maintaining a brand’s reputation.
Enhanced Reach and Targeting
The best digital PR tools come with massive databases you can tap into to find media contacts.
They simplify the process of identifying journalists and influencers that align with your brand’s goals.
Targeting relevant content creators improves your chances of securing coverage, as your pitches are more likely to resonate.
Additionally, they provide background into each person’s past coverage and preferences. This allows you to tailor your pitches for maximum impact.
Data-Driven Decision Making
PR professionals rely on metrics to evaluate and refine campaigns.
On top of that, 66% of them agree that producing measurable results lets them prove their value to clients. When you have the numbers, it’s easier to explain exactly how you improved brand awareness.
Source: MuckRack
Digital PR tools also let you track and measure all sorts of metrics, from stories placed to sentiment to engagement rates. You can use the data to optimise your media outreach and design campaigns that have a bigger impact.
Top PR Tools for Media Outreach
Depending on what you’re looking for, there are many PR tools you can leverage to make your media outreach more efficient.
All-in-One Platforms
All-in-one tools combine multiple PR functions, from media outreach to monitoring. They aim to offer a complete solution for professionals keen to integrate all their activities into a single platform.
Cision
Reference: Media Mention Reporting on Cision
Cision prides itself on offering comprehensive solutions for PR specialists who want to monitor brands on a global scale. Suitable for large organisations, the platform assists with media outreach, press distribution, campaign management, tracking, and more.
One of Cision’s best features is its massive media database of journalists and influencers. You can use it to find media contacts across industries and geographical regions, as well as filter the database based on topics of interest.
You also get access to the content creator’s latest stories and social media profiles to check compatibility, all in one place.
Muck Rack
Reference: Muck Rack Dashboard
While Muck Rack is mainly used as a media search engine, it offers everything PR professionals need to set up and track successful campaigns.
The list includes a large database of journalists and content creators, media monitoring, pitch assistance, and detailed performance reports.
The platform has a user-friendly, clean interface and is easy to master, which makes it particularly appealing among PR professionals.
It also recently introduced the PR Hit Score, a proprietary metric meant to help users assess coverage based on factors like outlet importance and journalist influence.
Prowly
A more affordable alternative to Cision and Muck Rack, Prowly serves the same purpose. It offers a large media database, media monitoring, and customisable coverage reports.
Prowly also makes it easy for PR professionals to build and maintain relationships with media contacts by organising conversations effectively.
Moreover, you can draft pitches and press releases directly in the app, with AI help, if inspiration doesn’t strike or a deadline is looming.
Plus, Prowly was acquired by SEMrush so users could see an integration of more SEO tools in the future.
Specialised Tools
While some platforms offer all-in-one solutions, others narrow their focus to areas that help PR specialists improve strategies.
Meltwater
Reference: Meltwater Dashbaord
Meltwater has great media monitoring and social listening capabilities.
If you want to stay on top of coverage and trends, the platform provides an impressive amount of insight into audiences. It also helps you capture brand mentions you might have missed.
The solution is ideal for PR professionals who love numbers and are eager to make the most out of the analytics Meltwater delivers.
With sophisticated search tools and customisable alerts, you’re able to tweak digital campaigns to better resonate with the target audience.
Onclusive
Reference: Onclusive Dashboard
On the topic of analytics, Onclusive also lets you track advanced metrics to assess the impact of your coverage which is good for seeing the return on investment with digital PR.
Smart dashboards give you access to valuable data about how your stories influence your audience and whether they hit the mark.
Besides, the service lets you measure campaign impact beyond outputs. It combines human expertise with automation to analyse each piece of coverage, so you have a better idea of whether your PR efforts are driving meaningful results.
CoverageBook
Reference: CoverageBook Metrics
For PR professionals looking for something simpler, CoverageBook helps you generate reports based on your coverage.
You paste the links to articles or upload page clippings, and the tool returns metrics like estimated views, engagement, links, domain authority, and more.
A big selling point for the platform is the fact that it simplifies the process of presenting media coverage data.
You can choose the metrics you want to feature and get a report that’s easy to digest and aesthetically pleasing.
How to Choose the Right PR Tools
A good rule of thumb for choosing the right PR tool is to think of what would make the most difference in your PR process.
Assess Your Specific Needs
Every campaign is different, which is why aligning tools with campaign objectives is a must and does it work with your checklists.
If you’re focused on media outreach, for instance, a platform with a robust media database gives you plenty of prospects to sift through.
When running social media campaigns, on the other hand, social listening features are probably more important.
Consider Integration Capabilities
When a new tool integrates with the ones you already use, your workflow isn’t disrupted; it’s enhanced.
You no longer have to switch between services, and you have all the data you need to make informed decisions in one place.
Smooth integration also aids collaboration and reduces the risk of costly mistakes.
Because of this, see how compatible PR tools are with the systems you already use, like email platforms.
You can integrate Muck Rack with Slack, for example, and get alerts when new articles that match specific filters are published.
Evaluate User-Friendliness and Support
Your team might be reluctant to use a tool with a steep learning curve, especially if they’re struggling with a heavy workload.
Ideally, you should settle on a platform with a user-friendly interface and intuitive features. When required training is minimal, adoption appears seamless.
Customer support should also play a part in your decision. There’s nothing more frustrating than dealing with a technical issue in the middle of a major campaign.
Cost Vs Value in Digital PR PR Tools
While there’s no denying that Digital PR tools bring value, you need to make sure that the features they offer are worth the investment.
Budgeting for PR Software
Read the fine print when weighing cost.
Some PR tools operate on a subscription basis, while others charge per user. Services can also implement tiered pricing based on varying levels of functionality.
Knowing what you commit to ensures you’re not blindsided by extra costs when a new member joins the team, or you need to unlock an advanced feature.
A quick way to determine if the tool is worthwhile is by estimating the potential return on investment.
Consider how much time and money it will save by automating tasks and helping you secure better media placements. Productivity gains alone might justify the price.
Scalability and Growth
Scalable tools are a smart choice if you run an agency. You want the tool to grow with your team and accommodate changing workflows.
By opting for a scalable solution, you don’t have to switch to a new platform when you add new team members or take on a more complex campaign.
Just because you don’t need access to advanced analytics now doesn’t mean you won’t in the future.
Free Trials and Demos
Most digital PR tools offer free trials and demos you can take advantage of to determine whether the platform is a good fit.
While testing, pay attention to the features, see if you like the interface, and verify key functionalities like integrations and analytics.
Ask your team to give it a try as well so you can decide together if it meets your expectations.
Use Digital PR Tools to Your Advantage
Digital PR tools help you save time and stay productive. You can use them to build a stronger media list, keep track of pitches, and check detailed metrics that allow you to refine your campaigns.
Start by assessing your current PR workflow and identifying areas that could benefit from extra support. Integrating the right tools will help you make a bigger impact.
