PR software makes your job as a PR professional easier. Without it, you will spend most of your time editing/writing, finding journalists and their emails, and monitoring the performance of your PR campaigns. This is why you need the right tools and software to avoid missing out on many media opportunities. In this article, you will learn about some of the best public relations software you need.
Key points
- PR software is used to disseminate information, build a brand’s image, and ease the impact of bad publicity through tools like press releases, media reports, interviews, and social media postings.
- PR software can transform negative publicity into positive sentiment by creating a positive feeling among the target audience, as demonstrated in a case where negative reviews of a new product were managed through effective PR strategies.
- The best PR software tools include Prowly, Meltwater, Brand24, Prezly, Google Alert, Agility PR Solutions, Covered Press, and Sprout Social, each with unique features to enhance PR efforts.
- PR tools are used in professional settings, and they illustrate their effectiveness in managing PR campaigns and improving brand reputation.
- PR software has many features, such as creating press releases, monitoring social media, tracking brand mentions, organizing media stories, and connecting with influencers, and they are all aimed at enhancing PR campaigns and achieving better results.
Public Relations Software
When you hear public relations software, it simply means the tools PR personnel use to disseminate important information and events concerning their business to the public. PR. Software is not just for disseminating information. It also helps build a brand’s image, minimizing or reducing the damage caused by bad publicity. In the case of bad publicity, public relations software can also apply these tools to transform bad publicity into positive one by creating a positive feeling in the minds of the target audience through a press release, media report, interviews with journalists, social media posting and some other types of media. The Public Relations software offers the PR professional a route or access to a vast media database of journalists and media outlets, giving them easy access in just a few clicks to boost their PR content.
I have witnessed PR software in action many times. I recall a particular incident at a company I worked for. The company launched a new product, but unfortunately, some issues led to negative reviews and bad publicity. As a member of the PR team, I acted fast, using the PR software to access some media databases and identify key journalists who helped transform our story. Seeing that I had the right contact, we issued press releases, organized interviews, and used our Twitter handle to address the issue clearly.
Afterwards, a remarkable transformation gradually turned the negative buzz into a positive sentiment because we satisfied our customers by expressing our commitment to quality. This experience taught me that PR software is more than just about spreading news; it is an important tool that builds and protects a brand image in difficult times. Also, PR software monitors and tracks all the relevant activities related to PR through media and social channels.
Read Also: 15+ Public Relations Tools That Work: A Personal Guide to Enhancing Your PR Strategy
Best Public Relations Software
I have compiled a list of PR software that is not just the best but will also assist your company in marketing its services or products and transforming its visibility and reputation. Some of the tools I listed below can help craft a press release. The following tools will help your company attract customers and increase your overall bottom line.
#1. Prowly
This software assists PR professionals in managing public relations efforts capably. If you need help writing, formatting, or publishing your press releases, Prowly is one of the best press release creator software. It offers a user-friendly interface that simplifies the creation of press releases. Prowly does not only create visual press releases but also assists you in keeping newsroom journalists friendly.
When I worked for Horizon Tech, we had to announce a major product update. We needed a press release that was not only for information but also visually engaging to help capture the media’s attention. As someone who has seen how efficient Prowly is. I turned to it to help craft the press release.
The templates and formatting tools in Prowly made it easy for me to include images, videos, and links, which created a rich media experience for journalists. Using Prowly’s media database helped us identify and reach out to key journalists, which made our news reach the right audience. Prowly’s comprehensive features make it a great tool for any PR professional who wants to make a great impact. Therefore, if you must use Prowly, use it to choose templates that fit your brand voice and use its media database to identify and find relevant journalists who will ensure your press release gets the attention it deserves.
#2. Meltwater
This PR software refers to a social media and monitoring tool that will help your PR managers connect with customers on social media, keep track of PR efforts, and organize specialized content. It has features that track brand mentions and industry trends to stay informed. Tracking your efforts also helps monitor your PR campaign’s effectiveness and adjust strategies. Ultimately, this software will help enhance your PR effort to achieve better results.
#3. Brand24
This is a social media listening tool established for agencies and marketing specialists. This PR software gives you access to a mentions feed. It is an effective way to see mentions and data, with real-time alerts, the power to extract data, and solid selection options. This tool has helped me keep a close eye on my mentions feed to stay updated on discussions about my articles. I remember having challenges tracking my articles’ responses some time ago. It was important for me to monitor readers’ reactions to help me understand their interests and to help me improve my writing style. Brand24 notified me when a renowned analyst shared my article on LinkedIn, triggering a lively discussion. Brand24 notified me of this mention.
I joined the conversation, offered additional insights, and answered readers’ questions. Afterwards, my article visibility improved, and my credibility as an expert. Brand 24 helped me analyze the feedback and comments. So I suggest that if you are a writer using this PR software, keep a close watch on the mentions feed to help you stay updated about your articles. It is not only for writers; you can also use it to watch the mentions feed of a brand and stay updated on the discussion about your brand.
#4. Prezly
This tool helps you create an online newsroom, pitch stories of your content, and track your media coverage. While working with Horizon Tech, I witnessed the transformative power of Prezly in our PR campaigns. Sophie, our media manager, was assigned to launch a new product line. She used Prezly to create a sleek, professional online newsroom for all our press releases and images. And videos relating to the new product. Again, she used Prezly to pitch tools to draft personalized emails to journalists and influencers, which helped increase our engagement rates. The result of all its features was impressive, and the positive buzz she created with the help of Prezly software improved our sales. Furthermore, Prezly also allows media managers to develop an engaging campaign and include the ability to personalize and follow up emails based on customer behaviours.
#5. Google Alert
This PR software is a free notification service that emails you when it finds new results matching key phrases. It consists of webpages, newspaper articles, and blogs. Like Brand24, you may use these alerts to monitor mentions about your or your client’s brands, competitors, or industry trends. This tool can set up multiple alerts for many keywords, including your company name, competitors, and industry trends. Also, this software allows you to choose the frequency of these alerts based on your needs. Despite these benefits, it sometimes misses important media mentions highlighting your PR efforts’ effectiveness since it’s free to use. But it helps improve your PR efforts and maintain an engaging online presence. Here is a video to better understand how to use Google Alert to monitor your brand mentions.
#6. Agility PR Solutions
This comprehensive PR tool provides a user-friendly database, engaging analytics solutions, and ROI monitoring. This platform offers services like reviewing press release results, distribution, and targeted connection to your niche audience. This makes it easy for you to analyze the impact of your PR efforts. I once witnessed this software used at Tech-savvy Solutions when I went to visit my friend Alex. He was a media manager, and the company faced difficulty distributing their press releases and measuring their impact. Alex used the Agility PR media database to identify targeted audiences and important influencers to the company. I also witnessed the success during the launching of their new software product.
I saw how Alex used the agility solution to distribute press releases and tracked its performance. Many outlets picked up the story because of the analytics it provided. Afterwards, we all saw which message impacted the audience most, and it helped Alex and Tech Savvy adjust their strategies properly. I learned from this experience that you can use this tool to identify and target journalists and influencers suitable to your business, ensure that press releases reach the right audience, and analyze the results of your press releases and other PR activities.
#7. Covered Press
This software features comprehensive tools, especially PR reporting and analytics, story management and pitch, and publishing management. This tool optimizes these features, which makes it included in the basis of public relations. I carried out a research project where I studied the PR strategies of various companies to understand the tools they use and their capability. Green Tech Solutions was one of my case studies.
During these interviews and data analysis, I learned they use covered press to manage their PR campaigns effectively. I spoke with the PR manager, Linda. She gave me a detailed insight into their process, and I learned from her that they use Covered Press story management features to organize their media stories, ensuring their messaging is consistent and aligned with their brands’ values. I saw the value of Covered press from this research. I saw so many features of this tool, including its capabilities to monitor engagement metrics to understand your PR campaign’s reach and effectiveness.
#8. Sprout Social
This is one of the top PR software for social media management. It provides analytics, influencer marketing scheduling tools, and much more. Besides, this tool connects to LinkedIn and allows you to schedule company posts in advance. This tool was also used in Horizon Tech, where I worked. My friend, Ritzy, who was the social media manager, used Sprout Social to schedule tools to plan and publish posts across many platforms, including LinkedIn. This tool was precious to Ritzy because it allowed her to track the performance of each post and gain insights into what connects with the audience. One significant success during our InnovationTech campaign. Ritzy used Sprout Social influencer marketing tools to identify key industry influencers with whom to partner. These partnerships remarkably increased our reach by bringing high engagement and an increased follower base.
Moreover, in addition to all these PR software explained, below is a checklist that can help evaluate and compare these PR software solutions to find the one that best fits your organization’s needs.
Lamphills PR Software Features Checklist
What Is PR CRM Software?
PR CRM tools are intended to assist PR professionals with media engagement and outreach. These tools go beyond usual CRM platforms, providing functionality specifically suited to the needs of public relations professionals. You can organize your outreach and manage contacts with CRM software.
What Are the 5 P’s of Public Relations?
- Pitch. To properly sell a story idea, you must conduct extensive research, think creatively, and communicate persuasively.
- Promote. Consistent public relations can positively impact customer perception and increase revenue.
- Publicity
What Is PR in CRM?
CRM for public relations allows you to use your data best. Also, many PRMs allow you to use your data better by personalizing your email pitches.
What Is a Digital PR Tool?
Digital public relations effectively enables businesses to communicate directly with their target audience anytime and anywhere. Moreover, by interacting and sharing with your audience, you may initiate a discussion that emphasizes your focus.
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