October 25, 2017
| Article | by Casey Dell'Isola | Public Relations
3 Tools for the Busy PR Professional
Public relations is a fast-paced industry. It demands a high-level of agility and efficiency from its professionals – who are more often than not – also on the move. As a result, we’ve learned to maximize our efficiency by utilizing a variety of PR tools and resources.
Most, if not all, PR professionals have a “go-to” arsenal that helps us with a number of tasks, from building media lists to analyzing social media engagement. Thanks to technology, there is now an enormous variety of tools to choose from; however, this can make choosing the one that works best for you a difficult process. I emphasize “best for you” because what makes a tool “good” or “bad” is largely subjective and dependent on your agency’s specific needs. With that being said, here are the three “go-to” resources in my arsenal:
There are several all-in-one social media marketing tools out there, but Sprout is by far my favorite. Unlike other platforms, Sprout’s analytics features center around engagement tracking which allows users to find and nurture relationships with key influencers or engage with targeted audiences. Sprout is also the most user-friendly social tool. Its layout is fairly intuitive, making it easy for first-time users to figure out. Furthermore, Sprout’s collaboration tools are great for managing workflow and communicating with the team on larger campaigns.
Remember when I said what makes a tool good or bad is dependant on your specific needs? TechNews is a great example of that. As a PR professional at a technology PR firm, TechNews is incredibly helpful in finding the niche publications and media contacts that are too small for the larger programs. In addition to the basic contact information, TechNews also provides you with the reporter’s/publication’s articles in chronological order so I can really hone in on whether a publication/contact is a good fit for my pitch.
Canva
I am no graphic designer, so when I need to create custom visual content for social media (or for this blog post), Canva has my back. It’s easy to use, offers both a free and paid option, and has great tools and templates to help you create an impressive graphic.
Finding the right tools means finding ones that fit your work style and agency’s needs, it might require some trial and error (use those free trials!) but the results make it worthwhile.