PR professionals juggle multiple responsibilities—crafting pitches, monitoring media coverage, and strategizing with their team. However, these tasks can quickly become overwhelming without proper tools that help streamline workflows and enhance productivity.

From advanced pitching platforms that connect you with the right journalists to real-time media monitoring solutions that keep you informed of every mention, these resources can transform how you approach your daily tasks. In this blog, we've collected 12 tools used by PR Pros that can elevate your strategy and simplify your work life, allowing you to focus on what truly matters—telling impactful stories that resonate with your audience.

Pitching and Media Monitoring Tools

OnePitch: We're thrilled to be a fan favorite by the PR community! OnePitch is the go-to solution for PR pros looking to elevate their media strategy without wasting time on outdated pitching methods. With features like Media Glances keeping you updated on media movements and stories, publicists can stay updated on the news cycle to better inform their media strategy. Plus, we're all about community. Our Pitch Posse, an active community of like-minded PR experts, allows publicists to access exclusive resources such as job boards, pitch sessions with journalists, and peer learning pods.

Qwoted: For those looking to seize media opportunities quickly, Qwoted can help you respond to journalists' queries and share expert comments on trending topics Anastasia Demidova from Oyster Ink shares her experience with Qwoted:

“I use Qwoted to grab media opportunities when they pop up. It’s great for sharing expert comments and getting the brand noticed when something relevant comes up.”

However, keep in mind that “Qwoted is more reactive than proactive. It’s better for responding to existing queries rather than pitching our specific or timely news.”

And in terms of speed? Ensure you respond quickly to requests to boost your brand’s visibility significantly. Ana mentions, “You also have to be fast to stand out." 

Need additional tools? Kousha Kangarloo shared with us that, since being in the industry, he’s gotten “familiar and potent" with:

• PR Newswire: A trusted resource for distributing press releases to targeted media outlets to amplify news and reach key audiences.
  
  
• Critical Mention: A real-time media monitoring tool that tracks mentions across TV, radio, and online channels to help you never miss key coverage.
  
  
• Meltwater: An AI-powered media monitoring tool that provides insights on brand sentiment, trends, and real-time coverage across digital and social platforms.

Project Management and Collaboration

Asana and Monday: Need effective project management solutions? Asana and Monday are excellent for organizing tasks and collaborating with your team. Audree Hernandez from Jmac PR, specifically uses Monday to stay organized. Whether planning a campaign or tracking progress on various projects, these tools will help you stay on schedule and aligned with your team’s goals.

Email Management and Tracking

SuperHuman and Yesware: SuperHuman and Yesware are the top choices for email organization and tracking. Bill McCue, Executive Consultant-Founder at McCuenications PR, “loves”  YesAware. Why? It provides insights into whether reporters are opening his emails and eliminates some uncertainty. Bill shares that YesAware helps him “gauge whether or not I'm using the right subject heading to increase opens, etc.”

Content Creation and Design

Want to know how a fellow publicist makes the most of ChatGPT? Bill's got some great tips to share:

• Start by using ChatGPT to whip up a first draft of your pitch, especially if you're diving into a new industry with a new client. 
• Leverage its insights to help you find reporters who are covering that space. 
• While ChatGPT is a solid starting point, its content needs a human touch. Bill's found that it’s great for generating ideas but should be polished and reviewed before hitting send. Here’s what he’s noticed:

“The pitch was super wordy and needed to be edited down significantly, but helpful for getting started, and it did highlight some aspects of the news I may have overlooked. Finding reporters - somewhat helpful, but man, some of its suggestions were super out of date - brought up reporters who left publications a long time ago, etc.”

Audree adds her perspective on using ChatGPT, saying, “Treat the inquiries like you're talking to an intern." What does that mean? Be clear and specific with your requests. Keep asking follow-up questions until you get the results you want and don’t hesitate to provide links and materials to guide it along. Bill emphasizes, “It's only as smart as the info you feed it."

Meeting and Transcription Tools

Otter and Descript: Taking notes can be challenging, especially when keeping up with fast-paced discussions. Instead of struggling to jot everything down, try using these tools to record meetings and transcribe conversations. Audree suggests Otter and Descript for translating to capture important discussions with clients or team members without missing any critical details.

Incorporating these tools into your daily workflow can streamline processes, enhance communication, and make your PR life more manageable. As technology continues to evolve, staying updated on the latest tools will keep you ahead of the curve and ready to tackle any PR challenge that comes your way.

Honorable Mentions

Our PR pros have suggested these additional tools, but their relevance might depend on the specific needs of your PR team.

• Podchaser: A valuable database for discovering and connecting with relevant podcast hosts and producers.
• HelperBird: An accessibility tool for those with dyslexia to improve their reading experience.
• Scribe: Great for creating training materials and how-tos for onboarding new team members.
• Archive.is: Useful for accessing paywalled content, ensuring you don’t miss out on important articles and references.

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