Digital PR is often a lengthy process, but can ultimately be broken down into three key steps – the planning and creation, pitching and distribution and tracking and measurement.
We’ve rounded up 30 of our favourite tools, each of which attempt to make the whole process just that little bit easier and ultimately pave the way to digital PR success.
Content planning and creation
Establishing a manageable PR schedule is the first step in ensuring that pitches are delivered on time and your story stays relevant to the time of distribution. The schedule will vary on the depending on the size and scope of your business, while keeping up to date with the latest keyword trends is a great place to start when brainstorming content ideas.
It goes without saying that a calendar is vital to planning campaigns. Google Calendar does exactly what it says on the tin, allowing users to keep a visual record of day to day tasks in one place.
Examining the biggest Google trends of the minute is particularly useful when brainstorming ideas for stories that fit within the wider context of news at the time.
3. Trendspottr
Trendspottr predicts emerging trends as well as recognising future viral before it happens. It proves a valuable tool for those planning campaigns ahead of time.
4. Beegit
If you’re working in a larger group, it’s a good idea to use a platform such as Beegit that allows teams to seamlessly collaborate on projects.
5. Pixabay
Press releases and pitches come to life with images. If you don’t have any that tie in specifically with your project, Pixabay is a great source for finding license-free files.
6. Feedly
Feedly is a free to use news aggregator tool that helps to ensure that content is relevant at the time of publication.
7. Kuia
Easily create interactive charts and quizzes with Kuia, helping to gather relevant data and display your findings in an eye-catching, visual way.
8. Grammarly
The Grammarly plug-in checks for over 250 types of grammatical, spelling and punctuation mistakes, ensuring that your copy is always of the highest standard.
9. Evernote
Easily create to-do lists and save content ideas in one place, helping to organise thoughts and tasks during the content creation process.
10. Canva
Canva users can quickly create attractive documents and designs, the likes of which can visually enhance pitches and releases.
Pitching and distribution
We’ve already shared our top tips for successfully pitching PR stories, in which we discuss the importance of researching your audience individually and tailoring your pitch in a way that suits their needs. Even if you’re using an automated emailing service, including personal touches such as salutations is one way of ensuring that your story stands out.
11. Vuelio
Vuelio is a great database to use when you’re beginning to pool relevant journalists in one place. Search by topic or publication and discover a catalogue of people likely to be interested in your story.
12. Response Source
At the click of a button, Response Source is able to distribute your press release to a vast selection of journalists and writers at once.
HARO is a tool used by PR professionals in order to discover what journalists are looking for. Connect with a journalist already seeking the information you have to offer and the job is half done.
14. Release Wire
ReleaseWire distributes content at the click of a button, instantly connecting brands and businesses with journalists within their field.
15. Gorkana
Gorkana’s basic features allow PR professionals the opportunity share content and connect with journalists on a global scale.
16. Buzzstream
This web-based software comes in handy when finding the contact details of people that may be interested in your press release, with a handy toolbar plugin that locates email addresses from across entire root domains.
17. Outlook
Outreach is a lengthy process by nature, but Outlook allows for the quick and easy distribution of mass emails complete with personalised salutations.
18. PitchBox
Pitchbox is an influencer outreach platform that delivers automated follow-up and intelligent templates, aiming to provide users with personalised outreach options.
19. LinkedIn
A professional networking tool with over 100 million active users, LinkedIn allows users to connect and share releases with professionals in their area and across the globe.
20. Prezly
Prezly boasts a comprehensive PR software solution, allowing users to create, share and distribute press releases with limited fuss.
Tracking and follow up
Follow ups can be just as important as the initial pitch in digital PR. Having a system in place that allows you to see exactly who is engaging with your content is key, as is a reliable method of tracking relevant pick ups and mentions across a wide range of platforms.
21. Sidekick
Sidekick not only allows you to save email templates that can be quickly and easily distributed to multiple contacts, but offers email tracking so that you can monitor open and engagement rates.
22. Mention
Track real-time brand and company mentions across the Internet and on social media. 40 languages are covered and users can respond to mentions immediately from the dashboard.
23. Twitter
With over 310 million active users, Twitter is an absolute must-use for getting your content noticed. Every brand, business, news site and big-name celebrity are using Twitter, so there’s no excuse.
24. Shared Count
SharedCount aims to track how many times certain URL’s have been shared across social media, as well as checking their overall engagement.
25. Social Mention
SocialMention searches user-generated content, including blogs, comments and news. Search for any term and receive real-time results at the click of a button.
26. Google Alerts
Sign up to Google Alerts and receive email notifications whenever the search engine finds new results that relate to your chosen topic.
27. Hootesuite
Hootsuite allows you to schedule and manage social media updates across all of your primary accounts, including Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
28. IceRocket
IceRocket specialises in the real-time search of mentions and aims to ensure that results are always relevant and up-to-date.
29. TrackMaven
TrackMaven works across an impressive 15 digital channels, aiming to provide detailed tracking and analytics reports for each.
30. Tagboard
Tagboard aims to give users the chance to track popular tags online, find relevant content and connect with key influencers within their field.
So there we have it – 30 tools for creating effective digital PR content. Contact us today to find out how our digital PR services could be of benefit to your business.