18 Must-Have PR Tools to Maximize Your Efforts

Brands are revolutionizing their PR game! Gone are the days of solely relying on external PR agencies. Today, brands are embracing digital PR tools to create internal communications and take control of their own PR strategies. They now communicate with clients, monitor PR campaigns, and discover new media opportunities online all on their own.

And they use different PR tools to do it!

The rise of these tools, especially AI-powered tools for PR, is pushing the industry to evolve rapidly. PR professionals are now expected to master these tools and adapt their skillset to the ever-changing landscape. In fact, according to Muckrack, AI is one of the top five skills PR pros say their companies will need to focus on to be successful in the future.

Brands will continue to invest in these tools to save time and money while still delivering powerful messages that resonate with their target audiences.

Stick around because, in this blog post, we will feature the best PR tools for various use cases.

So let’s start!

Table of Contents

• PR Monitoring Tools
• PR Tools for Outreach & Communication
• PR Tools for Press Release Distribution
• PR Tools for Event Management
• PR Tools for Content Creation & Distribution
• Bonus: Free PR Tools

PR Monitoring Tools

Back when there were no social media, PR clipping was handled by manual media coverage services –and it was a lot of unnecessary work as it turned out!

Here are three of the best PR monitoring tools:

Tool #1: Mentionlytics

As one of the best AI-powered social media monitoring tools, Mentionlytics can help PR professionals with several important PR tasks such as:

1. Monitoring media coverage: Mentionlytics’ PR tracking software lets you be the first one to know when someone mentions your brand across social media channels or the web.

1. Reputation management: receiving real-time alerts when receiving any negative feedback or misconceptions, or rising a crisis, using brand review monitoring
2. Influencer relations: Discovering potential influencers from top mentioners of the brand, making it super easy for brands to find perfectly tailor-made influencers and see all of their social posts in which they mentioned the brand.

Here are other advantages that you’ll get using Mentionlytics as a PR tool:

• Personalized social insights and tips from our Social Intelligence Advisor (SIA)

• Sentiment analysis of the social media posts to help you capture the users’ feelings toward your brand and products/services.
• Automated social media report builder to create instant detailed reports for different PR tasks.
• Comparing and benchmarking PR efforts to competitors by calculating the share of voice.
• Social media publisher feature to save your time for other important PR responsibilities.

Pricing

• Basic plan from $41/month
• Essential plan from $83/month
• Advanced plan from $166/month
• Pro plan from $249/month
• Agency plan from $375+/month
• Enterprise plan from $790/month

Looking to experiment with free public relations tools before jumping into business decisions? Sign up for a free trial of Mentionlytics!

Try Mentionlytics for FREE

Also read: How to Save Time by Monitoring Your Digital Campaigns with Mentionlytics

Tool #2: Determ

Determ (previously Mediatoolkit) is an intelligent media monitoring tool that offers advanced data analytics for informed business decision-making.

From sentiment analysis to hashtag tracking, Determ’s features include:

• Customizable reporting
• Instant alerts
• Publishing automation
• Mobile app

Pricing

Determ’s pricing information isn’t publicly available at the moment.

Tool #3: Keyhole

Keyhole is another user-friendly social search engine for PR media monitoring.

Apart from brand and competitor monitoring, Keyhole provides users with many valuable features, like:

• Influencer and market research
• Hashtag research tool
• Campaign monitoring
• Social media publishing

Pricing

• SMB & Freelancers plan from $99/month
• Corporate plan from $299/month
• Agency plan from $599/month
• Enterprise plan with a custom price

PR Tools for Outreach & Communication

Connecting with a wide audience, building relations, and enriching your media database requires the help of media relations tools.

Here are three of the best PR communication tools:

Tool #4: Muck Rack

Starting with one of the classic PR outreach tools, Muck Rack’s media database software helps businesses streamline their PR efforts.

From discovering journalists to creating dynamic media lists, Muck Rack’s set of features includes:

• Personalized outreach pitching
• Follow-ups management
• Data filter-sorting
• Team collaboration

Pricing

Unfortunately, Much Rack’s pricing information isn’t publicly available currently.

Tool #5: Buzzsumo

Buzzsumo is one of the most popular outreach & PR tracking tools, due to its advanced influencer and affiliate marketing programs.

Furthermore, it provides useful PR features, like:

• Content idea generator
• Journalist contact information
• Media coverage
• Twitter influencer competitor analysis

Pricing

• Basic plan from $119/month
• Content Creation plan from $249/month
• PR & Comms plan from $249/month
• Suite plan from $499/month
• Enterprise plan from $999/month

Tool #6: Traackr

Finding the right influencers for your brand is hard! Luckily, major tools in Marketing & PR, like Traackr provide solutions for everyone.

Traackr’s influencer marketing software offers valuable features, like:

• Campaign management
• Team coordination
• Performance benchmarking
• Paid programs running

Pricing

Unfortunately, Traackr’s pricing information isn’t publicly available at the moment.

Try Mentionlytics for FREE

PR Tools for Press Release Distribution

Discovering new media lists, approaching online newsrooms, and carving out the best journalistic target audience –it’s not easy.

Press releases require businesses to look for automated help.

So, here are three of the best press release tools, all of which have been acquired by the leading PR software company, Cision.

Tool #7: HARO

Help A Reporter Out (HARO) is Cision’s PR online service that helps journalists connect with authentic story sources.

This gives reporters a strong media database and PR professionals a chance for powerful backlinks. Features include three daily email alerts, source location-based filtering, and more.

Pricing

• Basic plan for free
• Standard plan from $19/month
• Advanced plan from $49/month
• Premium plan from $149/month

Tool #8: PRWeb

PRWeb is Cision’s subsidiary press release distribution service that helps marketing and PR professionals create and share stories.

PRWeb’s features, such as multi-channel marketing and contact information lists make it one of the best PR software tools for press releases.

Pricing

• Basic plan from $105 per news release
• Standard plan from $220 per news release
• Advanced plan from $325 per news release
• Premium plan from $435 per news release

Tool #9: PR Newswire

As Cision’s flagship service, PR Newswire is one of the best tools for PR measurement in the press release distribution industry.

The service showcases paid press release submissions in an independent online news aggregator. Cool features include discovering influencers, reaching media outlets, and measuring PR efforts.

Pricing

Unfortunately, PR Newswire’s pricing information isn’t publicly available currently.

PR Tools for Event Management

Event management has become a difficult task in public relations materials.

People need to manage attendee registration, find paid speaking engagements, collect audience data, and more. So, they turn to advanced public relations tools.

Here are three of the best PR platforms that will help you create the most successful events for your business:

Tool #10: Eventbrite

As a global self-service ticketing platform, Eventbrite is one of the best PR management tools for events.

From analytics and reporting to financial accounting, Eventbrite’s features include:

• Seamless attendee tracking
• Email and social media marketing
• Unlimited marketplace listings
• Customizable event planning

Pricing

While the Premium plan offers custom pricing, the Professional plan provides the following:

• Service fee per ticker: 3.7% + $1.79
• Payment processing fee per order: 2.9%
• No extra fee for free tickets

Tool #11: Cvent

Cvent’s comprehensive meetings technology provider makes it one of the most legitimate public relations platforms for event management.

Apart from creating branded event registrations, Cvent provides many valuable features, such as:

• Venue Management
• Attendee engagement
• Event budgeting
• Actionable insights

Pricing

Cvent’s custom pricing requires contacting the sales team to learn more.

Tool #12: Hopin

Hopin is a community engagement growth platform that helps businesses improve their communication ways and fix their connection problems.

In detail, Hopin Events, after acquiring Attendify, offers a bunch of cool features, like:

• Virtual venue creation
• Livestream production studio
• Seamless registration
• Event marketing

Pricing

• Free solution
• Starter plan from $99/month
• Business plan starting from $6,000

PR Tools for Content Creation & Distribution

Before worrying about distributing your content, you’d first be concerned about designing it. Web and social media saturation has led to an originality shortage that leaves PR managers looking for advanced help.

Here are three of today’s top PR tools for content creation and distribution:

Tool #13: Canva

Canva is often described as one of the best tools for PR professionals for offering users multiple content creation tools.

From graphic videos to memorable presentations, Canva’s features include:

• Picture editing
• Direct social media publishing
• Design printing
• Team collaboration

Pricing

The platform offers a free plan with limited, yet valuable features and 2 subscription packages:

• Canva Pro from €11.99/month
• Canva for Teams from €13.99/month (for 2+ users)

Tool #14: HubSpot

Hubspot is a CRM platform that offers multiple solutions hubs, including public relations tools in marketing.

From brand kit generation to PR reporting software, Hubspot’s features include:

• Blog ideas generator
• Business logo maker
• Color palette designer
• Buyer persona building

Pricing

Marketing Hub offers the following subscription options:

• Professional plan from $890/month
• Enterprise plan from $3,600/month

Tool #15: Jasper

PR writing tools and AI software are some of the best methods of public relations in marketing. Jasper.ai is a content creation platform that offers original ideas to eliminate writer’s block situations.

Some cool features include:

• Social copy generation
• Content template library
• Language translation
• AI image design

Pricing

• Creator plan from $49/month
• Teams plan from $125/month
• Business plan with a custom price

Bonus: Free PR Tools

Honestly, PR measurement tools and other tools for PR professionals aren’t always affordable for everyone.

So, let’s take a look at three of the best free PR tools!

Tool #16: Google Analytics

Google Analytics is an online platform providing users with free web and social data turned into simple reports.

The platform allows visitors to measure their PR efforts by tracking the following metrics:

• Audience behavior
• Website traffic
• Customer conversions
• SEO backlinks

Tool #17: Mailchimp Free Plan

Although Mailchimp’s top email marketing products are available in three subscription-based plans, the platform offers a solid free option. PR managers with small business budgets are allowed to use Mailchimp’s basic features, including:

• Email automation
• Audience targeting
• Multichannel marketing
• Content design

Tool #18: Google Alerts

Public relations monitoring is more successful when done professionally by advanced media monitoring tools. However, PR listening tools request a minimum budget. Searching for zero-cost options? Google Alerts allows users to monitor their:

• Brand name
• Products and services
• Industry keywords
• Link-building efforts

Also Read: KPIs evaluation for successful PR agencies

FAQ

What are PR tools?

A PR tool or public relations tool is a service that allows companies to connect with their audience, promote their work, measure their efforts, and communicate with their employees.

What is the Most useful tool for PR professionals?

PR reporting tools, like Mentionlytics, are the most useful services for PR professionals since measuring PR efforts is key to success.

Are companies using podcasts as a PR tool?

Yes, companies have started to enrich their digital PR platforms with podcasts and other forms of media to raise brand awareness.

Which PR tool is effective for communicating with the external public?

Twitter advertising as a tool of public relations is the best for external communication.

Try One of the Best PR Tools

It’s somewhat difficult to imagine PR professionals trying to build relationships, track media coverage, and find media outlets for businesses without using the Internet. But online PR tools are here to stay!

Hopefully, we’ve helped you pick the best PR software according to your business needs. You can try one of them for free! Try Mentionlytics in full features for 15 days! Start by entering your brand name into the box.

Originally posted on Mentionlytics: www.mentionlytics.com/blog/best-pr-tools/