Still hunting for those leads, don’t you? Time to get some PR action!
In B2B sales, PR is one of the best lead generation tools you can imagine. When your customers hear about your product from trustworthy third parties, they’re more likely to get interested rather than just hearing you brag about it!
‘But PR is expensive,’ you might say.
Well, depends! As long as you know the clever moves, it can actually get you high-quality leads without breaking the bank!
Recently, we’ve stumbled upon this research showing how you can leverage PR to promote your brand without paying top dollar. The only thing you need is to tap into the right syndication networks, which are essentially groups of sites that work together to share the same content. Let’s say the New York Times owns hundreds of local media outlets. If they publish an article, it’s likely to be republished across other sites within their network.
Getting featured on major third-party platforms doesn’t just establish your company as reputable; it gives your website a boost in the search engine rankings. The more backlinks from these respected sites, the higher your position in the SERPs. And, as you rise, so does the traffic to your website, leading to an increase in leads!
Now, let’s get real. PR is a dynamic, ever-changing field, and you simply can’t rely on traditional publishers only. With platforms like Twitter (X, if you wish), Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, editorial voices can feel a bit outnumbered. So, why let these chances slip?
To lend a hand, we’ve put together a friendly list of digital PR tools that can streamline your PR efforts, help you connect with leads daily, and make your outreach a breeze.
Happy promoting!
What are PR tools?
Digital PR tools are software applications or services designed to help PR and communications professionals seamlessly manage their campaigns. These tools streamline and optimize the entire PR process, enabling you to effectively build relationships with media and stakeholders, measure the impact of your activities on your brand’s reputation, and gauge public perception.
Why are PR tools important?
PR tools are indispensable for businesses because they allow you to control the messages you put out to the public. Let’s break it down:
- Media monitoring: PR monitoring tools tirelessly track and analyze online media coverage, social media mentions, news articles, blogs, and more, keeping PR professionals informed about their brand’s online presence.
- Influencer outreach: Digital PR tools help you identify and connect with key influencers and bloggers in your specific industry or niche. This enables PR teams to collaborate and amplify their messages.
- Social media management: Public relations tools facilitate the scheduling, publishing, and monitoring of posts across various platforms, helping you maintain an active and engaging social media presence.
- Press release distribution: Digital PR tools offer platforms for crafting, distributing, and tracking press releases to ensure your press releases hit the mark and make waves.
- Analytics and reporting: PR reporting tools provide data-driven insights and metrics that measure the success of your PR campaigns, from audience engagement to sentiment analysis, website traffic, and beyond.
- Online reputation management: PR measurement tools monitor and manage your online reputation, spotting and neutralizing negative content or mentions.
- Crisis management: When things get stormy, digital PR tools guide PR teams in monitoring the situation, responding effectively, and steering communication to minimize fallout.
- Content creation: The best PR tools are also your in-house creative studio, offering features for creating visually appealing content, from infographics to engaging videos.
- Email campaigns: PR tools make it easy to create and manage email marketing campaigns, ensuring your message lands right in the inbox.
- Relationship building: Digital PR tools enable PR practitioners to build and nurture relationships with journalists, bloggers, influencers, and other key players.
Let’s dive right in and explore our best PR tools list – no need to wait any longer!
15 best PR tools for building media relations
Tool #1: Snov.io
Versatility is the name of the game, which is why we’re kicking off our best PR tool list with Snov.io!
This fantastic platform is tailored to meet a broad spectrum of your PR necessities with its suite of digital solutions. It’s here to streamline repetitive tasks like email outreach, prospecting, or personalized pitching. It even covers aspects like managing email campaigns and organizing contacts, making your PR journey smoother and more efficient.
Here’s a quick peek into the magic Snov.io brings to your PR toolkit:
✓ Media outreach: Want to effortlessly connect with journalists, bloggers, or influencers? Enter Snov.io’s Email Finder. Not only can you dig out email addresses of significant figures across the web based on their name, company, position, and URL, but you can also validate them instantly using its built-in Email Verifier. Say goodbye to the awkwardness of sending emails to outdated addresses!
Plus, you can enhance your PR outreach with Snov.io’s LI Prospect Finder, which allows you to extract valid emails of influencers and thought leaders right from LinkedIn. This convenient Chrome extension seamlessly integrates with your LinkedIn profile, making it incredibly easy to establish valuable connections in mere seconds.
✓ Networking & event promotion: Be it reaching out to potential speakers and sponsors or just hoping to connect with fellow industry experts, email is your go-to tool. With cold email software, you can craft personalized email sequences, complete with smart triggers that adapt to your recipients’ actions. Send timely reminders and follow-ups, making sure your event isn’t just an entry in someone’s calendar but the highlight!
✓ Personalized pitching: Want to make your pitches and collaboration requests shine? Awesome! No need to stress about crafting creative pitches by yourself any longer. Check out AI Email Writer, the exciting new collaboration between Snov.io and ChatGPT. Simply toss in your prompts, and the tool will compose engaging emails for your specific audience segments.
✓ Contact management: Who has time to scramble through a messy list of contacts? Keeping your media contacts, influencers, stakeholders, and other vital connections all sorted is super important for PR success. And that’s where Snov.io shines again. With its FREE CRM system, data handling, analysis, and reaching out to the right people becomes effortless!
✓ Integration & automation: Imagine a world where all your tools and platforms – from CRM systems to social media – harmoniously unite to supercharge your PR tasks. With Snov.io’s API, this isn’t a dream; it’s reality. Dive into personalized, automatic outreach that boasts compatibility with over 2,000 integration choices!
Tool #2: Ahrefs
Meet Ahrefs, your digital magnifying glass for everything from content clues to backlink footprints. Here’s what you can look forward to:
✓ Content analysis: Need fresh ideas? Ahrefs can help you dig up trending topics and popular keywords in your industry. That means you’ll always have engaging content to share and pitch to journalists.
✓ Competitive intelligence: Wondering how your rivals are making headlines? Ahrefs lets you snoop around and see where they’re getting featured—even down to their podcast appearances.
✓ Comprehensive SEO and PR reporting: Dive deep into your website’s performance, track your PR campaign’s impact, and present data-backed reports. Understand traffic drivers and the outcomes of your PR efforts.
✓ Backlink insights: Ever wanted to know who’s talking about you? Ahrefs shows you all the websites linking to your content. It’s like finding your biggest fans – and building relationships with them.
✓ Media collaboration: Find the perfect influencers and bloggers to collaborate with using Ahrefs. You can uncover who’s talking about your industry and connect with them for potential PR partnerships.
✓ Trend recognition: Ahrefs keeps you in the loop with trending topics. Stay ahead of the curve and be the first to jump on newsworthy trends in your niche.
✓ Precision in pitching: Crafting the perfect pitch is an art, and Ahrefs can be your muse. It helps you understand what journalists are interested in, making your pitches more tailored and effective.
Tool #3: Moosend
Dive into Moosend, your ultimate toolkit for tailored email campaigns and PR precision. Experience what’s in store:
✓ Newsletter design: Craft attention-grabbing newsletters to keep your audience in the loop. With Moosend’s user-friendly interface, you can design and send professional-looking newsletters that engage and inform.
✓ Press release distribution: Launch your news with a bang! Moosend helps you create and distribute polished press releases to your email subscribers, ensuring your announcements hit the right inbox at the right time.
✓ Podcast integration: Elevate your podcast appearances. Build custom landing pages on Moosend, offering irresistible discounts exclusively to podcast listeners. It’s a surefire way to turn listeners into loyal customers.
✓ Contact organization: Keep your PR contacts organized effortlessly. Moosend’s list management features help you segment and target your audience, ensuring your messages resonate with the right people.
✓ Event engagement: Hosting an event? Moosend can create eye-catching event invitations, RSVP forms, and follow-up emails, making sure your attendees stay engaged before, during, and after the event.
✓ Audience feedback: Gather insights that matter. Use Moosend’s survey and feedback forms to collect valuable opinions from your audience, helping you tailor your PR strategies to perfection.
Tool #4: PRWeb
PRWeb is an indispensable platform for PR professionals, streamlining press release management and offering unparalleled reach, ensuring every story finds its spotlight.
✓ Press release management: Ready to unveil big news? PRWeb lets you craft and distribute your press release to a range of media outlets, helping you get your story in front of the right eye.
✓ Media tiering: PRWeb’s pricing tiers let you tailor your release to different types of publications, whether it’s local news, industry blogs, or major media players.
✓ Engagement tracking: Ever wondered who’s reading your release? PRWeb’s got your back with response and tracking features. Get the scoop on who’s clicking, sharing, and engaging with your news.
✓ Performance metrics: Numbers speak louder than words, right? PRWeb helps you showcase the impact of your PR efforts with stats and data, making you the star of the results show.
✓ Cision connection: Did we mention it’s part of the Cision fam? That means you’re getting top-notch PR expertise and a killer platform, all in one package.
✓ User experience: PRWeb’s user-friendly interface means you don’t need to be a tech guru to use it. Crafting, targeting, and launching your press release is very smooth.
✓ Optimized visibility: Get your news in front of the right audience, whether it’s industry professionals, potential customers, or curious minds. PRWeb’s distribution network does the heavy lifting for you.
Tool #5: BuzzSumo
BuzzSumo is the definitive tool for strategic content intelligence, providing unparalleled insights to enhance your PR endeavors.
✓ Influencer insights: Want to know who’s who in your industry? BuzzSumo helps you discover key influencers and prominent personalities. Build relationships and collaborate with the pivotal professionals in your field.
✓ Content performance metrics: With BuzzSumo, you can analyze what’s trending and tailor your PR content for maximum impact.
✓ Strategic insight acquisition: Ever wondered how others get to the forefront? BuzzSumo lets you peek behind the curtain and understand the strategies driving their success.
✓ Competitive surveillance: Keep your rivals in check. BuzzSumo helps you keep an eagle eye on your competitors’ content and PR moves so you can stay one step ahead.
✓ Trend alerts & industry monitoring: Be the first to know! Whether it’s a new trend or content from industry leaders, BuzzSumo ensures you’re informed and never caught off guard.
✓ Campaign enhancement analytics: Planning a PR campaign? BuzzSumo’s data-driven insights can fine-tune your approach, making sure your campaign hits all the right notes.
✓ PR performance metrics: Numbers matter! BuzzSumo provides analytics on content performance, allowing you to illustrate the tangible benefits of your PR initiatives.
Tool #6: Google Alerts
Google Alerts is a vigilant digital guardian, meticulously monitoring online conversations and trends. From brand mentions to industry insights, it ensures you’re always informed and poised for action.
✓ Brand and media monitoring: Google Alerts keeps tabs on your brand’s online life. It’ll shoot you a friendly alert whenever someone’s talking about you, your products, or your amazing team.
✓ Competitor analysis: Curious about your competitors? Let Google Alerts do the job, helping you monitor rival moves so you can always be a step ahead.
✓ Trend & thought leadership tracking: Be on the pulse of the latest industry insights, buzzworthy keywords, and pioneering wisdom.
✓ Client insights: Deepen client relationships by tracking industry news on their behalf. Set up alerts for their industry news, and you’ll be the bearer of awesome updates.
✓ Content curation: Your content deserves the spotlight. Google Alerts ensures you’re always in the know about your content’s reach.
✓ Crisis management: Navigate challenges with ease. Set up alerts for potential PR challenges and be prepared to address them head-on.
✓ Event insights: Never miss a party! Get alerts for cool industry events and shows, so you’re always in the know about where the action is.
Tool #7: HARO
HARO (Help A Reporter Out) serves as the bridge between brands and the media, enabling professionals to showcase their expertise, gain valuable media coverage, and foster connections. It’s not just a PR tool; it’s a gateway to expanding influence in your industry.
✓ Media matchmaking: HARO connects you with journalists on the hunt for sources – that could be you! You can share your expertise and get featured in news stories, boosting your brand’s visibility.
✓ Thought leadership & niche expertise: Show off your knowledge! HARO lets you share insights on industry trends and hot topics, positioning you as a go-to expert in your field.
✓ SEO enrichment: Harvest rich backlink opportunities with HARO. Each mention in a news article often comes with a prime link, amplifying your SEO efforts.
✓ Product promotion: Got a new product or service? HARO can help you score media coverage, giving your launch a big PR boost.
✓ Content creation: HARO can inspire content. Responses to journalist queries can become the foundation for blog posts, social media content, and more.
✓ Story pitching: Flip the script! As you build your brand, HARO can also be a tool for pitching your own story ideas to journalists.
✓ Networking: HARO opens doors. Engage with journalists and other experts, growing your professional network and creating exciting PR opportunities.
Tool #8: Ninja Outreach
Ninja Outreach is your all-in-one toolbox for crafting powerful PR and influencer campaigns. With precision targeting and robust analytics, it transforms outreach from a task into an art, amplifying your brand’s voice across the digital landscape.
✓ Collaborative outreach: Whether it’s bloggers, influencers, or PR peers, NinjaOutreach simplifies the process of joining forces for content creation, guest posts, reviews, and other impactful campaigns.
✓ Influencer engagement: Boost your brand’s aura with influencer endorsements. NinjaOutreach links you to influencers ready to amplify your brand’s voice on social platforms.
✓ Performance analytics: Keep an eye on your PR wins. NinjaOutreach’s metrics let you see the impact of your efforts and tweak your strategy for the maximum effect.
✓ Precision contact discovery: Find the perfect fit. NinjaOutreach’s search filters help you spot journalists and influencers who match your PR dreams.
✓ Outreach management: Say hello to efficient communication! NinjaOutreach offers personalized email templates and scheduling, ensuring your outreach is timely and resonant.
✓ Brand visibility enhancement: Let’s make your brand famous! NinjaOutreach positions you for features in prominent blogs, news stories, and podcasts, driving your brand’s momentum.
Tool #9: Cision
Cision is the industry’s gold standard for comprehensive PR and media relations management. By merging data-driven insights with extensive outreach capabilities, it empowers professionals to sculpt compelling narratives and achieve global resonance.
✓ Media relations: Cision connects you with a galaxy of media contacts. From journalists to bloggers, you can build relationships with key players in your industry.
✓ Press release distribution: Perfect the art of press releases with Cision. Ensure your news not only reaches the right ears but also commands attention.
✓ Campaign management: Cision provides tools to organize, track, and measure the success of your PR endeavors.
✓ PR reporting: Impress with data-backed reports. Cision’s analytics show the value of your PR efforts, making you a star in the eyes of clients or your team.
✓ Social storytelling: Amplify your brand on social media. Cision’s social tools help you schedule, manage, and analyze your social presence, boosting engagement.
✓ Global PR outreach: Go beyond borders. Cision’s international reach lets you extend your PR efforts across different markets and languages.
Tool #10: BusinessWire
BusinessWire is a premier press release distribution platform that amplifies your brand’s narrative on a global scale. Combining targeted precision with multimedia flair, it ensures your news captivates the right audience while maintaining regulatory compliance.
✓ Story spotlight: BusinessWire spreads your news far and wide. It helps you distribute press releases to newsrooms, journalists, and online outlets, ensuring your story gets the attention it deserves.
✓ Global reach: Want to go global? BusinessWire has your back. With BusinessWire, you can effortlessly tap into international media channels and audiences, broadening your brand’s horizon.
✓ Multimedia press enhancements: Add a dash of visual appeal to your PR efforts. BusinessWire lets you include multimedia elements like images and videos in your press releases for maximum impact.
✓ Targeted precision: Reach the right audience. BusinessWire’s targeting options help you deliver your news to the people who matter most to your brand.
✓ Crisis management: BusinessWire offers tools and insights to manage crises, ensuring consistent brand integrity.
✓ Analytical insights: BusinessWire provides analytics that show how your press releases are performing, helping you refine your strategy.
✓ Event promotion: Promote your events with flair. BusinessWire is your ally in broadcasting event-related news, ensuring your audience remains engaged and informed.
✓ Regulatory compliance: Stay compliant effortlessly. BusinessWire helps you navigate the intricate world of regulatory filings and disclosures, ensuring you’re always on track.
✓ Brand visibility: Get noticed in the sea of news. BusinessWire’s authoritative distribution channels give your brand a trustworthy and visible presence.
Tool #11: CoverageBook
CoverageBook streamlines your PR efforts with its comprehensive contacts directory and insightful analytics, positioning your brand for impactful collaborations and robust reputation management across various media outlets.
✓ Contacts directory: Dive into an organized collection with CoverBook. It ensures that every media contact you need is neatly cataloged and within arm’s reach.
✓ Coverage and outreach analytics: Monitor your media coverage to measure PR success and gain insights into journalists’ preferences to optimize your pitches.
✓ Influencer insights: Identify influential voices in your industry. CoverBook helps you discover bloggers, thought leaders, and social media influencers who can amplify your brand.
✓ Content collaborations: Partner seamlessly. CoverBook is your bridge to meaningful collaborations with media professionals, crafting content that truly resonates.
✓ Crisis communication: Handle hiccups with grace. CoverBook guides you through crisis communication, helping you navigate tough situations with confidence.
✓ Integrated social strategy: Extend your reach on social platforms. CoverBook helps you coordinate social media efforts with your PR campaigns, boosting engagement.
✓ Brand building: Establish a strong brand presence. CoverBook helps you tell your brand story consistently across different media outlets, enhancing your reputation.
Tool #12: Visme
Visme empowers brands to craft compelling visual stories, from dynamic infographics and media kits to professional pitch presentations, ensuring a consistent and engaging narrative across all PR and marketing initiatives.
✓ Visual storytelling and data representation: With Visme, you can turn PR stories and data into captivating visuals, including infographics, presentations, and reports, making complex stats easy to grasp and share.
✓ Enhanced press content: Design standout press releases and establish an interactive press room on your website to showcase your brand’s media assets.
✓ Professional media kit development: Present your brand in the best light with Visme. Develop comprehensive media kits that effectively encapsulate your brand’s journey, achievements, and vision.
✓ Pitch presentation: Make every pitch memorable with Visme. Construct pitch presentations that effectively convey your concepts, securing journalist interest.
✓ Event promotions: Promote events like a pro. Visme’s event graphics help you create eye-catching invitations, banners, and promotional materials.
✓ Brand consistency: Ensure a unified brand representation with Visme. Develop visuals that align with your brand ethos, ensuring a consistent narrative across PR campaigns.
✓ Social engagement: Rule the social media game. Visme’s social media graphics empower you to create posts, stories, and ads that engage your audience.
Tool #13: SourceBottle
SourceBottle is a dynamic platform that bridges brands with media professionals, facilitating effortless media engagement, content collaboration, and amplifying brand visibility across various industry channels.
✓ Media engagement & pitching: SourceBottle streamlines your process of discovering media opportunities and efficiently connecting with journalists and content creators, ensuring you’re featured in articles, interviews, and podcasts.
✓ Thought leadership & content creation: Establish yourself as a thought leader by contributing insights and co-creating standout content, from articles to guest posts, further solidifying your expert status.
✓ Industry exposure & brand visibility: Gain pivotal exposure and share your brand’s story in resonating spaces. SourceBottle ensures your expertise and brand narrative shine through, amplifying your visibility.
✓ Influencer networking: Build relationships with journalists and content creators. SourceBottle lets you connect with media professionals who can become valuable contacts for future PR endeavors.
✓ Topic trends: Remain at the forefront of industry discussions. SourceBottle clues you in on trending topics journalists seek expertise for, allowing for timely contributions.
Tool #14: Brand24
Brand24 is a comprehensive media monitoring tool that offers real-time insights into brand mentions, facilitates engagement with influencers and journalists, and provides crucial analytics to evaluate and refine PR campaigns.
✓ Real-time monitoring: Brand24 keeps a watchful eye on mentions of your brand across the web. Stay in the know about what’s being said and take swift action when needed.
✓ Media outreach: Identify journalists and influencers talking about your industry. Brand24 helps you engage with media contacts who can feature your brand in news stories and articles.
✓ Crisis management: Handle PR crises with confidence. Brand24 alerts you to any negative mentions so you can address issues promptly and protect your brand’s image.
✓ Competitor insights: Peek into your rivals’ PR strategies. Brand24 lets you track their mentions and media coverage, helping you stay a step ahead.
✓ Influencer discovery: Connect with influential voices. Brand24 aids in identifying personalities perfectly poised to magnify your brand’s reach.
✓ Feedback loop: Gather insights from your audience. Engage with customers, journalists, and influencers who mention your brand, enhancing your PR strategies.
✓ Trendspotting: Stay synchronized with market dynamics. Brand24 surfaces emerging trends and conversations, ensuring your PR narratives are always timely.
✓ Social media engagement: Cultivate genuine connections on social media. Brand24 facilitates meaningful interactions with those discussing your brand, fostering goodwill.
✓ Customer testimonials: Highlight positive feedback. Brand24 lets you collect and showcase customer testimonials and endorsements to boost your PR efforts.
✓ PR performance analysis: Measure your PR impact. Brand24 provides analytics on sentiment, reach, and engagement, helping you refine your PR campaigns.
Tool #15: Muck Rack
Muck Rack is a dynamic PR platform that streamlines media relations, from building journalist relationships to real-time media monitoring.
✓ Media relations: Muck Rack helps you build relationships with journalists, bloggers, and media professionals. Connect with the right people who can tell your brand’s story.
✓ Media monitoring: Stay in the loop about your brand’s mentions. Muck Rack tracks your media coverage and alerts you when your brand appears in news stories and articles.
✓ Coverage showcasing: Elevate your brand’s credibility. With Muck Rack, you can effortlessly highlight and display your media achievements on your website.
✓ Trending topics: Stay on top of hot topics. Muck Rack lets you discover trending discussions and conversations, giving you an edge in your PR strategies.
✓ Influencer identification: Identify and connect with the influencers resonating with your brand. Muck Rack makes it simple to find and engage with those who can elevate your brand’s voice.
✓ Efficient media list management: Organize your media contacts effortlessly. Muck Rack helps you curate lists of relevant journalists and outlets, streamlining your outreach efforts.
✓ Crisis communication: Safeguard your brand’s image. Muck Rack’s monitoring ensures swift action during PR crises to uphold your brand’s esteemed reputation.
✓ Coverage analytics: Measure your PR impact with precision. Muck Rack provides analytics on media coverage, reach, and engagement, helping you refine your strategies.
✓ Networking nexus: Join a community of PR pros. Muck Rack lets you connect with other industry experts, expanding your network and opening doors to collaborations.
Wrapping up
Unlocking your PR superpowers is easier than you think!
Unveil the magic of these pro PR tools and snag the media spotlight you truly deserve! But while these tools are PR dynamos, they’re like magical ingredients – they need the right recipe (a.k.a. processes) to work their wonders. So, let’s sprinkle some PR magic onto those processes and watch your brand shine!