8 favorite tools for PR pros in the trenches

PR pros love their tools, but with so many to choose from, how can you tell which are truly effective?

To get some advice, why not ask communicators already on the job? PR pros are always happy to share their favorites, which include newer solutions as well as old standbys.

Here are eight or more tools they say impact their work every day:

1. Canva

Sabrina Browne, public relations professional and brand strategist, likes Canva for Business. “There's the opportunity to develop everything from infographics to social tiles, brand kits and one-sheeters,” she says. “There are several ways to bring client communications to life.”

Vannessa Wade, principal at Connect The Dots PR, is also a fan of Canva. “Canva brings vibrant and eye-catching design to my fingertips; it helps us paint our client’s story without expensive programs.”

2. Magisto

Another of Browne’s favorites is Magisto. “It's an excellent application to create digital videos, and they offer several layouts […] to showcase your clients’ products, services and more.”

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3. CoverageBooks

This is a favorite of Robert Fischer, content specialist for LockerDome and music publicist for Dominant Seventh. “It's a fast, easy way to create coverage reports specifically for online placements,” he says. “It will also take screenshots of the coverage and give you digestible information about each placement.” This is convenient for his business, since “you can customize these reports with other metrics or non-digital coverage, so it's all in one place.”

4. Box and DropBox (and Cision too)

Matt Falso, director of brand strategy, Soteryx Corporation, has other recommendations. “I'm a big fan of both Box and DropBox for file sharing,” he shares. For media list management, Falso prefers Cision, “but for distributions, I like the interface and functionality of Meltwater better,” he says.

5. Meltwater

Meltwater gets another vote from Shelby Whitzel, senior associate, corporate communications, Blue 449. “Meltwater is amazing for monitoring both social and traditional press, with great reporting features and super helpful customer service reps.”

6. Buffer

Whitzel also gives Buffer high marks. “Buffer helps with scheduling, which is ultra-important when you're managing multiple social media accounts across all platforms,” she says. “Both keep me sane in this busy world.”

7. Feedly

Feedly is a favorite of Olivia Adams, communications strategist at Byrum & Fisk Communications. “As a PR professional working with clients in a variety of industries, Feedly helps me stay on top of breaking news and trends that impact my clients,” she states. “I also create feeds for public relations, social media, blogging and marketing so I can stay ahead of trends in my field.”

8. Twitter

Andrea Vassallo Meyer, corporate communications consultant (@andreamv) says Twitter is one of the most useful tools she uses. “If there’s a reporter I’ve worked with, it’s a great way to keep in contact by just commenting on stories and replying when they pose questions,” she says. “And if you’re researching a potential client, you can check out their main Twitter account to see who they follow,” she adds. “You can then follow those they’ve identified as key media (important to the leadership) and influencers already on their radar.”

PR Daily readers, which tools do you use to make your job easier?

Michelle Garrett is a PR consultant and writer at Garrett Public Relations. Follow her on Twitter @PRisUs or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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