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14 Apps Recommended By PR Professionals

Source:Forbes Agency Council
  

Apps were created to make our lives easier and more organized, and in many ways they do. Apps help to make work more efficient, and this is especially true for public relations, where there's a constant juggling of clients, clips and collaboration.

We asked members of the   Forbes Agency Council  for their thoughts on which apps improve workflow and promote better results. Their best answers are below.

1. Mailtrack 

Mailtrack is one of the best tools for PR professionals (and even those in sales) as it tells you if and when a reporter has opened your email. It also tells you if and when they've clicked on the link in your email. - Darian Kovacs, Jelly Digital Marketing & PR 

2. Marketing Automation Platforms 

A true marketing automation platform connects PR results to marketing campaigns, allowing PR professionals to attach our efforts to leads created, nurtured and qualified. Impressions and reach are great, but having the ability to say an article drew a prospect in for another web visit, which qualified them as a lead, is priceless. - Jacob Hanson, PR with Panache! 

3. Babbler 

Babbler is a must-have app for all PR professionals. The platform gives brands, PR freelancers and PR agencies the ability to promote and post story angles/pitches using its mobile platform. The platform is two-fold: journalists join with a profile that shows their particular sector or beat. Journalists get more relevant pitches, while PR professionals get targeted exposure. - Katina Kenyon, Applaudo Studios 

Forbes Apps4. BuzzSumo 

The BuzzSumo app has been an invaluable resource for our team when it comes to PR and content marketing. It provides a fast and easy way to identify the types of content that are earning the most coverage, social engagement and backlinks in relation to any topic, so it's incredibly useful during planning stages. It can also help you track performance once your content or campaign goes live. - Jamey Bainer, PACIFIC Digital Group, Inc. 

5. Asana 

So much of successful PR is based on the follow-up email. When working on multiple pitches to multiple outlets and editors, it's important to stay organized with your followups. Asana is a great tool for creating reminders for upcoming tasks to ensure nothing falls through the cracks. - Leila Lewis, Be Inspired PR 

6. Splashtop

Good PR requires leveraging or responding to public events quickly and accurately, but unfortunately, those events don't wait for us to get to work in the morning. Although most of the research tools are migrating to web-based platforms, many still require a physical computer.  Splashtop  is a great way to access your computer from your phone to gain access to your resources and craft a swift response.  -   Ahmad Kareh,   Twistlab Marketing  

7. NetBase 

Far too many PR execs are still relying on outdated aggregate monthly impressions of press outlets as a measurement tool. But those numbers have no correlation to the press that actually runs or the number of people who actually see a press hit. Focus on real numbers and how those numbers translate to engagement. Netbase is a critical tool in that measurement and should be a part of the kit. - Craig Greiwe, Rogers & Cowan 

8. PRWeb.com And Google Analytics 

We simply believe in making PR easy to complete. PRWeb.com helps with that process. We use it for sending out various client press releases and our own press releases. It's cost-effective and easy to use. We then use Google Analytics to track all leads from our press. That way, we can show a positive ROI for each release. - Peter Boyd, PaperStreet Web Design 

9. Monday.com

It has been increasingly important to understand the data of our business and to see how we spend our time. We have used Monday.com over the past couple years to help keep track of workflows and coordinate between multiple offices. It works for us because it is highly customizable and intuitively interactive. - Stefan Pollack, The Pollack PR Marketing Group 

10. Airtable 

Airtable was, and still is, my choice of integrating assets and plans for clients across the board. It allows you to store individual files within cells so that you can access photos, clippings, soundbites and documents all in one place. It’s extremely helpful when we are working on a PR push, as we can easily store assets, track outreach plus link to coverage and notes on journalists in one place.  - Katie Schibler Conn, KSA Marketing + Partnerships 

11. Upitch 

Upitch is an app that allows you to post a pitch and let news outlets and journalists seek you out, rather than you having to pursue them. This is similar to HARO, but rather than seeing what reporters want and modifying your content to reflect their topics, Upitch lets you send the info out and have the publications that are interested come to you. It's simple and easy to use. - David Kley, Web Design and Company 

12. Twitter 

For PR execs, Twitter is very useful. While many executives don’t have Instagram or Facebook accounts, many have Twitter, especially now that tweets have 280 characters, making it easier to post a detailed message. Twitter is also useful for all kinds of breaking news such as media, politics and entertainment, which is vital for PR execs. - Cagan Yuksel, GRAFX CO. 

13. Instagram 

We've used Instagram since the beginning and now have close to 100K followers. It's a fantastic way to reach your target audience without looking like you are selling to them. You can introduce and promote products in fun ways that are attractive to your niche market, and hopefully also getting shared by others. Try and showcase the culture behind the scenes. Tell a story with your posts and track your engagement.  - Emily Lyons, Femme Fatale Media Group 

14. Google Alerts 

By and far, Google Alerts has helped our agency stay on top of client news, reputation management/defense and is integrated directly into our main control panel for the office, too. It's free to use and delivers real-time reports that help us stay on top of our clients' PR needs day in and day out. - Thomas Allen, S.Marlowe