There is an endless list of Digital PR softwares at our fingertips these days. Free, subscription-based, AI-generated, the range of tools extends far and wide. So how do you know which to include in your stack, and which are not worth your investment?
This blog is here to answer all your questions. We’ll take you through every tool we actually use for our client campaigns at Cedarwood Digital. From journalist databases, to data scrapers and proofreaders, we’ll give you the insight on what’s worth your cash, and where you’re better off sticking to a free alternative.
Here’s our short but sweet guide to the ultimate tools you should be using for your Digital PR campaigns….
Roxhill Media
There’s a whole host of media database and distribution softwares out there – you’ll have heard of the likes of Cision, Muck Rack, Prowly etc. A media database helps you to find the most relevant contacts for your story and construct your own targeted media list. This greatly increases your chances of getting your story noticed and picked up by the media.
Our tried and tested favourite is Roxhill Media. Unlike many others, it offers a free trial before you commit to the full contract price. It also includes some unique features like journalist social feeds, and access to hundreds of webinars.
Ahrefs
Ahrefs is a bit of a goldmine software, with a bunch of great features for Digital PR. To inform our Digital PR strategy at Cedarwood, we use the Backlink Report tool. It allows you to see the campaigns competitors are carrying out that have successfully landed coverage and secured links. This is great for providing inspiration for our own campaign ideas. The tool also shows us where our clients’ link gaps are in comparison to competitors so that we can target content (and tailor it to these publications) in our upcoming strategy.
I’d also recommend exploring Ahrefs’ data on search volume which can be utilised for Digital PR strategy. This feature can be used for looking at the average monthly search volume for your chosen keywords, and tracking increases and drops. You can then use this information to plan your campaigns accordingly.
BuzzStream
Buzzstream is a link-building and outreach tool that we love to make use of with our clients. It’s fab for email management, with an email ‘open and click through’ tracking feature which lets you know whether your email has been opened and clicked. This gives you an understanding of how effective your email subject lines are, and what kind of content is most appealing to a journalist.
Another useful feature in BuzzStream is the Research Lists. This allows you to pull in Google News results for a list of your chosen key terms. Through this, you’ll have insight into the types of angles to consider, and what has already been covered.
Google Trends and Glimpse
Google Trends is a tool showing you what people are searching for in real time. You can customise the time frame and location to clearly see peaks in relevant trends. There’s a useful feature allowing you to filter by search type – so you can zoom in on News trends, YouTube trends etc. This can also be used as a planning tool – have a look at when searches for a particular keyword have increased in the past, and plan your future PR outreach correspondingly.
If you don’t know about Glimpse, get to know. It’s the perfect companion to Google Trends, providing detailed insights at the click of a button. Glimpse is an extension tool which just makes the Google Trends data more thorough and digestible. Search volume and percentage increases are overlaid to show you exactly when and where topics are trending.
Screaming Frog
Pulling together a data-driven Digital PR campaign? Screaming Frog will be your best friend. With free and paid options, this software is our go-to when we need to scrape data sources. It can crawl hundreds of thousands of pages, in an inch of the time it would take you. Screaming Frog can also help you to get a sense of the conversation around a trending topic. It can gather comments and posts in seconds, giving you insight into patterns of discussion and interest.
ChatGPT
The idea of AI writing assistants is increasingly contentious. We think that, used in the right way, they can definitely be of benefit. You’ve just got to make sure to use it as an addition, not a replacement, to human-made content. At Cedarwood, we use it for many tasks from writing excel formulas, to sparking ideas for a campaign. However, we’d reassert that it’s really only as good as what you put into it. By all means, use ChatGPT to get a brainstorm started, but don’t rely on it to write whole pitches for you!
Canva / Flourish / Google Looker Studio
Once your data has been gathered, it’s important to visualise it in the most engaging way possible. These three tools are our favourites for easy but effective data visualisation. The good news is that they’re also all free. Using these softwares, you’ll have fun, digestible and highly shareable reports for your campaigns in no time. Do make sure to bear your unique target audience in mind. You’ll need to find a visual style that is appropriate for your client’s website, and right for your target journalists and readers.
A couple of special mentions
TikTok Creative Centre: clear and detailed insights into what’s trending on TikTok, from hashtags to sounds – with information on the relevant creators for each trend.
Haro: looking to enhance your stories with some expert quotes? This software will connect you to the right sources with expertise on your subject matter.
Hemingway: a great writing editing app to help you ensure your writing is readable and snappy.
How Cedarwood Digital can help with your Digital PR strategy
Hopefully this blog has given you a few ideas for your Digital PR tool stack, and a bit of insight into areas where you could be saving time and money!
At Cedarwood Digital we have an impressive track record of landing coverage and strong links for our clients’ brands. We know what works and what doesn’t, and combine a few great softwares with our wealth of experience to get results. Think you could do with a bit of Digital PR assistance? Go ahead and get in touch with us today for a chat about your Digital PR strategy.
