95 tools to help you work smarter in public relations
The CIPR artificial intelligence (AI) panel has published an initial list of tools collated from its crowdsourced project. You’ll almost certainly discover something to help you work smarter.
It’s three weeks since the CIPR announced a new panel to explore the impact of artificial intelligence on public relations. We’ve adopted the hashtag and moniker #AIinPR.
Our first project is a crowdsourced initiative to create a database of tools. It has its genesis in the #PRstack project from 2014 and 2015.
The open source project has received more than 100 submissions. We’re publishing the first list of 95 tools across more than 20 categories. Inevitably there have been duplicates.
The list includes tools to help you work smarter and more efficiently. I’ve discovered at least half a dozen new ones.
You’ll almost certainly spot tools that we’ve missed. When you do please make a submission via this online form. It’ll take you less than two minutes.
Vendors are welcome to submit their own products. If you think we’ve got something wrong please submit a revision via the form.
We hope to publish a final database by the end of April.
Our second project is an assessment of the impact of technology on practice today and in the future based on the Global Alliance Competency Framework. My thanks to Jean Valin for leading this project.
Research
Google Trends
Search trends and visualisations from Google
Google Scholar
Search engine which indexes the full text or metadata of scholarly literature across an array of publishing formats and disciplines
Planning
AnswerThePublic
Visualisation of autocomplete results provided by Bing and Google
Facebook Ad Planner
Understand Facebook users by demographic and behaviour
Google Consumer Barometer
Online research and resources which shows how people around the world use the internet
Google Keyword Planner
Tool to get keyword ideas to help build your campaigns
MozPro
Suite of search engine optimisation (SEO) planning and analytics tools
Listening
Clarabridge CX Analytics
Natural Language Processing (NLP), sentiment and data categorisation
Google Cloud Platform Natural Language API
A text analysing natural language API machine that can be used for social media sentiment analysis
Google Forms
Survey forms for market research
IQ Bot
A cognitive tool which can analyse and make sense of unstructured content, and as it learns fast-track processes for common community issues
Questback
Online survey platform for market research
Quid
Platform for searching, analysing and visualising social media data
SurveyMonkey
Online survey platform for market research
The R Project for Statistical Computing
Language and environment for statistical computing and graphics
Social media listening and monitoring
Brand24
Social media listening and monitoring
Brandwatch
Social media listening and monitoring
Synthesio
Social media listening platform
Talkwalker
Social media listening and analytics
Stakeholder identification and management
Audiense
Instagram and Twitter network mapping and influencer identification
Buzzsumo
Content and influencer identification based on keywords
Darzin Stakeholder Management Software
Manages contacts, properties, tasks, complaints and issues. Qualitative analysis, survey tool, and analysis of media content
Influential
Influencer selection based on natural language queries
Mustr
Stakeholder relations tool
Traackr
Influencer identification and tracking platform
Vuelio
Media and influencer database
Youzz
Earned influencer relations automation platform. Identify, select, engage with a community of 500,000 micro influencers
Campaign management
HubSpot
All-in-one inbound marketing software with integrated CMS, content tools for lead generation, blogging, social media tools and CRM
MailChimp
Marketing automation platform and an email marketing
MyConvento
Contact and CRM tool with news room, campaign management and personalised mailing system
Scribble Live
Content management platform
Tweetdeck
Social media platform for managing Twitter accounts
Analytics
Bit.ly
URL shortener, link management and analytics
Shared count
Tracks URLs
Similar Web
Website traffic and analytics
Tableau
Business intelligence and analytics
Ubermetrics
Media intelligence and analytics software
Audio content
Audacity
Open source audio, editing and mixing
Libsyn
Podcast syndication
Soundation
Audio editing, mixing and publishing
Zencastr
Podcast editing and recording
Written content
CiteThisForMe
Create Harvard, APA, & MLA citations for a bibliography
Grammarly
Writing app that ensures messages, documents, and social media posts are clear, mistake-free, and effective
Hemingway App
Tool to help make writing clearer and simpler
Readable
Text analyser to simplify written language
Visual content
Canva
Graphic design and layout tool for images, graphics and illustrations
iPiccy
Photo editor and image creator
Pexels
Stock photo
Pixabay
Stock photos
Pixlr
Online photo editor
PNG Mart
Free PNG images with transparent backgrounds
StockSnap
Stock photos
Unsplash
Stock photos
Video content
GoAnimate
Video animation
WeVideo
Online video editor
Media relations workflow platforms
MyNewsdesk
Newsroom platform to create press releases, branded newsrooms and manage news distribution
PressPage
Newsroom platform to create engaging stories, seamlessly distribute to maximize reach and analyse results
Prezly
Newsroom, distribution and content management
Prowly
Newsroom platform to create press releases, brand newsrooms and news distribution with analytics
Media distribution
BusinessWire
Press release distribution and branded online newsrooms
Realwire
Online media press release distribution service
ResponseSource Press Release Wire
Press release distribution
Social media management
Hootsuite
Social media management platform that automates message distribution on social channels
Missing Lettr
Social media scheduling and automation
NewsWhip
Realtime social media monitoring and trend predictions
Sprout Social
Social media management
Media monitoring
Determ
Monitor and measure mentions of an organisation and product on websites and social media
Kantar
Media and social media monitoring
Meltwater
Media monitoring and business intelligence software
Trendkite
Tracking online coverage, share of voice, social shares; and key message check analysis
TV Eyes
Broadcast monitoring tool
Media and social media management
Mention
Social media and web monitoring tool
Newsmeter
Media monitoring tool providing intelligent reporting and statistics on media mentions
Project management
Asana
Project and workflow management
Slack
Enterprise group workplace and collaboration tools
Toggl
Time entry and tracking
Automation
IFTTT
Automation tool that enables apps and devices talking to each other
Pega 7 platform
Development platform that allows for rules based applications through a visual programming type interface
Webhose
Turns unstructured web content into machine-readable data feeds you can consume on demand
Crisis planning, simulation and workflow
Comms Matrix
Crisis and stakeholder management
Simulation Deck
Social media crisis simulation and management platform
Measurement
Coveragebook
Reporting tool with automated metrics based on link analysis
Google Analytics
Website analytics tool
Integrated Evaluation Framework
Online tool created by AMEC that enables you to build a measurement framework and record each area of a campaign
Report Mule
Consolidate web research into custom-formatted reports
Acebook
Media coverage evaluation and analysis
Learning and development
Lynda
Online learning and development courses
Utilities
10 Minute Mail
Email account that lasts ten minutes. Useful for signing up for web services and testing
AlternativeTo
Crowdsourced software recommendations
Down for Everyone or Just Me?
Check whether a website is functioning
Doodle
Simplify the process of scheduling events, meetings and appointments, with a group of people
Mailinator
Temporary and disposable email service. Useful for signing up for internet services and testing.
OldVersion
Old versions of software applications
Open Library
Open source public library
WeTransfer
File transfer application. Free for files up to 2GB
Zamzar
Online file conversation
Definition: artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a catch all term to describe technology that engages with people or displays human characteristics. It is contributing to hype and uncertainty around the topic.
AI is a sophisticated application of technology whereby a computer demonstrates human cognitive functions such as learning and problem solving. As such only a handful of the tools outlined in this article utilise AI but the growing level of sophistication is clear.
The Wikipedia community has established a project to build a glossary that describes artificial intelligence.
Scope of CIPR #AIinPR Panel
The CIPR #AIinPR panel was founded in February 2018 to explore the impact of technology including artificial intelligence on public relations and the wider business community. We're aiming to tackle three projects in 2018.
The crowdsourcing exercise described in this article aims to characterise technology and tools that are helping public relations practitioners work smarter and more efficiently. As part of this project we'll aim to develop a definition of AI as it applies to the range of technology in public relations.
A skills framework will seek to estimate the likely impact of artificial intelligence on the public relations workforce. This will map the tools identified in the crowdsourcing exercise against the CIPR State of Profession survey.
A literature and content review will explore the impact of artificial intelligence on the public sphere. We'll produce a discussion paper for practitioners.
Thank you
Thanks to everyone who has made submission to the crowdsourcing project so far: Sarah Ion; Richard Howat; Roberto Napolitano; Iliyana Stareva; Anthony Olabode Ayodele; Hagen Gerle; Rayna de Lange; Deb Sharratt; Sara Collinge ; Merve Uluser; Raf Weverbergh; Rob Ashwell; Florian Hohenauer; Shak Rafiq; Matt Ferris; Yudha Ikhsan; Hayley James; Abha Thakor; Jonathan Bean; Lizzie Owen; Everett Martin; Robert Masters; Christine Townsend; Kate Strawson; Jose Bonito; Salvador da Cunha; Olivia Collins; Chris Knoblock; and Ged Carroll.
Thanks also to the CIPR #AIinPR panel for its work on this project: Chris Dolan; Kerry Sheehan; Alastair McCapra; Matt Silver; Sharon O’Dea; Andrew Smith; Maria Loupa; Anne Gregory; Jean Valin; Ben Verinder; and Jon White.
