The PR landscape is continually changing, but one thing that will never change is the return on investment (ROI) that we must deliver for our clients. From monitoring to measurement, we must demonstrate our programs' value to the brands we represent. Gone are the days when we flipped through magazines and newspapers at 5 a.m. or measured PR value with a ruler and CARD. Today we have access to software and tools that simplify our processes and more accurately evaluate outcomes for our clients.
As such, we’ve assembled a list of our five favourite tools here at Blue Door that help us deliver a high ROI to our clients.
Measurement Tools
Data and measurement are two essential things for any campaign. They tell us where to go, how to get there, and how well we did. We use data to inform insights, tell us how creators, advertising, and messages are performing, and how successful our campaign was. We use a few tools to help us measure, but the one we use the most is MRP. MRP gives us the number of impressions for a media outlet, so we can accurately assess the overall reach. We use this to set KPIs at the beginning of a program and track the number of impressions secured through earned and paid placements. Impressions are the most common metric as it indicates the number of people the media coverage has reached.
Media Monitoring Tools
Every agency will use the software that works well for them, but we all have one because it is our job to know when our clients are mentioned (and in what context). At Blue Door, we use both Meltwater and Cision to help us monitor the media in more efficient ways. In minutes, we can search thousands of print, online, radio, and television outlets and attain real-time alerts and insights. We take those results and create reports for our clients, but we also use those results to help inform insights from which we develop campaign strategies. Media monitoring also helps us understand the sentiment toward our clients, which helps us build and maintain brand reputation. Additionally, monitoring the media lets us know how well a campaign performed and how many people our clients’ messages reached (see Measurement Tools above).
Collaboration is the name of the game, and Google makes it easy. With Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, we can work as a team to build out releases, schedules, presentations, and so much more in real-time. This platform also helps us with version control (goodbye ‘real-final-final-FINAL-v6”) and decluttering client folders; it also improves client feedback since we’re sharing links and not massive attachments. We also love Google Drive for all the same reasons we love Google documents.
Social Media Tools
So much of what we do is grounded in social media. Social media platforms are critical to a successful program, from engaging content creators to promoting our clients’ campaigns. To help us identify and vet influencers, we use Influencity. This platform also helps us understand their engagement rates, the quality of their content, areas of interest, and brands they’ve worked with. It also tracks campaign content in real-time, communicates with creators, and distills and analyzes performance data. But social media’s usefulness doesn’t end there. We’re also constantly on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Snap Chat, and the like to be inspired by other brand campaigns, see creators in action, and be on top of the latest trends.
Writing Tools
Our favourite tool checks our spelling and grammar. As communicators, the written word is our raison d’etre. Presenting errors is one of the fastest ways to erode trust with our clients, creators, and media. At our agency, we use the premium package on Grammarly, a great tool integrated into the writing platform (Google, Microsoft, etc.) you use. Our quality control process includes at least two human proofreaders - to catch nuances that a software tool may not pick up and several passes through Grammarly.
These tools contribute to the successful campaigns we plan and execute for our clients. If you have any questions about the tools we have listed above, feel free to reach out - we are happy to share how we will use them for your next campaign.
Blue Door is a public relations, digital marketing, and design agency based in Toronto. We pride ourselves on being a modern agency with a sophisticated approach to marketing. As an award-winning agency, we have earned the trust of major organizations across the country in virtually every sector from hotels to healthcare. Check out our Services Page to learn more. Is your business in need of a digital strategy and not sure where to start? View our capabilities deck here and connect with us at hello@bluedoor.agency or 1 855-854-5594.
