{"id":19017,"date":"2022-07-05T05:08:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-05T05:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prowly.com\/magazine\/?p=19017"},"modified":"2024-07-11T14:09:58","modified_gmt":"2024-07-11T14:09:58","slug":"state-of-pr-tech-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prowly.com\/magazine\/state-of-pr-tech-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"More takeaways from our new \u201cThe State of PR Technology 2022\u201d report"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We\u2019re back with more insights revealed by our \u201cThe State of PR Technology 2022\u201d<\/strong> report, which gathered the responses of two hundred PR professionals to various questions about the role of technology in their work. We wanted to get a better idea of what kinds of technology, if any, they were using to make their jobs easier and which aspects of their work benefited most from using digital tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About the report<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The project was a unique undertaking that provided rare insights into how those involved in every aspect of PR make (or sometimes don\u2019t make) various kinds of technology an integral part of their jobs. After collecting responses and compiling stats using Semrush, we reached out to various influencers and important voices throughout our industry for their feedback on what we found.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The report is a fascinating snapshot of where PR is today as it gradually adapts and embraces digital capabilities that streamline processes and integrate resources into comprehensive tools. The overall trend is towards greater adoption of these tools but, as we found out, the use of technology in PR is uneven and focused on some tasks more than others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the first part<\/a> of our summary, we touched on how Google searches reveal
a growing interest in PR tools (even though that interest doesn\u2019t always result in action), what kinds of tools were rated by PR pros as being the most valuable and the primary reasons for dissatisfaction when they weren\u2019t happy with the choices they made. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This time, we\u2019re turning to other topics covered in the report for more details on the tech tools that PR professionals use to get their jobs done, some common habits they share, some surprising results from our own analytical research and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s Part Two of our summary of \u201cThe State of PR Technology 2022\u201d. Remember that you can download the full version of the report here for a deep dive into
the topics we\u2019re covering, complete with graphs, charts and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tech saves time <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Our feedback from PR professionals makes it clear \u2014 the automation made possible by digital tools saves a lot<\/em> of time. They report spending 90% less time<\/strong> on creating media lists, two hours instead of two days <\/strong>to build an online newsroom and just need an one hour instead of five<\/strong> to complete their media monitoring, among other things. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"State
On average PR professionals have around 4\u20135 sessions per week for less than an hour using PR Software<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This accelerated pace not only makes you more productive in terms of how much time you need to get things done, but makes you doubly productive by giving you more time for things that can lead to real breakthroughs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cultivating existing contacts and making new ones, just touching base with a client or stakeholder to let them know you\u2019re working on something for them, the creative work that comes from just having a bit of peace and quiet \u2014 all this and more can fit in your schedule when automation tools help you focus your time where it matters most and not on repetitive tasks! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prowly\u2019s #1 most-used tool is\u2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You can do a lot with Prowly but the numbers say that, more than anything else, our customers use
our Press Release Creator<\/strong> to draft, design and send this basic component of PR outreach. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This should come as no surprise since press releases are the medium that gets your message out to media contacts. Another reason that this is no shocker is that common word processing programs like Word or Google Docs aren\u2019t optimized for press releases and doing everything in Prowly is simply much easier. When formatting options, integration with contact lists and other shortcuts are ready and waiting, it\u2019s no surprise that our press release creator is the default choice for so many PR pros. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Staying on the topic of creating press releases, when we asked what tools people used to do this job, the top two answers we got were\u2026Word and Google Docs. As we just mentioned, neither of these was designed with press releases or anything related to the needs of PR in mind so why do they come in first and second place? Because they\u2019re simply so familiar to everyone and they seem like the natural place to start writing anything. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is one of those situations where you don\u2019t know what you\u2019re missing until you try it. Using Word or Google Docs seems like a good idea until you use a dedicated tool that not only helps your press release look great but makes it easy to send out to tailored audiences selected from a massive media database and track the results afterwards, all from the same interface. There\u2019s an \u201caha\u201d moment you won\u2019t forget!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using a media database for new contacts \u2014 hot or not? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s a very<\/em> surprising takeaway from our report. When asked if they were using
a media database to search for new contacts, just over 30% responded that they were not<\/em>. This begs the question of what those respondents are <\/em>using to expand their contact lists. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sure, there are plenty of old-school ways to find and connect with journalists who might be interested in what you have to share, but why wouldn\u2019t<\/em> you take advantage of the power of media databases? Even this short list should be enough to convince anyone:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  • Fast access to contact information for more than a million journalists<\/li>
  • Journalists can be segmented according to
    the type of publication they\u2019re with, the focus of their work, geographical region if applicable and much more<\/li>
  • Curated databases ensure that information is up to date and reliable<\/li>
  • Expand your contact list with journalists who likely to be receptive to your message in a fraction of the time required by any other method<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    What\u2019s not to like? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Where do you keep your contacts?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Media contacts were the subject of the next questions we asked. We wanted to know where PR practitioners kept their media lists and the top answer was spreadsheets<\/strong>, like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets. This matches our earlier findings about how Word and Google Docs were most-used tools for press release creation. After all,
    if you\u2019re already using one of those to write your press releases, doesn\u2019t it make sense to use them to store your contacts as well? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Well, yes and no. Again, it\u2019s a question of using what\u2019s familiar and not necessarily what was designed for the job. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When you store your media contacts in your PR software, it\u2019s easier to keep everything updated, organized and ready to grow. It just streamlines everything to have your contacts integrated in the same tool as everything else. Just as with the press release creator, you don\u2019t realize how much easier the entire process can be until you start storing your media contacts in your PR software. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you could snap your fingers and improve one thing\u2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Here\u2019s a question that took us straight to the major pain points experienced in PR offices everywhere \u2014 \u201cIf you could instantly improve one aspect of your current PR performance, what would it be?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Three responses stood out from all the rest. The top response, given by nearly 30% of respondents, was \u201cHaving a better understanding of media contacts and their beat\u201d. <\/em>This makes sense given the crucial importance of reaching out to and connecting with the right journalists for your message. The value of being able to refine searches and focus on high-potential media contacts is clear to PR pros. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In second place, the answer was \u201cManaging my daily PR activities more efficiently.\u201d <\/em>Although it may seem like a broad, general answer, it suggests a common frustration with not being able to better organize and perhaps automate repetitive daily tasks \u2014 something that PR tech tools were literally made for. We expect this answer to be
    a less common sentiment in the future as adoption of time-saving, efficiency-boosting tools become standard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And in third place, \u201cTracking and measuring PR efforts\u201d<\/em> was another area where improvement was needed. Again, PR tech tools have a role to play here but this answer ranking as highly as it did is another sign that full adoption across
    the industry is a process that takes time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"State
    Most of the surveyed said that having a better understanding of media contacts and their beat is their top goal<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Media Monitoring is taking over, and for good reason<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Just under 30% of respondents to our survey reported that they currently don\u2019t use any media monitoring tool at all. We expect this number to fall significantly in
    the coming months for a couple of reasons:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    • Media monitoring is a fairly new addition to the PR toolbox and, like anything else, it takes time for word of the benefits to spread. <\/li>
    • The benefits of media monitoring are game-changing for PR teams and not<\/em> using it will soon be seen as a major handicap. How can you not use such useful tools when you know the competition has them?  <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      Some of the biggest benefits of media monitoring tools include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      • Controlling the narrative and reputation of your brand <\/li>
      • Getting complete coverage of the media 24\/7 <\/li>
      • Uncovering mentions in commonly overlooked channels <\/li>
      • Getting alerts for relevant mentions<\/li>
      • Monitoring competitors and their strategies <\/li>
      • Collecting data to spot trends or outliers <\/li>
      • Measuring PR efforts with industry metrics<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        The struggle is real (but there\u2019s an easy solution!) <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        Let\u2019s talk about problems. We asked which challenges our respondents struggled with in the previous twelve months, followed by a long list of options. The top two answers came as no surprise:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        • Engaging without journalists (getting them to respond)<\/li>
        • Getting top-tier coverage<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          These are the two seemingly permanent challenges in our world and most of what we do is focused around achieving one or the other or both. Other answers like finding the right media contacts, working on a tight budget, meeting client expectations and keeping media lists organized, among many others, filled out the rest of the list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \"State
          PR specialists said that getting journalists to respond is the #1 struggle in their everyday work. See the full chart and more problems PR pros face in the report<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

          The takeaway here? Everything <\/em>on this list is easier with PR software. This is particularly true for those top two answers \u2014 working at starting conversations with journalists and getting the coverage that comes from that is much more effective when you have the right tools for the job. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          If you\u2019d like to learn more details about how Prowly can make your PR work more effective, contact our Sales Team today. Don\u2019t forget to download the full version or our \u201cThe State of PR Technology 2022\u201d to read the full version along with all the details!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t