Today’s public relations professionals are multitaskers. They’re rarely behind their desks all day, but instead out and about, promoting their clients and brands, meeting with influencers, and planning, hosting, and covering events. A PR pro’s job is to create shared meaning with stakeholders and increase a brand’s visibility through dialogue. That dialogue starts online.

“Public relations has come a long way since the early 20th century,” says Full Sail course director Dr. Rodrigo Soares, who has more than 15 years of experience working in PR and communications leadership positions for large corporations, including Shell.

“Back then, it was mostly about getting attention through press and publicity," he says. "Today, it’s so much more than that. PR is all about using smart communication strategies to connect and build strong relationships between organizations, governments, their audiences, and the communities they serve. It’s evolved into a powerful tool for creating meaningful connections.”

In Full Sail University’s Public Relations master’s degree program, Dr. Soares helps his students harness the power of the numerous apps, programs, and tools that exist to increase efficiency and productivity.

“Brands can be well maintained if they both clearly define and consistently deliver their promise,” he says. “A brand's unique storytelling starts with their brand promise.”

In the Innovative Public Relations Tools & Resources course, Dr. Soares covers several tools that help brands tell their unique stories and build strong relationships with their audiences. In fact, one assignment asks students to write a blog post covering tools utilized by PR professionals. Here are some of these tools and resources that every PR professional should know:

Hootsuite. This social media management dashboard provides an interface that allows users to see all of their social media feeds and schedule posts in advance. Students use Hootsuite when completing their social media and blog assignments. “It makes scheduling and managing social media posts across multiple platforms super easy. It also helps to track engagement, monitor mentions, and analyze what’s working well.”

Cision Communications Cloud. This solution stands out as a foundation for media monitoring and campaign analytics. It also provides access to a comprehensive database of journalists and outlets, making it invaluable for targeted outreach. “Cision is where strategy meets data. It doesn’t just help you pitch your story; it shows you how your story is performing in the real world.” Companies like Coca-Cola use it to monitor global media trends and assess brand sentiment, ensuring they remain ahead in a fast-changing media landscape.

Meltwater. This tool enables PR teams to stay on top of breaking trends, brand mentions, and competitive analysis with a more dynamic approach through focusing on real-time social media listening and news tracking. “Meltwater isn’t just a listening tool – it’s a forecasting tool. It helps you anticipate the next big conversation your brand needs to be part of.” Adidas exemplifies this, using Meltwater to adapt campaigns on the fly based on real-time customer feedback and market shifts.

Brandwatch. For deep audience insights, Brandwatch’s social listening capabilities provide detailed analytics on audience sentiment and emerging trends, as well as early warnings for potential crises.

Canva Pro. This is a great tool for creating visually compelling content. Its user-friendly interface empowers PR professionals to produce high-quality graphics, media kits, and social media posts without needing a graphic design background.

This list is not complete without mentioning the AI revolution that is impacting all fields. In PR, for example, AI-powered predictive analytics can anticipate trends and public sentiment, allowing brands to proactively shape narratives instead of merely reacting to them.

Although many believe that AI is a threat to human talent, Dr. Soares says that “AI is amplifying the human touch in PR, giving professionals the time and data they need to craft smarter, more impactful strategies. The future of PR is an open door, and AI is one of the keys.”