The Best Free Apps for Public Relations Professionals: Grammarly and SparkToro

 How PR Pros Can Elevate Their PR Game with These Essential Tools.

Grammarly is the ultimate advanced writing assistant designed to enhance your writing. Its primary function is to check for grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, punctuation issues, and style inconsistencies. Additionally, Grammarly offers suggestions for improving sentence structure and word choice, making your writing more engaging and effective. For P.R. professionals, clear and error-free communication is crucial, whether drafting press releases, pitching to media, or engaging with audiences on social media. Grammarly ensures that your written content is polished and professional.

Grammarly offers a free version that covers basic grammar, spelling, and punctuation checks. However, for more advanced features such as style suggestions, tone adjustments, and plagiarism detection, users can opt for premium plans that start at $12 per month. A business plan is also available for teams, starting at $15 per member per month.

The best feature of Grammarly is its real-time writing suggestions. As you type, Grammarly provides immediate feedback, allowing you to make corrections on the fly. This is especially beneficial for P.R. professionals who need to ensure their communication is impeccable and professional in real time.

Screenshot of the mobile version of Grammarly. Photo Credits: Shaquanda Roberts

The main drawback of Grammarly is that its advanced features, which are incredibly useful for P.R. work, are locked behind a paywall. While the free version is helpful, the premium features are what truly make a difference in enhancing writing quality.

Grammarly is available as a browser extension, a desktop app, and a mobile app. The browser extension integrates seamlessly with various platforms like Gmail, Google Docs, and social media sites, providing on-the-spot corrections. The mobile app offers similar functionalities, ensuring that you can maintain high writing standards on the go. The key difference between the desktop and mobile interfaces is the ease of use; the desktop version allows for more extensive editing and revision work.

Desktop Version of Grammarly, some content blurred for privacy. Photo Credits: Shaquanda Roberts

SparkToro: A Game-Changer for Audience Research

SparkToro is an audience research tool that helps P.R. professionals understand where their target audiences hang out online, what they read, and who influences them. By simply inputting a topic, website, or social media account, SparkToro provides detailed insights into audience demographics, behaviors, and preferences. This tool is incredibly useful for developing targeted media strategies, identifying key influencers, and crafting messages that resonate with specific groups.

SparkToro offers a free plan that allows users to conduct up to five searches per month. For more extensive research capabilities, SparkToro provides several paid plans starting at $38 per month, which offer increased search limits and more detailed data insights.

The standout feature of SparkToro is its ability to uncover hidden audience insights quickly. With its user-friendly interface and powerful search capabilities, P.R. professionals can efficiently identify where their target audiences spend their time online and who they trust, which is invaluable for strategic planning and campaign execution.

desktop Screenshot of SparkToro. Photo Credits: Shaquanda Roberts

The limitation of the free plan is its biggest downside. With only five searches per month, the free version might not be sufficient for P.R. professionals who require frequent and in-depth audience research. The cost of the paid plans may also be a consideration for smaller agencies or independent practitioners.

SparkToro is accessible via its web-based platform, which is optimized for use on both desktop and mobile devices - although they don't have an app yet. While the functionality remains consistent across both platforms, the desktop version offers a more comprehensive view and easier navigation, making it preferable for detailed research tasks. The mobile version, however, provides flexibility and convenience for on-the-go insights.

Conclusively, both Grammarly and SparkToro are powerful tools for P.R. professionals, each addressing distinct needs in writing enhancement and audience research. While their free versions are valuable, the premium plans unlock their full potential and make them worthy investments for serious P.R. pros.

By Shaquanda Roberts