Public relations is a dynamic and fast-moving field that requires the right tools to maximize creativity and productivity. For professionals, especially those in the early stages of their careers, the right tools include free PR tools that help to get the job done.
Monitoring your brand is essential to measuring both growth and impact. Every PR team needs to simplify the steps of staying on top of brand mentions and media coverage. Google Alerts is the ideal free tool for brand monitoring (PressPage, 2023). It is a 100% free service provided by Google to monitor the internet for new content matching specific preset keywords or terms. Google Alerts is widely used for brand monitoring, SEO tracking, and content discovery, making it a valuable tool for businesses and individuals. Google sends direct email notifications or delivers updates via an RSS feed when new content is found, such as web pages, blog posts, and news articles (WorkJo, n.d.).
The applications of Google Alerts include tracking brand mentions, monitoring competitors, getting updates on industry trends, and following specific topics of interest.
Google Alerts Screenshot
Christine Legg, GoogleAlertsScreenshot©2025.
3 Key features of Google Alerts
- Customizable Alerts: You can specify keywords, frequency (e.g., “as-it-happens,” daily or weekly), and content sources such as blogs, news, and even videos (WorkJo, n.d.).
- Language and Region Filters: Alerts can be tailored to specific languages or geographic regions, making it a very adaptable tool for any PR professional in any part of the world (WorkJo, n.d.).
- Delivery Options: Notifications can be sent to your RSS Feed or email, giving it some flexibility in choice for the PR professional (WorkJo, n.d.).
While Google Alerts offers a powerful tool for staying informed, it is important as a PR professional, like other users, to be aware of some of the worst things that can happen using the app, such as the use of proprietary algorithms that may limit customization options and email delivery that may clutter the inbox for users already receiving many alerts. Others include that it does not go beyond simple alerts for keywords or phrases, and the limited effectiveness of monitoring social media mentions, as it does not track personal profiles (Mention, n.d.).
The app is not currently available on Android phones, but it is available on smartphones, laptops, and desktops. For optimal results, add specific keywords, an alert for your brand name, or any content that interests you, and you will not miss a thing (WorkJo, n.d.).
The top tip when using Google Alerts is to add industry keywords and competitors to alerts to gain deeper insights and opportunities.
The AI revolution is already having a significant impact on the dynamic field of Public Relations. The question is not when AI should be incorporated in a PR professional’s workflow, but how it can become an important part of it.
ChatGPT is a conversational and interactive artificial intelligence chatbot that has a basic free plan. Every PR professional should utilize this technology to achieve optimal productivity, to be more knowledgeable, and to increase overall efficiency (PressPage, 2023).
Users can access and interact with the app on their mobile devices. iOS enables users to utilize the app on their mobile devices just as they would on their desktops or laptops.
Enhanced portability provides access to AI-generated content anytime, anywhere.
ChatGPT can make your communication workflows more efficient by drafting outlines or generating suggestions for a piece of content. As PR professionals, we all know that it is an industry standard to keep our tone of voice aligned across all platforms and in our responses to media inquiries, including day-to-day communication. ChatGPT is a useful tool in digital PR strategy for pitching coverage opportunities to journalists or for drafting press releases. This free tool helps PR professionals to save valuable time in curating original content while maintaining their unique brand voice (PressPage, 2023).
ChatGPT Screenshot
Christine Legg, ChatGPTScreenshot©2025.
3 key features of ChatGPT
1. Integrated Apps: You can access and work with apps such as Adobe Photoshop, Canva, All Trails, Booking.com, Expedia, and Instacart, among others. It also has a diverse image and a health feature, making it a multi-app suite for PR professionals (OpenAI, n.d)
2. Responses Tailored for You: Responses are tailored to the information you give and are also answers based on saved chats, file uploads, and created images. A PR professional can save time by getting the precise information they need for a smooth workflow. (OpenAI, n.d.)
3. Deep Research: As a PR professional, you can delve into research by using your questions. ChatGPT enables you to conduct a multi-step research process, save cited sources, revisit them, and compare sources, saving significant time for PR professionals (OpenAI, n.d.).
PR Professionals like other users, need to be aware of some of the worst things about ChatGPT, which include the generation of plausible- sounding but incorrect or nonsensical answers, known as hallucinations. Other concerns vary from the facilitation of academic dishonesty, such as copying or paraphrasing content, to biases reflected in the chat box responses, which may result in biased responses. Therefore, users should be aware of these limitations and consider the potential risks before using the chatbot for sensitive tasks (TechCrunch, 2025).
For optimal results, when using ChatGPT, give as much information as possible in your prompt to get a well-tailored response for your brand. Inputting detailed and specific information is key to maximizing the benefits of this user-friendly tool for the PR professional. In a fast-paced world of Public Relations, using free and effective apps as part of our suite of tools helps us save time and manage budgets more efficiently. For the savvy PR professional, using Google Alerts and ChatGPT is a smart choice that enables them to focus more on creativity and PR effective strategies.
References
Mention. (n.d.). How to use Google Alerts for monitoring your brand. Mention. Retrieved March 21, 2026, from https://mention.com/en/blog/google-alerts/
OpenAI. (n.d.). ChatGPT. OpenAI. Retrieved March 21, 2026, from https://chatgpt.com/
PressPage. (2023, March 21). 5 free PR tools for cohesive and effective teams. PressPage. Retrieved March 21, 2026, from https://presspage.com/blog/5-free-pr-tools-for-cohesive-and-effective-teams
TechCrunch. (2025, December 22). ChatGPT: Everything to know about the AI chatbot. TechCrunch. Retrieved March 21, 2026, from https://techcrunch.com/2025/12/22/chatgpt-everything-to-know-about-the-ai-chatbot/
WorkJo. (n.d.). What is Google Alerts? WorkJo. Retrieved March 21, 2026, from https://www.workjo.com/what-is-google-al