Cision Helps PR Pro to Impress Clients -- and Attract New Ones
Updated February 02, 2017

Cision Helps PR Pro to Impress Clients -- and Attract New Ones

Stanley Hurwitz | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with Cision Communications Cloud

I'm an independent PR/Marketing consultant for businesses and non-profits of all sizes and types. These range from a 9 office Orthodontic office to a private school with 250 students, to a large commercial real estate company, and a new product launch.
I use Cision differently depending on whether the client's products or services will be of most interest mainly in the Boston or eastern Mass. area, the New England region, or nationally. Cision saves a lot time -- I can set the parameters for the types of publications or other media I want, and the specific job roles I hope to hit -- such as editors, reporters, show producers, etc.

Pros

  • Not too complicated to figure out (after some self-taught training and some calls to the help line). Once you know your way around, setting up the media contact list for a specific job, pasting the story and attaching a photo - are all straightforward.
  • All of my calls to the 800 help desk have been excellent. The customer service reps know the program, they offer advice on how others they have spoken to might have approached the problem, and they are patient - even with someone who's not technologically inclined.
  • I like the way I can see a full report of who received my distribution and I can share that with clients. I like the report that tells me it was successfully distributed, and a day later, what the success rate was -- usually around 93% of the targeted recipients. Seems good these days with the 'musical chairs' as various media downsize and reposition themselves.

Cons

  • I suggested this a few years ago: It would be great if the next step that the user needs to do (as they move toward distribution) was shown in a bold and/or different color. Maybe even number the steps. "You are on step 3 of 6," for example.
  • I have often used the fact that I have Cision as a way to 'sell' myself and my PR services to a prospective client. In exchange for my Cision investment, I've been able to secure new business.
I used Vocus for several years before it merged with Cision. There were many things I liked and miss about Vocus - maybe because I had 'mastered' their program. It's difficult for me to recall what may be missing now since it's been at least 4-5 years since the changeover.
Cision is great for sending your news to every type of media in selected categories. If I'm doing a launch of a food product, it's easy to select all the editors and reporters in related categories, plus the general business editors, etc.

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