View all case studies Falls & Co

Before Muck Rack: ‘It’s embarrassing and frustrating’

In my 19 years at Falls & Co., we’ve used a number of different media databases. I always laugh thinking back to when I first started out of college when we were looking up media in books.

Around 2019, we realized we couldn’t rely on the media database we’d been using. We’d send out a pitch to a journalist, and the email would bounce back or we’d get a response like, “Hey, this isn’t my beat.”

It's embarrassing and frustrating as a PR professional to get a response like that when you’re writing what you think is a great, on-topic pitch.

We found we were relying on Google searches to ensure accuracy, and Muck Rack would pop up in our results with the right information. We were like, “Hey, why aren’t we just using Muck Rack?”

With Muck Rack: Replacing other tools and working smarter, not harder with AI

When we started using Muck Rack, we were able to replace other media monitoring and editorial database tools we’d been using, including Cision.

Understanding the media landscape

At the beginning of each year, we focus on developing pitch calendars for our clients. We use Muck Rack to look at topics relevant to our clients, and we take stock of what their competitors are doing using Muck Rack’s Coverage Comparison feature. 

We’ve had instances where we struggle to get a client placement around a certain topic. We’ll use Muck Rack to see if other clients are landing coverage around it. If not, we know it’s just a topic the media isn’t currently interested in.

It can work the other way around, too. We might see our competitors are getting coverage, so we can take a look at what they’re doing and better understand media nuances. 

It’s also a great way to find new journalists to pitch. For instance, maybe I see that a competitor was mentioned in a round-up article and my client wasn’t. That gives me the opportunity to reach out to the editor and offer myself as a resource.

Brainstorming using PressPal.ai

AI is tricky. As a PR professional, I pride myself on being a great writer. I don’t want [AI] to take my job away, but I do think it can act as a resource for us, and Muck Rack’s AI feature, PressPal.ai, is a great example of that.

I have worked with some of our clients more over a decade, so sometimes it feels like ideas get stale. I’ll do my own writing, then I’ll use PressPal.ai to see what it comes up with— and if there are any new ideas I can use.

PressPal.ai is great to use for brainstorming. I especially hate writing quotes for clients in press releases, so PressPal.ai helps me give those quotes a little refresh.

Building media lists and pitching

We also send pitches within Muck Rack. I love that I can see if the email has been opened. When we see a pitch gets opened a lot, it helps verify that it didn’t get stuck in spam.

Finally, I love that Muck Rack shows us what journalists live on multiple media lists. We have a lot of clients in similar fields, so they may get included in 10 other media lists. Being able to see that and the pitch activity in Muck Rack helps ensure we aren’t bombarding them with multiple pitches on similar topics.

Muck Rack will also share suggested contacts to add to your media lists based on the journalists you’ve already added. It helps us find fresh, new avenues to pitch.

Tracking media placements

Within Muck Rack, I’ve set up Alerts to track my clients’ news, and I receive daily alerts when they’re mentioned in the media. This type of automated service ensures we aren’t missing anything, and it makes it easy to share updates with our client.

I also love that, with Muck Rack, I can search for media coverage by URL, which makes it easier to find even more coverage. For example, I can search for my client’s website in Muck Rack, and it pulls articles that might not mention my client by name but that does include the URL in the piece. 

We also use this feature to monitor our competitors, and we can share timely insights with our clients like, “Hey, did you know this company just launched a massive new product?” It allows us to act as trusted advisers for our clients.

Fast questions with Kristi

1. How has it been working with Muck Rack’s team?

The Muck Rack team is very helpful and informative and always eager to help if we need anything.

Once or twice a year, we invite a member of Muck Rack to come speak at our team meeting. Each time we do that, we always learn something new and discover a new feature we didn’t know existed.

2. What would your job be like if you didn’t have Muck Rack?

It would be very difficult. Back in the day, you could open up a magazine and see who the editors were, and they stayed there forever. Now, they’re gone. With so many freelancers out there doing most of the writing and with everyone wearing so many hats, doing our job without a great database would be nearly impossible.

3. What would you tell other companies considering using Muck Rack?

It’s a great value for all that you get—both the database and the media tracking capabilities. And Muck Rack is at the forefront of innovation when it comes to technology like AI.

4. How would you describe your experience with Muck Rack in three words?

Easy, cohesive and accurate