I had the opportunity recently to try BuzzStream, a tool created for PR professionals to help track activity and conversations with key online media and bloggers. It’s sort of a combination of super-powered database with a dash of Cision and a splash of project management. The idea is to make it easier to for PR people to track relationships with online influencers to make for more effective interaction.

What I love about BuzzStream is that it makes it simple to bookmark information from the Internet – from articles and posts you find important, to information about the authors, using an intuitive tool that automatically fills in all the details it can grab. Talk about a time saver – no searching for contact and manually filling in information, outlets etc… You can also add your own notes and even rate influencers to prioritize future outreach.

You can also track conversations with reporters or bloggers by BCCing a dedicated email address on your correspondence with them. The conversations are automatically downloaded into your account. It also tracks Tweets, which can really help a communicator learn what makes individual influencers tick in one handy hub.
One of my favorite parts is that the account is shareable among team members, meaning everyone can contribute to the notes. Overtime, you’ve created a robust database that beats any excel spreadsheet you’ve spent years updating.

This is a paid service – around $100 per month. A representative said smaller to mid-range agencies are the primary target. The only concern that I had was that, while this is a fantastic tool, does it really make sense to add an additional cost if you already have a service like Cision or Vocus – while BuzzStream provides much more advanced organization than those services, there is still some overlap at the end of the day. In addition, like most new relationship management and tracking tools, it doesn’t include traditional broadcast and print press, which are still critical targets for most PR people.

BuzzStream offers free trials, so if you are interested in giving it a try, contact Todd@buzzstream.com.

Rachel Kay is president of RKPR, a boutique agency specializing in national consumer brands. With experience in both the agency and in-house setting, Rachel has worked with top tier brands including Kashi, ConocoPhillips, Clinique, Frederick’s of Hollywood, Samsung, Kodak, Givenchy and many more. In addition to co-founding SoCalPRBlog, she also writes at www.CommuniKaytrix.com. You can follow her on Twitter here.