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Pros
It has been great so far. I think that there are features that I have not yet used and I am excited to explore.
Compared to other tools in the market it's much more user friendly and more importantly the database is up-to-date. MediaHQ is continuously improving its features also which is great to see.
I love that it's so easy to use and that I can send out a press release that can reach hundreds of journalists and radio/TV producers quickly. It helps with rapid brand awareness.
The report function is great to see what my best performing releases are and their customer service is excellent.
Cons
Some of the formatting is a bit clunky and the contact limit of 300 contacts can be annoying.
Where the press release is uploaded/ written can be a bit awkward when copying and pasting from word.
The list hub can be confusing. Lists can also be out of date - people have left, moved jobs or are not included.
Sometimes I find some key journalists are missing or can be slow to update.
Showing Most Helpful
Showing 25 of 40 reviews
"Effective for press release/PR management"
Overall: The team have been fantastic in the onboarding process and so far we've had four bites on our press releases within just a couple of months of use.
Pros: For small companies with very few contacts, takes the grunt work out of building lists and making connections.
Cons: It is quite expensive for a small arts organisation with a tiny marketing budget. Still worth the spend, but a challenge!
Vendor Response
"Easy to use and navigate"
Overall: It has been great so far. I think that there are features that I have not yet used and I am excited to explore.
Pros: It is user friendly and the support from the MediaHQ team is great- they respond quickly to queries.
Cons: There are features that I have not used and was unaware of. Maybe a guide of everything that MediaHQ can do would be great.
Vendor Response
"Media HQ handy tool for PR use"
Overall: Overall good, i use it on a daily basis and it streamlines our press syndication
Pros: timesaving and a discovery resource for media contacts, good customer support and training offered.
Cons: Some of the formatting is a bit clunky and the contact limit of 300 contacts can be annoying.
"Good pruduct"
Overall: Have used the product through the years - and features that were included in the MediaHQ when I started using the product 10 years ago are now are separated out and costed individually so it's getting more and more difficult to not feel price gouged. Training is a video and very little else. Useful to have influencers on the list hub too.
Pros: The list hub is a hugely useful resource. The product is really easy to use and scheduling of press releases is a very useful feature. The reporting tool is useful too.
Cons: There was no offer of integrating with an existing business product. Two step authentication is time consuming and not necessary. The list hub can be confusing. Lists can also be out of date - people have left, moved jobs or are not included. Title of people and where they work in large organisations would be useful.
Vendor Response
"Excellent system and well maintained database of contacts"
Overall: Excellent -- it's reliable and easy to use, and I feel it gets press releases and pitches to the vast majority of appropriate media targets without my having to spend ages searching for contacts myself.
Pros: A detailed, and well maintained database of media contacts and specialist lists already created that can be used right away.
Cons: Having to manually update media lists every day, which isn't workable sometimes. Would be great if changes could be automatically made.
"MediaHQ is a great help with issuing press releases "
Overall: MediaHQ is a great tool with really excellent client support.
Pros: MediaHQ is a great tool for staying up to date with new media appointments and transfers across the industry, while also acting as a really useful aid in designing, writing, scheduling and issuing multiple press releases for clients.
Cons: Overall MediaHQ is a positive work too, however, sometimes the server is slow and has issues with loading and general functionality.
Vendor Response
"Media HQ is a very convenient and efficient tool"
Overall: Our overall experience is very good. The service saves time and is great for analytic data like open and click rates.
Pros: We find that Media HQ is a very efficient tool to distribute press releases and liaise with media. Having a readymade template for releases and being able to see what it will look like in inboxes is very helpful but having media lists to easily send material to is a game-changer in terms of time and efficiency. It is also great for getting accurate contact information.
Cons: I find the search function limited sometimes.
Vendor Response
"Great overall product and user experience "
Overall: Very good experience - I would be lost without MediaHQ as it takes a whole swathe of potential work off my plate. I don't need to manage media lists, record my press releases or wonder if my release was opened, it's all there in one portal.
Pros: It provides a number of different resources, which I really like - access to media contacts, creation of lists, support writing press releases, post release analytics. It is a key tool in managing good engagement with media as a stakeholder. It is relatively easy to use and when I have a question, the support is excellent.
Cons: Sometimes the database does not have a media contact, even ones that would be well known. I would also like if I could add my own additional contacts when issuing a press release.
Vendor Response
"One-stop resource for key PR contacts"
Pros: MediaHQ has been an invaluable resource for our team. We've been able to compile PR lists quickly and easily and it gives us a single point for management of our press releases and versioning. The support team have been quick to respond whenever we've had a question. Overall, it has saved us many manhours of time compiling and managing lists and distributing press releases.
Cons: We haven't had any major issues. I would like to take more advantage of the AI features that have been introduced. Possibly a little light on some of the trade titles but the customer service team have been very responsive when I've suggested additions to the database.
Vendor Response
"A Godsend for PR Pros"
Overall: A godsend really, has helped me with a client that likes to send out a lot of press releases
Pros: The media list collation and database are second to none
Cons: Sometimes the search feature isn't the greatest, would like stats on podcasts etc.
"Saves time"
Overall: It definitely saves me time when issuing releases. It's great to have tailored lists. But it's an expensive service for a small company.
Pros: Lists feature make management easy. Scheduling is very handy. Can issue to large volumes quickly. Very responsive out customer service
Cons: Slow to save contacts. Some out of date contacts. Expensive or small PR company. Would be good if you could share a login with a colleague when you are on annual leave.
Vendor Response
"MediaHQ - An honest review"
Overall: I like MediaHQ, I think it's a very useful tool overall. When looking for the correct personal it is very helpful and saves so much time than having to do this manually.
Pros: MediaHQ offers plenty of helpful features, but one standout advantage is the media contacts lists. These lists provide a comprehensive and up-to-date database of media professionals and journalists which proves to be a fantastic resource. The ability to search and breakdown these lists into subcategories enhances the usability further. This feature allows you to narrow down your outreach efforts to specific geographic regions for example. ensuring that my message reaches the right audience.Having access to accurate and organised media contact information makes all the difference in our campaigns.
Cons: One aspect that MediaHQ lacks is the absence of media monitoring capabilities. Unlike some competitors that combine media lists with media monitoring functionalities, MediaHQ focuses primarily on providing an extensive database of media contacts and outlets.While MediaHQ's main strength lies in its comprehensive media contacts lists and the ability to categorise them effectively, the absence of media monitoring is a slight limitation as this is what I would like to see.
"An Extremely Helpful Tool For Organization And Distribution Of Press Releases"
Overall: Overall I found the platform to be perfectly suited to our needs, weather it be creating press releases, distributing press releases or managing the thousands of contacts we have in the media.
Pros: This platform makes it really easy to organize different media lists and helps to keep track of the various contacts we have for different types of press releases. The customer service was also extremely helpful and they were always open to any questions I had.
Cons: It can be confusing to navigate the website at first but MediaHQ ensure that help is always available to make sure this issue is dealt with swiftly.
Vendor Response
"Media HQ Review"
Overall: Really good, it doesn't take long to get up to speed with it and is really beneficial for someone who regularly issues press releases
Pros: Range of contacts available, low rate of bouncebacks on emails, being able to schedule times for press releases.
Cons: Not much! There are a few contacts who aren't on it that would be useful to have on it but all is largely positive
Vendor Response
"Media HQ Review"
Overall: Experience using the platform has been good.
Pros: Pre-populated media lists/regularly updated.
Cons: News feed is not a feature I've ever looked at or used due to capacity.
Vendor Response
"Media HQ Review"
Overall: Very Good - will continue to use regularly Customer support excellent
Pros: Contact search ability List creations for different genres, new stores Ability to schedule
Cons: Images can only be under 1MB to upload - I have to resize images often
Vendor Response
"Great programme, accessible learning curve"
Pros: Very easy to use and to send press release out to hundreds of media contacts simultaneously.
Cons: When trying to send a test email of a drafted press release, I think there should be an alert that comes up to say 'Your test email could not be sent because you have left a field blank.' However, if I have indeed left a field blank (which I have accidentally done a few times), it looks as if the test email has been sent and I'm then left wondering why it hasn't arrived. It's a small gripe!
Vendor Response
"Excellent Media Platform & So Easy to Use"
Overall: this is saving me time, money and helping me to create meaningful content, whilst I build lists of exactly who I need to target and when, it has streamlined so much work that is really impactful and important for us
Pros: easy to use, training and support excellent, design is all about the user and making their work easy, it doesn't take long to learn about the platform and I would highly recommend it to others
Cons: nothing to say about this as the package is so useful
"Media HQ review"
Pros: The ease of access, the contact updating feature, pre-made lists, search and email distribution were all very good
Cons: can sometimes be slow when pressing return to search - only thing I can think of so I'm nitpicking
Vendor Response
"10/10 Service "
Overall: 10/10, the team that set me up were amazing also, in explaining everything
Pros: Being able to finding industry leaders contact details
Cons: speed of the system has been up and down having to wait sometimes before you search
"A Great Product!"
Pros: Ease of use and automatic updates on contacts so that you can always keep your contacts relevant. I also like the saved lists so that you can save time.
Cons: Nothing, I like all of the aspects, it does what to says on the tin!
Vendor Response
"Media HQ makes issuing press releases and photographs quick and straightforward"
Pros: Media HQ's interface is well- designed and easy to use. Their lists are always up to date and the media outlets/journalists they have listed often have important information such as publication date and reach. The Customer Support team are excellent and always at hand.
Cons: The price is high, especially if you are not using it on a regular basis.
"We'd be lost without Media HQ "
Overall: The customer service is great. I feel like we are valued with regular check-ins from the Media HQ team. I don't feel like a faceless customer, which is a very unique feeling.
Pros: Media HQ makes my job easier. It's easy for us to send press releases and information to Media Contacts. The analytics are incredibly helpful for me in communicating my department's efficacy to our Senior Management Team. It also allows us to tailor our approaches moving forward.
Cons: I wouldn't say I like the price point, but I understand why it needs to be so expensive.
"Head of Marketing "
Overall: Really positive. Great customer support. Sending more Press Releases and no longer a burden to send them
Pros: Access to so many journalists Developing strong media lists to send PR to Getting PR in the correct email inboxes
Cons: Can't track reply rates. Nothing else at the moment
"Media HQ IMNDA "
Overall: Generally I have no issue using it.. only what i have stated above but these are not big issues to me ultimately.
Pros: Generally all the features that I use are pretty helpful. Sometimes I find the search can be a little time consuming.
Cons: Maybe the saved lists could be updated automatically save having to go in each time and generate new ones.