One of the core concepts driving Pulsar 3.0 is "Immersive Awareness," a notion that underscores Pulsar's ability to provide insights into ongoing events. This is achieved through an array of tools, including email alerts, email digests, custom dashboards, and recurring reports. In line with our commitment to fostering immersive experiences, we are delighted to introduce the launch of two new features: Shortlists and Coverage Reports.
We recognise the importance of coverage within the media monitoring space. The ability to track mentions of your brand or clients in the public discourse is critical. Equally important is the ability to swiftly and effortlessly transform this coverage into professionally designed, customisable reports. With the introduction of Shortlists and Coverage Reports, we continue to enhance your ability to immerse yourself in the information that matters most.
So, what are Shortlists and how do I use them?
Shortlists are an intuitive method to manually curate content that holds exceptional relevance for your brand, clients, or chosen topics. This process empowers users to meticulously sift through important media coverage within the Feed and categorise these media items into dedicated folders termed Shortlists. This innovative workflow, now accessible within the Feed section of our platform, is readily available for users of the PR & Comms use case.
We've meticulously streamlined the curation process, ensuring its simplicity and seamlessness. Starting from the Feed, you can filter or select your desired content. At the top of the Feed page, the Shortlist drop-down option comes into play. From there, you have the option to either add items to an existing Shortlist or create a new one, as depicted below. And that's it! A straightforward and efficient process.
Where can I view and review a Shortlist?
Within the left-hand navigation, you'll now find a dedicated page named "Shortlists" under the Feed menu. This page serves as the hub for all your created Shortlists. Here, you have the convenience to access and review your existing Shortlists, quickly add or remove content, or transfer content between different Shortlists. Moreover, this page is your starting point for crafting your Coverage Report.
What Are Coverage Reports and why should I use them?
Coverage Reports offer a user-friendly experience, making the initiation process as simple as ABC! True to its name, this tool enables users to effortlessly transform the most significant and relevant coverage that they have shortlisted, into visually appealing reports. With the flexibility to include comments, create sections, incorporate charts, and highlight crucial performance metrics, our innovative workflow caters specifically to PR & Communications experts. Notably, the design emphasises ease of use, eliminating the need for intricate training.
To access Coverage Reports, simply go to the Reports -> Create Dashboards. Here you can see a new option to Create Coverage Report from scratch.
You’ll need at least one active Shortlist in your domain to start a new Coverage Report. To make this as straightforward as possible, the platform guides you through this process step by step. Once you’ve selected a Create a Coverage Report from scratch, a side panel pop-up will appear on the screen and prompt the users to pick the Shortlist they want to work from. Once this is done, users can start curating the content that goes into their Feed chart.
What is a Feed chart?
Feed charts are the basic building blocks of every Coverage Report - they are a visual representation of the Feed Results page, therefore they have been modelled closely after this section. Users have the option to select the visual layout of their Feed charts as they build the Coverage Report, with options to choose an Expanded view, Magazine view or Table view. They can also have a combination of the different layouts in their Coverage Report!
Expanded Layout - This layout closely mirrors the default Feed Results view in a TRAC search. In the expanded layout users can select and show up to 50 pieces of content per chart. You can add multiple expanded feed charts in a Coverage Report, just bear in mind that you can visualise up to 50 items each time. In practice, this means if you wanted to add 100 pieces of content to your Coverage Report and visualise them in the expanded layout, then you’ll need to add 2 Feed charts with an expanded layout.
Magazine Layout - This layout is more visual, focusing on the images included in a piece of content. In the magazine layout, users can select and show up to 3 pieces of content per chart. You can add multiple magazine feed charts in a Coverage Report, just bear in mind that you can visualise up to 3 items each time. In practice, this means if you wanted to add 10 pieces of content to your Coverage Report and visualise them in the magazine layout, then you’ll need to add 4 Feed charts with a magazine layout.
Table Layout - This layout is a stripped down version of the Expanded view. We have removed any media and graphics, and rather emphasis is on the key metrics and the text in the selected posts. In the table view, users can select and show up to 50 pieces of content per chart. You can add multiple table feed charts in a Coverage Report, just bear in mind that you can visualise up to 50 items each time. In practice, this means if you wanted to add 100 pieces of content to your Coverage Report and visualise them in the table layout, then you’ll need to add 2 Feed charts with a table layout.
Overall, users have the ability to incorporate up to 20 Feed charts within each Coverage Report, with the flexibility to choose from the different layouts available to suit their specific needs. Additionally, they can personalize the title and append descriptions to any Feed chart they include. Furthermore, users have the option to insert comments on individual pieces of content within these charts. This feature proves especially valuable when summarizing key observations, extracting notable quotes from articles, or adding hyperlinks to related resources.
What is a Text Block chart?
In every Coverage Report, users may find it necessary to provide their own insights or comments alongside the presented information. To accommodate this need, we've introduced a new feature called the Text Block chart within Coverage Reports, empowering users to do just that. With this chart, users can seamlessly include substantial paragraphs of text and format them according to their preferences, including the ability to:
Cutomize Title and Headline: Users can select a title and adjust the headline size to create a distinct and eye-catching presentation.
Bullet Point Lists: This allows for the creation of bullet point lists, making it easy to present information in a structured and organized manner.
Text Formatting Options: Users have the freedom to format the text within the chart by applying attributes such as bold, italics, or underscores, enhancing readability and emphasis.
Hyperlink Integration: Users can insert links within the text, facilitating easy access to related resources or references.
Text Alignment: Users can choose the desired text alignment, ensuring that the content is visually appealing and well-organized.
This Text Block chart provides a versatile platform for users to augment their Coverage Reports with personalized commentary, summaries, and formatted content, thereby enhancing the overall quality and readability of their reports.
Sharing a Coverage Report
After you've successfully compiled a Coverage Report, the next step is sharing it, and we've made this process convenient for you with a few options:
Send Now: This option enables you to promptly email the completed Coverage Report to a list of recipients. Your recipients will receive an email containing a link to download the PDF report, ensuring quick and efficient delivery.
Schedule Later: If you prefer to send the report at a specific date and time in the future, you can use this option. You specify the date and time, and the report will be automatically emailed to your chosen recipients at the scheduled moment, with a link to download the PDF report.
Download as PDF: If you don't wish to email the Coverage Report and simply want to keep a local copy, you can easily download it as a PDF file once you've finished compiling it.
And that's it for our latest product announcement! As usual, we highly value your feedback regarding the usage of this new functionality, as well as any additional features you may wish to have. You can share your thoughts and suggestions through the in-app chat or by emailing us directly at product@pulsarplatform.com or collaborate@pulsarplatform.com.