TLDR (Summary)
The best all-in-one CRM for PR professionals is Plutio ($19/month).
Plutio replaces the fragmented stack of client management tools, project boards, scheduling apps, and separate invoicing systems. When a client signs their retainer, the project is ready, tasks are set, and payment schedules are in place.
PR agencies lose significant hours every week to administrative toggling between disconnected tools, which costs around ~9% of time.
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What is all-in-one software for PR professionals?
All-in-one software for PR professionals combines client management, proposals, contracts, campaign tracking, time tracking, invoicing, and client portals in one connected platform rather than separate tools that don't share data.
Without integration, PR agencies piece together media databases, project management tools, invoicing software, and email for client communication. Each tool handles one function, but none connect automatically. Client details get copied between systems, time entries don't flow to invoices, and campaign status lives separately from billing.
The fragmentation creates daily friction. Logging into multiple platforms to piece together a client's history. Copying details from one tool to another. Manually cross-referencing time entries with retainer scope. Hoping that what you quoted matches what you're actually delivering. The cognitive overhead adds up, and the risk of errors increases with every manual handoff.
When campaigns, time, and billing live in one place, you capture every billable hour. Proposals convert to contracts, contracts trigger projects, and completed work generates invoices without manual data transfer.
What problems does integration solve?
Integrated platforms address the scaling problem that every growing PR agency faces. Managing 3-5 clients with separate tools is annoying but manageable. Managing 10-15 becomes chaotic. By the time you reach 20+ active accounts, the administrative overhead threatens to consume more time than actual PR work.
Integration also solves the visibility problem. Without connected tools, you can't easily answer basic questions: How many hours did we spend on Client A last month? What's our effective hourly rate on the retainer? Which campaigns are on track versus behind schedule? Is this account making money? Integrated platforms surface this information automatically because the data already exists in connected systems.
Why pr professionals need an all-in-one platform
Pr Professionals who grow beyond a handful of clients face a compounding problem: administrative overhead scales with every new engagement.
What works for 5 clients breaks down at 15. Each new client means another set of proposals, contracts, project timelines, invoices, and follow-ups, all managed across disconnected tools.
The context-switching cost
Every time you switch between apps, you lose focus. Research shows knowledge workers lose significant productive time to app-switching throughout the day. For pr professionals, this translates to billable hours spent on coordination instead of client work.
The tool fragmentation problem
When scheduling lives in one app, projects in another, invoicing in a third, and contracts in a fourth, nothing connects. Tracked time doesn't automatically appear on invoices. Signed contracts don't trigger project setup. You become the bridge between all your tools.
The scaling tipping point
Most pr professionals hit a threshold where the manual approach becomes the primary bottleneck to growth. Connected software lets you push past this ceiling by automating repetitive coordination tasks.
An all-in-one platform absorbs administrative work that would otherwise scale linearly with your client count.
Key features pr professionals need
The essential features for pr professionals connect client management with project delivery, billing, and communication in one platform.
How do PR professionals manage retainers?
PR agencies often work on monthly retainers with defined scope and recurring billing. Plutio supports retainer tracking by connecting time logging to client accounts, so you see hours against monthly allocation in real-time.
Recurring invoices send automatically on your schedule without manual creation each month. Time tracking reveals which retainers run efficiently versus which consistently require more hours than pricing supports. When actual hours exceed estimates, you have data to support pricing conversations rather than assumptions.
Whether retainers make money depends on understanding true time investment. Without tracking, you can't know whether a retainer is sustainable until cash flow problems surface.
Common retainer structures for PR agencies
Most PR retainers fall into a few categories. Monthly retainers define scope with a fixed fee, typically ranging from $3,000 to $15,000 per month depending on services included. Scope usually covers a defined number of press releases, media outreach activities, monthly reporting, and ongoing counsel.
Hour-based retainers allocate a specific number of hours monthly with overage billing for excess time. These work well when scope varies month to month but clients want predictable budgeting. Common allocations range from 20-50 hours monthly.
Project-based work supplements retainers for specific campaigns, product launches, or event PR. These have defined deliverables and timelines separate from ongoing retainer work.
Retainer tracking in practice
Effective retainer management requires visibility into three things: contracted scope, actual time investment, and remaining capacity. Plutio tracks all three. As you log time against retainer clients, the dashboard shows hours used against allocation. Alerts notify you before exceeding budgeted time so you can discuss additional billing or scope adjustment before it becomes a problem.
How do PR professionals manage campaigns?
Plutio project management supports PR campaigns with task lists, kanban boards, and timeline views. Assign team members to specific deliverables, set deadlines for press releases and media outreach, and track dependencies between tasks.
Campaign templates standardize setup for common work: product launches, ongoing media relations, event PR, and crisis response. Create templates once, apply to new campaigns with one click. Tasks, milestones, and team assignments generate automatically from proven structures.
Client visibility through portals keeps stakeholders informed without constant status update emails. Clients see progress, approve deliverables, and access coverage reports in their branded portal.
PR campaign structure in Plutio
Typical PR campaign structures include phases for research and strategy, media list development, content creation, outreach execution, and reporting. Each phase contains tasks with assignments and deadlines. Dependencies ensure tasks happen in order: strategy approval before content creation, content approval before media outreach.
Milestones mark significant points in the campaign: strategy approval, first pitch wave, coverage achieved, final report delivered. Milestone-based billing ties payments to these checkpoints rather than arbitrary dates.
Media relations tracking
While Plutio isn't a media database, it tracks your media relations activities effectively. Log outreach activities as tasks, note journalist responses, and track coverage placement. Connect time entries to specific outreach efforts to understand the investment required for results achieved.
Coverage reports compile results for client reporting. Link to published articles, screenshot placements, and note reach and impact metrics. Clients access coverage documentation through their portal alongside campaign status updates.
How does the PR workflow connect?
The complete workflow connects proposal to payment without manual handoffs between tools. When a client accepts your proposal, Plutio can automatically generate the contract with terms pulled from the proposal. When they sign, the project creates with tasks and milestones from your templates.
As you work, time tracking captures hours against the campaign. When milestones complete, invoices generate automatically based on agreed payment schedules. Clients receive invoices in their portal with payment buttons that connect to Stripe or PayPal.
Every step connects to the next. Changes update everywhere. No copying data between separate systems or reconciling discrepancies between tools.
Workflow automation examples
Common PR workflow automations include: sending welcome emails when contracts are signed, creating onboarding tasks when projects start, generating invoices when milestones complete, notifying account managers when clients view proposals, and sending payment reminders when invoices are overdue.
Automations reduce manual follow-up and ensure consistent client experience. Set up rules once during initial configuration, and they run continuously without attention. The time saved compounds with every client engagement.
Integration with other tools
Plutio integrates with tools PR agencies commonly use. Stripe and PayPal process payments directly. Google Calendar and Outlook sync schedules. QuickBooks and Xero receive financial data for accounting. Zapier connects to 3,000+ other applications for specialized needs.
These integrations preserve workflow continuity while allowing specialized tools where deeper functionality is needed. Plutio handles the core workflow; integrations extend capabilities without fragmenting the client management experience.
How do PR professionals create proposals?
Plutio proposals combine professional presentation with practical functionality. Create branded templates for different service types: retainer proposals, campaign projects, and specialized services. Include service descriptions, pricing, terms, and digital acceptance buttons.
Proposals track when prospects open, which sections they review, and how long they spend. Engagement tracking informs follow-up timing and conversation focus. If a prospect spent significant time reviewing pricing, address value proposition in your follow-up call.
Proposal structure for PR services
Effective PR proposals typically include an executive summary (client challenge, your approach, expected outcomes), situation analysis (your understanding of their position and media landscape), strategy overview (messaging framework and media targets), tactical plan (specific activities and channels), case studies (relevant past results), team credentials (who will work on their account), and investment (pricing with payment terms).
Templates encode your best pitch approach. Rather than creating proposals from scratch each time, customize proven templates for specific prospects. Consistent structure improves quality while reducing creation time.
Proposal-to-contract flow
When prospects accept proposals, contract generation follows automatically. Contract terms pull from the proposal including scope, pricing, and payment schedules. Clients sign digitally without printing or scanning. Signed contracts trigger project creation with tasks and milestones from your templates.
The deciding factor for pr professionals is integration depth. Features that connect with each other eliminate duplicate effort across your workflow.
How much does Plutio cost for PR agencies?
Plutio pricing starts at $19/month (Core) for solo PR consultants with up to 9 active clients. All features are included on all plans with no tier restrictions on functionality.
The Pro plan at $49/month supports unlimited clients and team collaboration with advanced permissions. The Max plan at $199/month adds unlimited team members, white-label branding with custom domain, and single sign-on for enterprise security.
There are no per-user fees that multiply as your team grows. One flat monthly price gives access to proposals, contracts, projects, time tracking, invoicing, and client portals. Compare to stacking separate tools that each charge per user.
Cost comparison
PR agencies using separate tools might pay: project management ($10-25/user/month), invoicing ($15-30/month), proposals ($20-50/user/month), contracts ($15-40/user/month), time tracking ($5-20/user/month), and client portals ($20-50/month). Total costs range from $85-215 monthly for a single user before adding team members.
Plutio combines these functions at $19-199/month regardless of team size (within plan limits). The savings increase as teams grow because per-user fees don't apply.
ROI considerations
Beyond subscription savings, integrated platforms recover hours weekly. Eliminating data transfer between tools, reducing administrative overhead, and capturing previously unbilled hours all contribute to return on investment. Most PR agencies recover Plutio's cost within the first month through efficiency gains and better time capture.
Why Plutio is the best platform for pr professionals
Plutio handles business management as a complete, connected workflow. Data flows from the proposal to the final invoice with no manual copying.
Complete workflow integration
When a client accepts a proposal, the project is ready with tasks, timeline, and payment schedule. Time tracked against tasks feeds directly into invoices. Everything stays connected to the client record.
White-label everything
Clients log into a portal branded with your logo, colors, and domain. Every automated email, invoice, and notification carries your brand, not some third-party tool. On the Max plan, use your own domain for a fully branded experience.
Unified client communication
All messages, file shares, and updates live in one timeline per client. Any team member can pick up context instantly. No more "I didn't get that email" or searching through separate tools for conversation history.
Granular permissions
Control visibility at every level, which team members see which clients, what clients see in their portal, who can edit versus view. Security and clarity in one system.
No-code automations
Create rules that handle repetitive tasks: proposal accepted → create project, due date approaching → send reminder, invoice overdue → escalate notification. Set up once, runs continuously.
Native integrations
Connect Stripe, PayPal, Google Calendar, Outlook, QuickBooks, Xero, and 5,000+ apps through Zapier. Your financial data syncs automatically.
Everything runs from one app with your branding, your workflow logic, and your client experience.
Getting started with Plutio for PR
Setting up Plutio for your PR practice takes 2-4 hours for initial configuration, then becomes faster with each new client engagement.
Initial setup steps
Start by configuring default settings: payment terms, hourly rates, tax settings, and brand identity. Upload your logo, set colors and typography, and configure custom domain if using the Max plan. These settings apply automatically to all documents and communications.
Template creation
Build templates for your common document types: retainer proposals, campaign project proposals, service contracts, and invoice formats. Creating templates takes time upfront but dramatically speeds every future engagement. Most PR agencies need 3-5 proposal templates, 2-3 contract templates, and 2-3 invoice formats to cover their standard work.
Client setup
Import existing client data via CSV export from your current tools. For each active client, create their project structure, set up portal access, and configure billing. New client onboarding after initial setup takes 15-30 minutes using your templates and established workflows.
Free trial
Plutio offers a 14-day free trial with full functionality. No credit card required to start. Test all features including proposals, contracts, projects, time tracking, invoicing, and client portals. The trial period gives sufficient time to configure your practice and test with real client work before committing to a paid plan.
Organizing your pr professional workflows
Structured organization is the difference between a business that scales smoothly and one that drowns in admin as it grows.
Organize by service type
- Core service: Your primary offering with detailed project templates and milestone tracking.
- Secondary services: Additional offerings with their own templates and pricing structures.
- Retainer work: Recurring engagements with automated billing and repeating task lists.
- One-off projects: Quick-turn engagements with streamlined templates.
Organize by client stage
- Prospect: Initial inquiry received, proposal being prepared.
- Active: Contract signed, project in progress.
- Delivered: Work complete, final invoice sent.
- Recurring: Ongoing relationship with scheduled touchpoints.
Template best practices
- Start with 3 templates maximum, expand as patterns emerge.
- Include task estimates so you can track actual vs. budgeted time.
- Build in review milestones where clients approve before you proceed.
- Add automation triggers: proposal signed → project created → client notified.
Consistent structures mean consistent delivery. Templates ensure every client gets the same quality regardless of how busy you are.
What do client portals look like?
Client portals give each client a branded location to view campaign status, access documents, approve deliverables, and communicate with your team. The portal displays your agency branding with custom domain, logo, and colors.
Clients log in to see active campaigns, pending approvals, invoices with payment buttons, and message history. Self-service access reduces status update emails and lets clients get information when they need it rather than waiting for your response.
Configure visibility per client based on relationship. Some clients want full transparency into tasks and time tracking. Others prefer seeing only deliverables and invoices. Portal settings control exactly what each client can access.
Portal customization for PR agencies
Custom domain setup (clients.youragency.com) reinforces professional presentation. Clients never see third-party software branding. Every touchpoint displays your agency identity: login page, navigation, documents, and communications.
Brand colors and typography apply throughout the portal experience. Upload your logo, set primary and secondary colors, and choose fonts that match your agency brand guidelines. The result is a portal that looks like a natural extension of your agency rather than generic software.
What clients typically access
Most PR portals give clients access to campaign dashboards showing current status and upcoming milestones. Document libraries contain press materials, coverage reports, and media lists. Communication logs show message history with the account team. Invoice history with payment buttons lets clients pay outstanding balances directly.
Approval workflows let clients sign off on deliverables before distribution. Press releases, byline articles, and media pitches can require client approval. Once approved, deliverables move to execution phase automatically.
How to migrate to Plutio
Migration typically takes 3-5 hours of active work spread over a weekend. The best time to switch is between projects rather than mid-delivery.
Step 1: Export from your current tools
Most tools provide CSV export. Export your client list, active project details, and any template content you want to recreate in Plutio.
Step 2: Build templates in Plutio (2-3 hours)
Don't try to replicate your old system exactly. Use this as an opportunity to build cleaner workflows. Focus on your 3 most common project types.
Step 3: Set up integrations (30 mins)
Connect payment processing (Stripe/PayPal), calendar sync (Google/Outlook), and accounting (QuickBooks/Xero). Test each one before going live.
Step 4: Import client data (30 mins)
Upload your client CSV. Map fields to Plutio's structure. Run a small test batch first to verify everything looks right.
Step 5: Run parallel for new work
Use Plutio for all new clients and projects immediately. Keep your old system running for in-progress work only. Don't try to migrate active projects mid-stream.
Step 6: Phase out the old tool
Once all in-progress work completes in the old system, cancel that subscription. Keep your exports as archives.
Common migration pitfalls
- Trying to migrate everything: Focus on active clients and forward-looking workflows.
- Switching mid-project: Finish in-progress work on the old system.
- Not testing integrations: Verify payment processing works before relying on it.
Migration pays back in time saved on every future client interaction.
