Inbound PR tool.
An inbound PR tool focuses on responding to journalists who are actively asking for sources, expertise, or quotes — the opposite of outbound tools that pitch journalists who haven't asked. The inbound model has structurally higher response rates because the journalist initiated the conversation; the cost of being wrong is lower for both sides. PRAPI is an inbound PR tool: it aggregates 8 source-request feeds, scores each query against your portfolio, and drafts voice-validated pitches you send from your own inbox.
Inbound vs outbound PR — structural differences
Inbound: journalists post source requests on platforms (HARO, Featured, Help a B2B Writer, etc.). The operator monitors, matches their brands against the queries, and responds. Response rates are typically 5-15% (a journalist who posted a query is reading responses). Outbound: the operator (or PR agency) cold-pitches journalists from a contact database. The operator picks the journalist, drafts a pitch, sends. Response rates are typically <1% (most journalists ignore unsolicited pitches; some treat them as spam). Both work, but the math is different. Inbound is more efficient for solo founders and small teams; outbound scales for larger PR teams with sustained capacity.
What an inbound PR tool actually does
Five things, typically: (1) aggregates inbound source requests from platforms into one inbox; (2) scores each query against the brand's brief.md to determine if there's a fit; (3) drafts a voice-validated pitch in the brand's voice if there is; (4) runs outlet diligence to flag pay-for-play and sponsored-content farms before you waste pitch effort; (5) returns the draft for you to review and send from your own inbox. PRAPI does all five for one fee per portfolio.
Why "you send from your own inbox" matters
An inbound tool that auto-sends produces template-feeling pitches journalists deprioritize. An inbound tool that hands the draft back for review and lets you send personally preserves the human-relationship signal — the journalist receives a response from a real person at a real domain with real reply handling. PRAPI is explicit about this: we never email on your behalf. You write, the tool polishes, you send.
When to layer outbound on top
Inbound covers most routine PR; outbound has its place for (a) breaking-news announcements that need proactive distribution, (b) sustained category-establishment campaigns where you need multiple touches over months, and (c) executive-profile work where you're targeting specific reporters. PRAPI's separate Outbound module handles the third use case for multi-brand operators; for the first two, traditional release-distribution tools like PR Newswire fit better.
FAQ
What is an inbound PR tool?
A tool that helps you respond to journalists actively asking for sources, in contrast to outbound tools that cold-pitch journalists who haven't asked. PRAPI aggregates 8 inbound source-request feeds and drafts voice-validated responses.
Why is inbound more effective than outbound for solo founders?
Response rates. Inbound queries (HARO, Featured) typically convert at 5-15% because the journalist initiated the conversation; outbound cold pitches typically convert at <1%. For solo founders without sustained PR capacity, inbound delivers more coverage per hour spent.
Does PRAPI handle outbound at all?
PRAPI's separate Outbound module handles cold email and LinkedIn paste-and-validate for sales prospecting (50 sends/brand/day cap). PR-Pitch is inbound-only by design.
How is inbound PR different from earned media?
Inbound PR is a subset of earned media — coverage you didn't pay for. Earned media also includes stories journalists write without you pitching at all (because they discovered your company through other channels). Inbound PR is the part where you actively respond to specific source requests.
Can I run inbound PR without a tool?
Yes — manually checking HARO, Featured, and Help a B2B Writer takes ~30 minutes daily and produces meaningful coverage at 1-2 brand scale. The tool becomes worth it once you (a) miss queries because you couldn't check in time, (b) run multiple brands and need per-brand routing, or (c) want voice fidelity and outlet diligence baked in.
How does inbound PR fit with multi-brand operations?
It scales linearly with brand count if the tool routes correctly. PRAPI scores every query against every brand in your portfolio and routes to the highest-fit brand automatically. Without that routing, an operator running 5 brands either misses queries or pays per-brand pricing on a single-brand tool.
Inbound PR is what PRAPI does.
14-day trial on every plan. 8 source feeds, voice-validated drafts, you send personally.