Every week on PR Daily, Pete Codella, a PR pro and speaker, shares one social media tool that’s a great fit for PR pros.

The Internet is lauded for making communication a breeze.

It’s a well-deserved accolade.

However, we mustn’t forget that one of the best uses of the Web is research. It helps communicators set benchmarks, and measure progress, sentiment, and, ultimately, outcomes of communication campaigns.

You’re familiar with the pages of search results on Google or Bing that send you to different websites. But you are probably less familiar with Wolfram|Alpha, which is billed as the “computational knowledge engine.”

Yeah, that’s a mouthful. Allow me to explain what it is in simpler terms—and why you should consider using it.

Instead of functioning like a search engine—that is, producing a bunch of links to different Web resources—Wolfram|Alpha provides answers to questions in a report-style format.

Try typing in Google. Here’s a screenshot of what the results page looks like—half the page, really:



Better yet, enter the name of your company or client.

The service uses information found online to compile reports on various areas like math, conversions, and general facts. It provides access to vast scientific, technical, medical, health, business, financial, weather, geographic, and general knowledge.

Wolfram|Alpha also offers mobile apps, widgets, toolbars, and business solutions.

Although Wolfram|Alpha isn’t a social media platform, it is a relatively new tool of the digital age, and certainly one to be mindful of as you counsel others.

You can take a tour of Wolfram|Alpha here.

(Image via)