What Is the Right Time to Send a Press Release?
Business owners and public relations professionals might understand that press releases are a way for media to know about the company and brand. They might understand that press releases are the first step into building a relationship with companies. But, often, they send one release and don’t send another for several months or they send the wrong one. It is important for PR professionals to know the right time to send a release and what type to send.
Small companies don’t always know when they should send press releases. If you want to stay in front of journalists, you should be sending releases all the time. But, it is important to send the right type of release at the right time. And, you don’t want to neglect sending releases during the summer or during holidays. To understand the best time to send a release, read this article for tips.
To know when to send a release, you have to know what type you are sending. For example, the rule of thumb for an event is two weeks prior to the event and one week after the event. Producers and editors need to plan their staff. That is why you don’t want to send an event release about two weeks before the event. Of course, there are times when a producer can have a crew ready at a moment’s notice to attend an event, but those are for high-profile events. For most events, expect to get media attention if you give them notice. You also want to follow up your release after the event with a release about what happened there. In some cases, the editor or producer was interested but had a conflict and want the details. Therefore, even if you didn’t get coverage the night of the event, you might get coverage after the fact. In some cases, you might get coverage from both releases.
If your company has news, such as a financial round or an award from an industrial association, you want to send this as soon as you have the news. Otherwise, it would become dated and not usable. It will keep your company and brand in front of the news media and journalists, especially those in your industry. It also is good when editors and producers are looking for filler stories. Those that can and should be short to fill space. The same would apply to a staff promotion or the beginning of a sale campaign.
Companies with specific niches would want to target industrial monthly magazines. For a company to get media attention from monthly magazines whether they are in print or online, you have to send your press release early. Most magazines operate on a three-month schedule. Some are a month ahead. Therefore, if you send your press release too late, it won’t make the publication’s deadline. It is not good to send event information to monthly magazines. They have too much of a lead time to cover an event unless it is an event that takes place every year at the same time, such as an industry conference. Other than an industry conference, don’t bother sending your event release to monthlies. Instead, send press releases that show you are an expert in your field. You could write a press release about trends you are predicting in your field. These are the long-feature type stories that magazines need. And, make sure you send it months in advance. For example, if you are predicting trends for the new year, most magazines need that story now for the December/January issues. Therefore, the release must be sent now for next year.
So, before you send your release, ask yourself if it is the right release at the right time? If it is, go ahead and send.
What Is the Right Time to Send a Press Release? – Next Step
If you are wondering whether you should send your release, the experts at Faselis can help you decide if it is right for your type of release. Faselis Growth helps the PR Pros with services for small companies and startups. You can check Faselis PR features on Faselis Growth.
by Louise Harris
