The Correct Time to Send a Press Release: Don’t Miss It!

You have written one of the best press releases ever. But what’s the use of those beautifully woven words if you miss the right time to send your masterpiece to the right people?

Press release marketing is as important as press release writing. An important aspect in marketing is the timely sending of your content to the media.

What’s the correct time to send your press release?

It depends on what the release is about and to whom you intend to send it. There are no hard and fast rules.

·   If your event is big and revolutionary, you must send your press release two to three months in advance. Follow up a week later with a media buzz, which is a reminder. Journalists usually prepare for big, groundbreaking events much in advance.

·       If your event is small and simple, send your press release a week in advance. This will give enough time for journalists to prepare for your event, and they will also not forget about it.

·   If your press release is about special occasions like Christmas or New Year’s Eve and you are targeting prestigious magazines, then you need to send the press release four to six months in advance. Journalists of such magazines start preparing for these occasions months in advance. So, if it is New Year’s Eve, they will begin to plan in August or September!

What if you send your press release just before the event?

It is risky. The journalist might miss seeing it, and you have no time to follow up. Or their calendar might be too full to make a change or include your event coverage.

To be on the safer side of the press release marketing, keep a week gap between your event and sending off you press release.

You may send a reminder or a buzz just before the event. It should be an intriguing one, something that arouses curiosity so the journalist cannot help but be there.

However, if you have managed to finalize your press release just before the event, it is better to send it anyway than not sending it at all.

Beware of the breaking news!

Your press release distribution should not collide with some breaking news happening at that time.

It is better to wait until the buzz about the breaking news has died. Otherwise, your press release is likely to get lost in the chaos of breaking news.

Also, make sure that your event does not collide with a big event by a major brand. Journalists are more likely to attend to the major brand’s event than yours, unless, of course, you, too, are a major one. Yet, you may still lose a certain amount of media coverage because half of the attention would go to the other event.

Last but not the least, always be available after sending your press release. So, avoid sending it just before a flight. Journalists might want to contact you and your “flight mode” may annoy them. They might simply drop your event from their calendar.

Press release marketing is all about striking when the iron is hot. It creates a deep impact.