Media attention can be determined by a number of constantly changing variables, but the experienced distribution team at PR Fire are keen to share their insight into the perfect time to distribute a press release – based on their extensive experience.
Factors contributing to the success of a press release can range from relationships with journalists, editorial schedules, other key stories hitting the news desks on the same day, and many other factors that businesses have no real control over. But, something that a business can control is the time at which they choose to distribute – so there’s no harm in experimenting with this to determine the perfect time.
Depending on the topic of the news story, this can also determine whenit should be released into the world of journalism. For example:
- An Event Press Release – Submit 3 weeks in advance.
- A New Product Press Release – Submit 1 to 2 weeks before the product hits the market.
- Partnerships Press Release – Submit as soon as a deal is official.
- An Award Press Release – Submit ASAP
- A Rebranding Press Release – Submit 1 to 2 weeks before launch or relaunch.
- A Book Launch Press Release – Submit 2 to 4 weeks in advance.
- A Grand Opening Press Release – Submit 3 weeks in advance.
Of course, the topic may not fall directly under these categories. However this is a useful timeline to use, and can be adapted to fit a specific niche/storyline.
The optimum time of day to submit a press release can vary greatly depending on publication, location, and specific journalist. PR Fire’s team advise sending a press release pitch between the contact’s local hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., or earlier.
According to statistics, response rates drop dramatically after lunch, and pitching in the late afternoon or nighttime is not recommended. It helps to imagine the day-to-day of a journalist, and consider when they would be most likely to open their emails; of course, there are always some people who work as night owls – but the majority are on the day shift!
Weekends and holidays are also not suggested for obvious reasons—most journalists are not reading emails during those times. Many organisations transition into weekend mode on Fridays, so there’s far less interest in the hundredth proposal received that week.
A spokesperson for PR Fire shared the following advice: “There are exceptions to these pointers; for example, if you have a tight turnaround or a breaking news story, these will generally take precedence over scheduling guidelines.
However, once you’ve decided on the type of journalists you want to reach and the type of media you want to target, we recommend sending out your press release as early as possible on the chosen day, ideally before 3pm avoiding evening times.”
To assist their clients in distributing their press release at the optimum time, PR Fire offer a scheduling function – which allows their clients to submit their press release, and schedule it for a chosen date and time with ease. The team are currently working on adapting this feature to allow clients to schedule their release across time zones to support their international press release distribution capabilities.
For more information, visit www.prfire.co.uk