What Is the Best Time to Send a Press Release?

Sending a press release at the right time can make all the difference in terms of media coverage and exposure. Timing is key when it comes to getting your story noticed by journalists and ensuring that it gets the attention it deserves. 

However, with so many factors to consider, it can be challenging to determine the best time to send a press release. In this blog post, we’ll share some tips that will help you send your news release at the right time and improve your chances for success. Whether you’re a seasoned PR professional or just starting out, this information will help you get the most out of your efforts.

How Far in Advance Should You Send a Press Release?

Before anything else, you should decide how far in advance you’ll send your media release. 

It’s recommended to send the email a few days to a week before the event or announcement. This allows journalists sufficient time to review the information and potentially include it in their coverage. However, if the news is time-sensitive, sending the press release the day before the event may be appropriate. 

Having a defined goal will help you decide how far in advance you need to email journalists. Start by determining your goal before deciding when to send the release email. Is the point of your release to generate media coverage or raise awareness about upcoming events or product launches? 

What Is the Best Day to Send a Press Release?

First of all, it’s important to choose the right day for contacting journalists about your press release. If you choose wisely, you’ll be more likely to grab their attention and actually get a response. And that’s what you want. If you send the email too early or too late, you might lose out on the chance to get coverage. You know what they say – you snooze, you lose. 

Generally speaking, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are considered the best days for sending out a press release, as they are the start of the workweek, and journalists are more likely to be available and looking for new content to cover. Of course, there is no set rule, but these three days have shown the best results in various surveys on this subject. 

Avoid sending releases on Fridays and weekends, as they may not receive much attention. Journalists have weekends too. 

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What Time Should You Send Your Press Release?

So, come Monday or Tuesday, should you send your press release first thing in the morning or after lunchtime? Well, the early bird gets the worm, right?

The best time of day to send a press release to journalists is usually in the morning, between 8 AM and 10 AM. Sending a press release later in the day may mean it gets buried in the journalist inbox and goes unnoticed. All in all, you should strive to send the email before lunchtime. 

Sending your release in the afternoon might still get you a response, but you should avoid emailing journalists in the evening and during other out-of-office hours.

A piece of advice that will help you stand out is to avoid sending the email on the hour of half-hour (e.g., 9 AM or 9:30 AM). Why? Well, most people will schedule their emails to go out automatically, which means the emails will be sent on the hour or half-hour. So, pick a more unique time, such as 10:43 AM. This way, your press release won’t be delivered at the same time as everybody else’s. 

Reminder: Check the journalist’s time zone when scheduling your email and pick the timing accordingly. 

Beware of the Holidays

Sending out a press release on holidays can be hit or miss. On the one hand, journalists may have more free time to read and respond to your release. On the other hand, they may be out of the office and not checking their email, or they may be focused on holiday-themed stories and not as interested in other news.

It depends on the type of news you’re announcing and how relevant it is to the holiday season. It may be well received if it is timely and related to the holiday. However, if it’s not particularly newsworthy or relevant to the season, it may be better to wait until after the holidays.

In general, it’s always a good idea to consider journalists’ schedules when planning your press release timing and not schedule the email during days off.

How Often Should You Send Press Releases?

When it comes to frequency, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. But a good rule of thumb is to send press releases no more than once or twice per month. You don’t want to overwhelm the journalists and flood their inboxes with irrelevant news.

Keep in mind that a press release should be sent only when you have something newsworthy and relevant to share. Don’t just send out a press release for the sake of sending one – always make sure the information is valuable and will interest your target audience.

What to Pay Attention to When Sending a Press Release?

Find the Right Journalists

Finding the right journalists to pitch your press release to is important in getting media coverage. Here are some tips you can follow:

• Identify the target media outlets: Start by researching media outlets that cover stories relevant to your industry or niche. Make a list of relevant news websites, magazines, TV shows, and radio programs.
• Research individual journalists: Once you have identified the target media outlets, research individual journalists who cover similar stories. Look at their past stories, areas of interest, and writing style to determine if they would be a good fit for your story.
• Build relationships: Building relationships with journalists can increase the chances of your news release being picked up. Follow their work, engage with them on social media, and attend events where you can meet them in person.

If you don’t know how to get hold of journalists, there are a few solutions. First of all, you can reach out to an agency that provides PR outreach services – they’ll know what to do and how to get results. 

Otherwise, you can sign up for a release distribution service like HARO (Help a Reporter Out) and connect with journalists looking for exciting new stories within your niche. 

How to Structure Your Email Pitch

Of course, it’s important to learn how to write a press release in order to get results. But that’s not the end of it. You also need to structure your email pitch properly to get the journalist’s attention. Here are some tips: 

• Subject line: Keep it short and descriptive; summarize the main news in a few words. Try to come up with an attention-grabbing subject. 
• Introduction: Start with a personalized greeting and a sentence that hooks the journalist’s attention.
• Main body: Give a brief overview of the press release and why it’s newsworthy. Highlight the key points and benefits of the story.
• CTA: Encourage the journalist to read the attached press release and consider covering the story.
• Closing: Close the email with your contact information and a brief signature.

Keep the email concise and to the point, as journalists receive a high volume of emails daily. Also, don’t send the same email to multiple journalists – personalize your pitches to show that you’ve done your research and that you care.

The Follow-up

Because journalists are usually busy, they may not respond immediately. If you haven’t heard back after a reasonable amount of time, sending a follow-up email is a good way to go. Timing depends on the individual journalist and their response rate, but a general guideline is to wait a few days (e.g., 3-5 days) before sending a follow-up email. However, you need to respect their time and refrain from sending too many follow-ups – you don’t want to be a nuisance. 

In the follow-up email, you can politely inquire about the status of the news release and if the journalist has any questions. Keep it short and sweet, and avoid being pushy or persistent. The goal is simply to check in and ensure your email wasn’t lost or overlooked.

Ready to Hit Send? 

Now that you know the rules for sending your press release at the right time, you’re ready to reach out to journalists and get media coverage for your business. Follow our tips to maximize the impact of each pitch email, and you’ll see great success rates. And if you need help, don’t hesitate to contact us and get our PR services – we’ll secure the media coverage your brand deserves! We can create your public relations strategy to make sure you get the wanted results.