Press releases are pretty straightforward. They only deal with facts and you don’t have to worry about convincing people to buy a product that they’re not really interested in.
So, writing a PR shouldn’t be any trouble at all, right? Wrong.
Here you go!
Why You Need To Follow Press Release Examples
A lot of writers that happen to be brilliant creative writers can still struggle with Press Releases. One of the main problems that some writers come across when writing press releases is trying to keep everything concise. A lot of writers might be used to padding out their work and looking for extra little tidbits that will help them reach their target word count. The press release is a completely different beast though. Sometimes the best idea is for a writer to look at a press release example to get a feel of how a good PR should look and feel.
The Search Is On
Now, you would think that looking for press release examples would be fairly easy. Uncle Google provides plenty of answers to more complex questions every day. But then when you type those three small words in to the little box and hit enter — you get more than you bargained for.
Which Example Is Best?
There are small press releases and large press releases. There are press releases by industry and press releases by date. With all these examples, how do you know which one will suit your specific needs?
In order to figure this out, you’ll need to know what your needs are. How much do you really know about writing a press release? What kind of questions do you need to have answered before you can write the perfect PR? Let’s start from the beginning.
What Do You Need to Consider?
Press releases are solely for newsworthy events. This is an extremely strict rule (although one that many people break regularly); but that doesn’t mean that PRs can’t cover a whole host of subjects. They could be about anything from a merger between companies to a business offering a discount for some reason.
1. What’s it about? Make a note of the news that you need to write about in the press release. If a company is opening its doors for the first time in a while, look for similar PRs by typing in search terms that might be used for your company.
2. How should it read? The examples that are thrown out from this search will more than likely give you an idea on the style and tone of a press release (hint: it’s not conversational like a blog, PRs are serious stuff!) as well as how the press release should be presented. Generally speaking, a PR should be made up of around 4 paragraphs that give details of a company’s news to interested parties.
3. What should it include? You’ll notice that PRs won’t use any more words than necessary to tell the facts of the story. This is for two reasons. One: the structure of a press release is designed to give all the major details at the very start of the article to make sure the reader gets all the important information even if they don’t finish reading the full piece. And two: to make sure the important information isn’t cut off if the editor decides to shorten the article.
Templates
Because the basics of press release writing follow the same rules, the structure of PRs can be quite uniform. So it stands to reason that as well as studying a live version of a press release example for content ideas, many writers like to use templates to write their news releases as well.
There are a number of good programs that utilize press release templates:
Word – As part of the Microsoft Office suite, Word is a popular choice for many writers. Typing “press release” in the search box for online templates will give several options for PR templates that the user can fill their own details in for a quick and professional look.
Microsoft Publisher – Writers can follow step by step instructions from one of the thousands of ‘How To’ articles online and make their own template using a program like Microsoft Publisher. They can then save the template and use it every time they need to write a press release. Due to the uniformity of PRs, writers should be able to use the same template each time with minimal amount of tweaks.
PRWeb: PRWeb is one of the top leading sites to distribute press releases online. It has the highest amount of traffic and the most-shared news stories in terms of press releases. Here’s an example of a press release we wrote for PRWeb (note the correct title, subtitle & formatting overall):
Anyone Can Write a Press Release
This is absolutely true. Anyone can have a go at writing press releases — in the same way that anyone could have a go at driving a car or walking a tight rope; not everyone can be successful at it.
Anyone trying to write a press release and knows how to follow good press release examples needs to remember some fundamental points about how it should look, how it should read and what it needs to contain. Looking at one press release example can help with this. But looking at a number of examples that show both ends of the spectrum will give an even better idea.
Things to Remember
Press releases don’t have to be the most complicated thing in the world. Remember to:
Use a bold headline to grab attention
List the news first and tell people everything they need to know in detail
Look at other PRs for a similar event within the same industry. Make notes on what does and doesn’t work
Answer the main questions that everyone needs to know “who, where, what, why, when and how?”
DO NOT sell anything to anyone. A press release is always objective and only offers the facts
If you can remember these points and learn from other press release examples then you might well be able to write a useful, informative press release that gets noticed.
Modern Press Releases
In today’s world, the way the press release is actually released is slightly different — actually a lot different. People can skip the pitch part of the process and go right to publication. For example:
1. The client requests a PR
2. The writer writes the PR
3. Client sends the PR to an online press release distributer
4. The PR will be sent to journalists and bloggers relevant to the particular industry of the press release, but it will also become live on the Internet exactly as it’s been written.
What Does This Mean?
Press releases must be written exceptionally well so that they could actually be an editorial story. In the past, the only people who saw press releases in their raw form were the journalists and the editors who were being asked to run the story. Now, online press releases mean everybody gets a shot at being seen. While this might sound nice, the harsh reality is that people might have stood a better chance of their PR being read with the old way. As harsh as the journalists might be on a PR, at least the ones that made it would have gone to press in the best light possible. Now, it’s up to companies and their marketing team to come up with a PR that wows the public all on their own. That might sound like a fairly easy task to a writer who hasn’t had much experience with writing press releases, especially with some good press release examples to follow, but the fact of the matter is that press releases are written in a very particular way.
Press Releases in a Nutshell
When it comes to writing effective press releases that people want to read, there are a few things to remember:
Use an attention-grabbing headline that tells the reader exactly what to expect in the PR itself. It’s best to be direct here and get right to the point. Press releases aren’t about leaving people guessing.
Lead with the news. The most important factors should be right at the top of the PR. Taking three paragraphs to let people know the purpose of the press release just won’t cut it. In fact, if a writer waits three paragraphs to explain the news in a PR it’s unlikely that they’ll even have a reader by that point.
Keep everything factual. It’s not a personal account or a fictional story. You’re reporting a news event for a business or company. The PR should answer the “who, what, where, when, why and how?” questions. Once you have the answers to these questions, you’ll be able to get an idea of the structure of the piece. Once the basic structure is down with the answers to the 5 “W” questions, it’s a matter of putting the story together in a logical order.
Check and re-check your work. Any PRs that show potential for being legitimate news stories still have the opportunity to be picked up by journalists, editors and bloggers of various publications. However, if the PR is full of errors, poorly-written and generally tosh, then nobody will want to touch it with a barge pole. Not the public, not the media, not even your own grandmother who’s always been your biggest fan.
Write for your audience. You might not be selling anything, but you still want people to read your work. You need to think about the information that the reader will want. Part of this will come from the 5 “W” questions, but it will also come from the details that you use to answer the questions.
If you get stuck at all, there are plenty of press release examples online that will show you what you should be aiming for. Just make sure you pick a good example though, because there are plenty of horrendous press release examples that are enough to make your toes curl.
Some of the Worst Press Release Examples Ever
To understand the worth of something, sometimes you have to see the worst example ever to truly understand.
Examples of Bad Press Releases
You know when you’re in class, everyone’s reading from the same book and there’s always that one kid that’s on a different page than everyone else? That kid gets every project slightly off skew because they’re always using the wrong information. In school, this can lead to bad marks. In a press release, it can lead to a writer being black listed in the media.
If you’re wondering what bad press releases look like, then here are a few real life examples of press releases where the author has clearly been reading from the wrong page of the ‘how to write a good press release’ book.
Content Marketing Today revealed the incredibly gripping PR about the ‘ACME PRIVATE BANK MOVES TO SEVENTH FLOOR’ that is a real headline for a real press release. Wow. Just wow. The most obvious question here is, “who cares?” Under no circumstances is this considered news to anybody on the planet, which is why this PR can be classed as a fail.
Another site revealed gems such as:
“A Truly Innovative Way to Lose Weight” Breaks the fundamental rule of not pitching a sale to the reader. The last paragraph could have been taken straight from a landing page. Bad, bad, bad.
“Supreme Key used for Grease Removal and Cleaning Services” This one will need to be seen to be believed. The main problem here seems to be the fact that although the words are indeed English, the way they’re put together doesn’t form one single English sentence throughout the whole PR.
For new PR writers, it’s a good idea to look at both good and bad press release examples to gain a better idea of how to do it, and exactly what to stay clear of!
Overall, the humble press release has been used to grab people’s attention and bring companies into the spotlight through factual, newsworthy stories. Journalists and editors all over the world have become accustomed to receiving hundreds of press releases each week, reading through them and picking out those that will appeal to their readers. Press release examples that tick the boxes will be published, and hopefully the company will benefit from the exposure. At least that’s how it used to be.
Have you ever wondered what sets a press release apart from an ordinary article? What makes them so special and how do you format a press release to serve its purpose? In order to achieve the goals set forth by a press release, it can be helpful to know what it is supposed to do in the first place. While there are many good press release examples, there are also plenty of poorly written ones.
A Press Release: The Start Of An Amazing Content Strategy
When writing a press release, there are several goals you should keep in your mind in order to stay on course with the word count and purpose.
1) Write the Right Type of Headlines.
Too many times a writer may say something like, “Samsung to Unveil a New Product” and while that title isn’t the worst title ever, it doesn’t draw the reader in. What if the reader doesn’t recognize Samsung as a provider for the electronics they use? You may encounter people who will associate Samsung with TVs but in reality, you are writing a press release for an innovative new phone. The audience will glance over the release and move on if they are looking for a new phone. Try a headline like this instead, “Samsung Launches never before seen Features in a New Phone.” This type of headline gives the reader an exact idea of what to expect when they continue reading.
2) Provide the Necessary Info Quickly and Succinctly.
No guesswork and no digging. You wrote the press release to disseminate information, yet sometimes the press release can leave the reader wondering where to buy the item, when it will be released, what to expect, and even who is responsible for the release. This works for the release of a new item, opening of a new venue, and even the announcement of a new hire. Maintain the fine line between giving away all the information and luring the reader in to read the website, in depth feature list, and obtaining more information. You want the reader to be alerted to the news item but to also desire to find out more.
According to several journalistic sites, the shorter the press release, the better. Keep it under 400 words. In fact, you will probably be forced to narrow it down if it comes in over that word count. Short and sweet will get the point across and not consume the reader who just wanted to know the quick version of the news.
3) Make it Fun!
When constructing a press release, it is vital to keep in mind the purpose is to release news, but the balance between interesting and professional can be met when you learn the correct way. A fun headline, quirky quotes, and even humor about the past can bring the audience into the story in a humorous manner.
Consider writing a headline that twists the words around to create an angle that will be clicked on such as: “Brave Mountain Lion Fends Off Group of Hikers” instead of “Hikers Injured Fleeing from Mountain Lion.” There are other examples where the author has sensationalized the headline a bit but the article itself still has the facts and necessary points to make it a worthwhile piece. Check out some of the controversial and eye-grabbing headlines on the Mirror.
4) Create Headlines, Sub-headlines, and Other Techniques To Help The Reader Skim.
Not only will this help the reader glean the necessary information, but also it can give the reader a quick idea if this is an article they really want to read. With so many authors writing misleading headlines, the sub-headers can assist in the overall goal of the piece for the legitimate press releases. By making the release digestible for the reader in a tablet form or even on a cell phone screen, you are ensuring the maximum amount of exposure. When was the last time you got a link for an interesting article, clicked on it through your phone, and closed out of it based on the fact that your screen was full of text that didn’t let you scroll through it quickly?
5) It Should Be Worthwhile Reading.
The Internet is not called the “Information Superhighway” for nothing! It isn’t called the little dirt road of information but rather denoted as the biggest mode of transportation, and your press release can get lost in the midst of all the options. Not only will there probably be other articles on the same topic but some will have graphics, charts, and crazy pictures to go with it. What will yours have? If a reader can get the main idea through skimming bullets, headers, and quotes, your press release can be the one referenced in their encounters throughout the day. Not only will they use your information and possibly spread your link, but you can have the satisfaction of knowing the public is learning about this news worthy item through your work.
6) Quotes!
Use quotes—but only the ones that matter. If the company is opening a new store, hiring an exceptional new employee, introducing a new product, it is safe to assume they are happy with it. So by stating the obvious, “the team is happy with the news,” you are wasting good space and the reader’s attention. Would they really be announcing the news if they hated the new hire or were embarrassed by the new release? Probably not, so steer clear of the obvious so as not to offend or annoy the reader base.
You’ve probably read some great press releases examples in your search on the web. One of the best ways to create that catching piece is to go back and read the ones that caught your eye. What was it that made you continue reading? The title, the headers, the pictures, the easy to understand terms, or the way the reader engaged you throughout? By emulating those features, you can write an outstanding piece with the potential to go viral within hours of posting.
Back in the day just about everyone had a press release. In fact, a lot of companies abused the value of press releases by “releasing” anything and everything — whether it was truly newsworthy or not. But, when Matt Cutts, the head of Google’s webspam team, announced that PRs won’t help SEO ranks, website owners went into a panic. Now business owners and other professionals are worried the time and resources they put into press releases won’t do them much good anymore. Or will it?
Press Release, SEO, We Think So.
PRs Back Then
Back in the day, before Panda, PRs were miracle workers. Search engines indexed press release distribution sites higher and links from those sites helped boost SEO ranks, according to AuthorityLab.com. As more SEO experts caught onto this nifty trick, press releases were exploited. The number of useless, copied and poorly written news releases on the web grew exponentially.
Think of the last time you searched through a PR site. How many newsworthy pieces were there versus useless junk? You can thank that exploitation for all of the useless posts. So, is this why Google is telling you press releases are worthless today?
Not necessarily. While there is some truth to what Google has to say about press releases, there are a few details they’ve left out.
Don’t Use Press Releases as a Sole SEO Tool — It Won’t Work
PRs today are about the news — not quick distribution of keywords and links. When you publish a release for your company and/or website, it should talk about newsworthy content — such as a company promotion, new product release, sale coming up, etc. Press releases are, however, searchable by Internet users looking for a particular topic, industry, company or product. So, they can still boost your SEO, but if you send out hundreds of useless press releases you’ll get back little to no results for it.
Yes, You Can Still Link Up
Press releases can still have links, but the number of links and what’s considered safe is still up for debate. You should, however, include one to two links back to your website, blog or product, according to Cheryl Conner in her article on Forbes.com. If you’re going to put links in your news release you need to do so strategically and when it’s contextually necessary. Don’t just add your link randomly; instead, add it where it makes sense to add it, and where the reader can benefit from the link being there.
How Press Releases Have Been Effected
The Panda and Penguin releases have taken their toll on traditional press release SEO, but SEO specialists still report higher rankings with the use of effective newsworthy releases. PRs, however, don’t have the same short term effects they used to have; instead, are used for long-term benefits.
Go Big or Don’t Go At All
If you’re going to write a press release, write a high-quality, relevant one. Most companies ignore how critical the PR process is and they waste money on low-quality, useless writing attempts. Press releases are still successful, if you’re willing to invest in them.
Press releases, according to SearchEngineWatch.com, fuel the fire for social media. They encourage engagement and social interaction and can be used as a launching pad for company information. Press releases are all about getting the message delivered to the audience, encouraging clicks to outside sites and increasing social sharing.
So, if you’re going to spend the money and take the time to make a press release, it needs to be something people:
Want to read
Want to share on social media
Want to click and learn more about
Before you release your press release, make sure it’s well-researched and creatively written. A quality press release is something that:
Is newsworthy and something that must be announced
Isn’t selling someone something, but still has a purpose or call-to-action (i.e. follow on social media, visit the website, contact the company, etc.)
Doesn’t focus solely on keywords
Is authoritative and pleasant
Is written in a professional, journalist style
Press Release Reality Check
Now that you know the PR is still valuable, it’s time for a reality check. While press releases encourage visitors to click through and can increase traffic, that’s not their sole purpose. They help increase your company or brand’s social exposure and they increase user experience. Press releases build your company or brand’s authority and reputation and they inform your audience on what’s new.
Press releases, however, cannot do everything. They’re not meant to make inbound links nor should they be your only SEO marketing tool. If PRs are part of your link building strategy, you’ll be disappointed in their limited (or nominal) results. And, lastly, press releases are not meant to target or increase SEO based on keywords.
Google might have limited what press releases can do, but one thing that is for sure is Google didn’t limit the impact a quality press release can have on your company or brand.
Reasons Why Your Press Release Isn’t Working
These days’ news releases are just a way of life for companies and brands. Hired someone new? Distribute a press release. Have a new product? Get a press release. Planning a sale? Well, everyone wants to know about that.
You might be thrilled about your newsworthy content, but if you don’t write a quality newsworthy release, your news isn’t going to attract anyone — including those who might actually be interested in what is going on with your company. The reason most press releases flop is because the person writing a press release doesn’t understand the difference between a press release and a general blog post, article, or social media announcement.
Press releases are:
Created to inform the public about an event, product or something that has occurred in your company.
Written in a concise manner that gets to the point and doesn’t drag on with useless sales content.
Written short — about 300 words will do just fine.
Have a sense of urgency — there’s a reason you’re releasing the press release today versus six months from now.
So why do you need a press release? The reasons for a PR vary depending on the company or brand, but some common reasons press releases are out there are because:
You need to announce something
You need to tell people about developments
You need to highlight or summarize something
You need to remind the public of what you do
You might have newsworthy content every minute of the day, but there is a line that you have to draw on what is urgent and reader-worthy and what can stay internal. If you start releasing press releases over every tiny bit of news, you’ll flood the system and readers will quickly lose interest. After all, why would they jump all over news that isn’t critical news, right?
I Wrote a Newsworthy Press Release, So Why Isn’t It Working?
Most companies make the mistake of writing their own rather than hiring a professional to do the writing for them. Or companies put too much emphasis on SEO and links in their press releases, which doesn’t benefit them long-term, according to SearchEngineWatch.com.
The common reasons press releases don’t work:
You Wrote It Yourself
Even though you’re saving money by writing your PR in-house, you’re actually costing your company more because your press release isn’t going to pack that media-worthy punch a professional press release service can provide. Professional writers don’t just write something newsworthy, they make it seem urgent and interesting. Skilled PR writers can even slide in a few sales pitches that no one will notice, but everyone will remember.
Your PR Doesn’t Have News Content
Just because you received a reward or you gave your assistant a raise doesn’t mean you need a press release — unless the reward was for something nationally recognized or revolutionary. Press releases should answer the who, what, when, where, how and why. Why are you releasing this news? Does it answer a question? Solve a problem? It should, otherwise it’s not news.
It’s Just a Sales Advertisement
There’s nothing worse than opening a press release and feeling like you stepped into a car dealership. Press releases aren’t supposed to sell — they’re meant to inform. Sales copy should never be in a press release, which means words like “you”, “our”, “we”, and “us” need to be erased.
If you’ve over linked your press release, remove those too. According to an article by Forbes, you should only have one to two links back to your blog, product or website. More than that is pushing it with the readers and search engines.
Your Headline is Long and Boring
Headlines capture attention, so they need to compel readers to keep going, but they don’t have to tell them everything. When you’re crafting a headline, remember that:
Search engines only show the first 65 characters — anything after that isn’t going to be seen.
According to PR Newswire, headlines are best at 120 characters for readers and social media.
Your Press Release Drags On and On
News releases are concise and to the point. If your press release goes on for 500 words, you’re going to lose your readers. Stick to just one page — 400 words max. It should also be meant to encourage the readers to get more information elsewhere; not receive it all in the PR. Yes, your press release should cover the news that you need to share, but any fluff details should be left on your blog or website for the reader to follow up with later.
You Skipped the Quotes
Press releases need to quote someone. Whether you’re quoting yourself or someone else, quotes add insight and opinion to your newsworthy piece. Also, quotes add emotion and give a touch of storytelling. Don’t use quotes to announce facts and figures either.
A quality press release will get you noticed, bottom line. Learn more about what makes a PR pop in Entrepreneur’s article. If you don’t have the time to invest into your press release, hire a press release company instead. They’re skilled copywriters can generate a newsworthy press release that embeds keywords, links and sells while still getting your message across.
A boilerplate is a succinct summary of your company that is included in every press release. When you decide when to release a press release, it is imperative that the boilerplate embodies everything you want your target audience to know about your company. It is basically a one-paragraph-version of your mission, vision, and about-us page.
Press Release Writing Tips For Your Success
According to the University of Washington’s listing of the essential parts of a press release, your company or organization’s boilerplate should be used in all publications you circulate, and it should be strategically written. The first impression your company projects to a person unfamiliar with what you do depends on how well the boilerplate was written in these publications. So how exactly can you come up with a strategic boilerplate that reflects everything good about your organization when you release a press release? Read on for some tips.
Remember: Press Releases are Formal Journals
The first press release was printed out on the New York Times in the early 1900s. Unlike now where your press release can be read by your target audience seconds after it is posted in the Internet, print media dominated the early days of press releases. This means that essentially, every press release is a publication written and edited by a professional journalist released through the press via newspapers.
It is sometimes easy for companies nowadays to forget this fact because of the ease by which information can be created and shared through the Internet. So the first thing you have to remember for you to be able to write a succinct boilerplate when you decide to release a press release is this: write using professional journalistic styles.
Be Objective When Writing Your Press Release’s Boilerplate
When you are writing about yourself, it is very hard to be objective. Of course it isn’t a bad idea to let people know your skills and everything great about you, but you don’t just go ahead and say, “I’m the most skilled in my niche. With my track record and experience it’s no question that I’m your best choice!” to every potential client you meet right?
The same is true in the process of writing a boilerplate every time you release a press release. Be as objective as you can and accurately list your company’s achievements, goals, and expertise by presenting your credibility with minimal to nonexistent egoism and sales lingo involved.
Focus on your company’s unique qualities and write your boilerplate using adjectives and phrases that don’t imply false greatness; a common mistake made by organizations who think too much of selling themselves when writing their boilerplate.
Facts are Your Friends
For your decision of when to release a press release to bring in great responses from your niche, keep in mind that facts are your friends. Your boilerplate should revolve around verifiable information about your company, products, or services. Exaggeration is a no-no when you are writing your company’s boilerplate. When a potential client reads about you and does his research of what your company is all about, he should be able to verify all the information written in your boilerplate.
As previously mentioned, a boilerplate holds the first impressions of your company to potential clients. Have you ever heard of the forked tail effect and the halo effect? These are psychological concepts that indicate how people perceive you from the first meeting: either in a negative light or a positive light respectively. Who holds a pitchfork and has a tail? On the other hand, who sports a halo and has wings? You’d definitely want your company’s first impression to be associated with the latter.
Include only the verifiable facts about you and your company to avoid misleading your readers. Doing so will equip your boilerplate to bring about a halo effect whenever you release a press release. After all, if the first impression your boilerplate, and your press release as a whole, gets is a forked tail impression, you’d have to start from the beginning and re-think your strategy. Better to tread carefully and write a factual boilerplate than go through that don’t you think?
Remember: Statistics Change
If you want to include numerical data in your boilerplate, go ahead and do so. It’s good to have a well-written boilerplate you can use it in every type of publication about your company, but if you included some numbers in there, be sure to review it periodically.
Whenever you decide to release a press release, remember to check if the statistics you indicated in the boilerplate are still accurate. Are you still operating in 9 locations? Are all your products or services still available in specific divisions? Statistics change, and so should your boilerplate if it has them.
Use Major Keywords in Your Press Release’s Boilerplate
If you can’t decide when to release a press release because your boilerplate seems incomplete, think back on the most basic components of publications: words. Write your boilerplate using words that can relay what your company stands for and what you do in a single line or phrase.
Distinguish the core function of your company and find the keyword that can accurately encompass that function, and then go from there. For example, if your company offers business-consulting services, write the boilerplate in your press release describing yourself as a “business consultant.” Work from there and include other ways of referring to your services like “business analysis” or maybe “business process specialist.” In any case, if you are a masterful with your craft and niche, knowing the best keywords to include in your press release’s boilerplate will come with ease.
Before deciding when to release a press release, keep these things in mind to come up with a concise but effective boilerplate about your company. Write information about your company formally and objectively. Use keywords and verifiable facts to present your credibility, and stay on top of things to ensure that your boilerplate is accurate in every statement. When you compose an effective boilerplate each time you publish a press release, you maintain the loyalty of your old clients, and will be perceived in a positive light by new ones.
Timing matters in love, conversations, and in PR distribution strategies like deciding when to release a press release. What you want is to be at the top of the inbox the moment a news editor sits down to begin his search for the newsworthy. When asked when to release a press release, we always say there is no guarantee, but you can increase your chances by making sure your perfectly-written PR is not buried under loads of spam.
10 Factors To Consider When Strategizing The Best Times To Release a Press Release
Let’s start our discussion on when to release a press release with a couple of fast facts about editors (your first audience). The information below may seem obvious and silly, but they will impact your PR distribution strategy.
Most people, including editors, are at sleep at 4 A.M.
People don’t check their emails and read PRs while driving.
Very few check their emails while they are eating.
Sunday is a rest day.
Other countries may be in different time zones.
People hate working at the end of the business day, which is sometime between 6 P.M. to 8 P.M.
People check their email first thing in the morning, but not before they’ve had their first cup coffee.
Holidays are not business days.
People love holidays, so they think about holidays the day before holidays.
Most people are asleep by midnight. If they’re not, they’re doing something more fun than reading PRs and checking emails.
The best tips on when to release a press release are the painfully obvious ones, and the same is true when deciding when to release a press release. If you were an editor, on what day and at which time are you likely to be checking your email in search for an interesting new story?
In strategically planning when to release a press release, remember that editors usually begin the business day by checking emails, but if you send your PR too early, expect to be outranked by other emails within an hour. Entrepreneur writes that 23.63% of all emails are opened one hour after they are sent, and the rate drops as the minutes pass. This tells us that very few editors make the effort to dig into the bottom of the pile.
You should be distributing your material within the hour that it is most visible to your target audience when strategizing when to release a press release. The same Entrepreneur article adds that 8 to 9 in the morning is when click-through rates are at the highest. This is an advice that GetResponse echoes so 8 A.M. to 9 A.M. is a pretty safe period when to release a press release.
Distributing a PR sometime before 9:30 A.M. is especially critical when you are writing a material that impacts stocks trading. You have to be able to send it in before the Wall Street bell rings.
Is there an ideal day when to release a press release? Definitely. Editors will check their emails all throughout the business week, but you should try to avoid three things:
1) Heavy communications traffic
2) Holidays in other regions which you may not be aware of
3) Days when editors and virtually all types of workers are eager to skip out
Mondays are busy days for everyone, not just editors, so prepare to be elbowed out by a ton of competition. Because of the influx of all types of communication on a Monday, working people have developed the habit of cleaning out their inbox on this day. If your PR title and email subject are not as strong as they should be, there is a greater chance of your work ending up in the virtual trash bin. So Monday’s not exactly the best day when to release a press release.
The problem with Fridays is that most people are thinking “Thank Goodness!” TGIF. In their eagerness to end an exhausting week, most editors are not keen on going through a long roster of PRs. In the case of paper publications, press releases picked out on a Friday are published in the weekend edition, so that’s not an ideal situation either.
Saturdays and Sundays are slow days for press release engagements. Unless you historically have a high success rate on weekends, don’t go for weekends in deciding when to release a press release.
Finally, you have to take note of all the holidays that might affect your PR distribution strategy. In deciding when to release a press release, you should avoid releasing PR the day before a holiday and the holiday itself. The key is to catch editors when they are in work mode, which means they want to seek out great and informative PRs to publish. On holidays and the day before one, people are thinking about rest and recreation, and quality time with their families. So even if you have a brilliantly written PR, your target is just not in the mood for it. Include international holidays in your Smartphone or computer calendar so you get instantly alerted as you decide when to release a press release.
Especially if you are targeting a global audience, you should be aware of time differences and special holidays. What time is it in London? What day is it in China? Deciding when to release a press release also involves studying business schedules in other regions not just your home city.
The consideration when to release a press release has become an integral part of PR distribution especially now that competition is tough and audiences are global. If you don’t develop a keen sense when to release a press release, your well-written PR may never get the attention it deserves.
Timing may not be everything in love, and conversations, but in PR distribution, strategy is everything in knowing when to release your press release.
The best pointer on when to release a press release is to religiously track your own success, and to study the rhythm of your own target audience. If you do that and keep the above tips in mind, you should be able to decide when to release a press release that records the highest response rates.
