When you have everything ready and all you have to do is click on the “send” button, you should ask yourself one more important question. Is now the right time to send this press release? Surely, after several submissions, you will develop your algorithm, you will notice the specifics of your news feed niche and draw your conclusions. But since you have already made such a search query and you want to know the best time and day to send a press release, we will share our tips.
Build Positive Online Reputation & Remove Negative from SERP
Looking ahead, we note that no one will tell you the super exact time for sending press releases, because for each news occasion there is their own personal “best time”.
Important! Before ordering a press release from an advertising copywriter, find out the exact timing of the distribution of your material in the media. It is very important to send out the press release in time so that it can be read, corrected, and published.
Internationally accepted press release deadlines:
- On TV – 4 days before the news event;
- At the radio station – 3 days before the event;
- For daily editions – 7-10 days;
- For weekly media – 2-3 weeks before the event;
- For monthly newspapers and magazines – 6-8 weeks.
Which day to choose? Best time to send a press release
According to numerous studies, the most effective mailing lists are:
- Thursday (an average open rate 26%);
- Tuesday;
- Wednesday.
Let’s figure out why.
Monday
Many people, like Garfield, hate Mondays. Just think about it: the weekend is over, a new working week begins, and there are dozens or even hundreds of letters in the mailbox that need to be parsed.
Wanting to reduce the blockage in the mailbox, your press release may simply be thrown into the trash. Do not count on the editor’s conscience =)
Also, Monday (especially the first half of it!) is the time for meetings and planning the week.
Weekend
Most likely, the journalist responsible for posting your press release, like any normal person, spends them with his family, goes out into the countryside, communicates with friends, or does what he loves. Do not distract him. The exception is very urgent news, but then it is better to duplicate your appeal by mail with a personal call. But first, think about whether it is really important enough to disturb the person on his day off.
Midweek
So, what do we have left? That is right – Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. We discard Friday because on this day almost everybody is already preparing for the weekend.
So, the mailbox is cleared of blockage, the week is planned, and the editors are getting into their usual work rhythm. It is time to remind yourself.
Holidays
Whether it is Hanukkah or Christmas Eve, do not send your press release ahead of the holidays. The same rule applies on these days as on Friday. Editors will receive a ton of emails that day, and they are less likely to pay attention to your letter at all. Instead, send your press release at least 2-3 days before the holiday. And if it concerns the celebration itself (for example, the opening of a new restaurant on New Year’s Eve), then try to send out a press release at least 3 weeks before the event.
Also, if you work for the international market, consider local holidays – Chinese New Year, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Oktoberfest, Victory Day, Groundhog Day, etc.
What time to choose?
According to VerticalResponse research – between 8:00 p.m. and midnight. Are you surprised? The fact is that just during this period, most people sit down at the TVs with a smartphone in hand. But it is unlikely that a person will be doing his job at this time, so this option is suitable for those who are not afraid to experiment and take risks. Well, what if you are lucky with a journalist, and he is ready day and night to read suitable press releases and send them for publication =)
But let’s look at what other options you have and which are considered more versatile specifically for a press release.
Morning
According to statistics, the most ineffective time is between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. This is logical. The editors have breakfast, get some sleep in the transport, get ready for work. Therefore, they have no time for your letters.
Yes, according to all the same statistics, most people start their morning by looking at social networks or mail. But are you sure that they are ready to consider your proposal and objectively evaluate it before drinking a few cups of coffee?
Afternoon
From 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. But everyone knows this and they plan their mailing at this particular time. So if you’re aiming for prime time, get ready to face more competition. In order not to wait for the coming of this time, use special extensions that allow you to make delayed submissions. Also, it will allow you to track the opening of the letter by the addressee. Also, consider the time zone of your location and recipient. If possible, automate your email to send your press release at the right time and day.
Important! Based on this logic, most of the scheduled emails arrive in an hour or half an hour. This means that your journalist can deal with hundreds of new emails at exactly 10:00 a.m. or 10:30 a.m. Choosing a slightly different time, like 10:28 a.m. This will help you outflank the competition and increase the likelihood that your release will be read.
Content Marketing Platform
- 100,000+ media publications;
- get backlinks to your product;
- scale work with content distribution.
What to choose? best time to send a press release
Try to focus on consistency. Test several options, the trust generally accepted standards, and your intuition, calculate all possible options. After that, write for example that every Tuesday and Thursday you will send letters at 10:28 a.m. And submit your press releases.
Then follow this algorithm:
- Send the letter first to the top publications in the countries you need.
- After publishing on these resources, send the rest to the list of media.
- The next day publish your text on the site for placement of press releases.
There is also a popular belief among internet marketers that the best time for a press release sending is during the peak hours of your target audience’s internet traffic. And it does not matter which day you choose. There are several reasons for this.
Firstly, the strategy “Tuesday-Thursday” itself works only because you and I, the brightest representatives of the “office plankton”, these days are online behind the screens of our computers. In this direction, the release of the real estate company will be very timely material for people looking for accommodation on the weekend.
While we do find better coverage for press releases circulated in the middle of the week, we are not convinced that timing is a key factor. Probably no one would argue that advertising nonsense, sent promptly, will never achieve such a result as a press release with high informational value. Because the right material, aimed at the right audience, is much more important than a favorable launch time.
Important! Be sure to include the word “press release” in the subject line of your letter. After all, how can a journalist distinguish your letter from ordinary spam? Many journalists have filters installed in their mail programs that drop all letters with a similar mark in the subject into a separate folder, and the owners view this folder. Given the length limitations, the word “press release” should not be the first in your topic, but rather at the end, in parentheses. And if you still need some advice on writing a press release, we recommend that you read the material “How to Write Press Release”.
Do not believe the statistics. Verify everything described in this article by testing. Having heard certain rules of how to do it, maybe it is a better way to listen and do the opposite? Thus, you will benefit from uniqueness and will be exactly the one who will draw attention to yourself. Keep track of the time and date of sending each press release, as well as what media published it. And good luck!
