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Your News Release For Maximum Publicity
Written by David Leonhardt
Cindy, wheres that story? I need it yesterday!
Coming right up, boss. Ill have it to you soon, Cindy shouted back.
Yesterday isnt soon enough!
Cindy clicked on her screen. You have mail. She looked at the messages. Three news releases, she murmured. I dont have time for this now. [delete] [delete] [delete]
Stop! Was that your news release Cindy just deleted? Too bad you sent it to her at the wrong time. You may have heard that timing is everything and that is even more true in a newsroom. But how do you know when is the best time to send a news release?
Media relations is an art more than a science, so there is no single rule. If there was, everyone would be a media star. Here are a few guidelines to help you zoom ahead of your competition for the medias attention:
Each type of media and each type of journalist is different. Here are just a few of the variables:
National or local media
TV, newspaper, radio or magazine
News reporter, features reporter or columnist
Consumer magazine or trade journal
Daily, weekly or monthly publication
Print or electronic
Each company or organization is different, as is its news. Here are just a few of the variables:
Local, national or international operations
Pre-scheduled news release, or last-minute reaction to todays news.
Product announcement, policy announcement, financial announcement
Bearing in mind the wide range of news you might announce and the wide range of media targets, 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. tends to be the best time of day to release news. You want to give the assignment editor time to send them out to cover your news. If you hope to get into the noon news, you dont want to go too late, because you run into TV deadlines. Early afternoon is a second-best time, but if you get much past 2:30, you will catch Cindys [delete] button at most daily newspapers and television stations.
I have been asked about the best day of the week to send out a news release. There isnt one. I have seen plenty of debates on this. From personal experience, the only difference I ever noticed is when I could pick a slow news day. For instance, if in your city the daily newspaper can be reached on Sunday and not too much tends to happen that day in your subject area, you may find it easier to get into Mondays newspaper than if you try later in the week. But on average, there is not much difference.
Best time of month, year, etc? Again, there is no single best time. There is one golden rule. Do not send out a release when the world is wrapped up in some all-consuming event like the death of Princess Diana or the attack on the World Trade Center. Remember how much TV airtime and newspaper print space were devoted to those events? The media and its audiences had other things on their minds than your news. You cant control events, but you can control the timing of your release (most of the time).
How far in advance should you send out your release? Some book reviewers usually need several months. Others dont want to see your release until the book is on the store shelves. Many consumer magazines have a six-month editorial preview. Features editors often run several weeks ahead of time, but sometimes squeeze things in on short notice. News departments want only breaking news. Yesterdays news is ... well, yesterdays news. Your release is already forgotten.
Does all this sound confusing. It is. The bottom line in any marketing is to know your target market and give it what it wants. Same with the media. The guidelines above give a very abbreviated list of what you need to consider. If you are still unsure, a media coach might be a good investment. But be forewarned find someone with enough experience and success to coach you in the right direction.
After a decade and a half as one of Canadas top consumer advocates, often conducting over 600 media interviews each year, David Leonhardt is sharing his knowledge with others. Pick up a copy of his special report Get In The News! at http://www.TheHappyGuy.com/PR.html. Home page is http://www.TheHappyGuy.com
amabaie@phastnet.com
Additional Articles by David Leonhardt
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Five tips to improve your chances with Google et al
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Make front page news by NOT inviting the media
Testimonials for Business Success
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Five ways for webmasters to benefit from social bookmarking
Top Social Bookmarking Tips for Webmasters
David Leonhardts 8 tips for online reputation management
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