As a business or government agency, it’s imperative that our communiques reach as many people as possible.
One of the easiest and most cost-efficient methods to distribute news is via a press release.
But, many agencies and businesses struggle with understanding when to hit the “send” button on the release to maximize the probability of an editor or journalist even opening your email.
I mean, what’s the point in distributing a press release if it’s not going to be looked at or given the time of day?
This is why we’re here to help and exclusively share with you our tactics on how to garner the most amount of eyes on our press releases as possible and maybe even land a coveted interview with a highly regarded new publication or network.
When Should I Distribute My Press Release?
So now that we know the goal is for an editor or journalist to open our email containing the PR, it’s important to email during the most optimal day of the week.
There are two days that we find the most effective and efficient to distribute PR’s and one of those days is Monday. Mondays are great to distribute press releases because it’s generally a day or two before most news publication deadlines and networks are usually seeking stories to fill the weekly news cycle; thus more emails will be opened.
Can You Guess the Second Day?
Thursdays are actually the second best day of the week to distribute PR’s. The distribution process works well on Thursdays because many news outlets are past their hefty deadlines and have more time to sift through emails, and many are already planning for the following week.
However, we recommend avoiding the distribution of press releases on and around holidays, because, well…many people are checked out during those days.
Remember, if your PR contains urgent information, it doesn’t matter what day of the week it is, distribute the press release.
The days mentioned above are our best practices, along with that of many communication professionals across the country.
What Time Should I Email the Press Release?
Some may argue that the best time of the day to distribute a press release is first thing in the morning to be located at the top of the email notifications. Now, this isn’t the worst time of day to distribute, but there are definitely more optimal times.
The best time to distribute press releases is late morning and early afternoon; between the hours of 10 AM and 2 PM.
“The best time to send a press release is between 10 AM and 2 PM—this is when editors open about one-third of all the emails they’ve received. Early mornings are less effective: open rates drop to 20.5 percent between 6 and 10 AM.”
Prowly
Now, depending on your geographic location the best time to distribute may depend on how news publications and networks operate in your area so as you move forward, you’ll be able to tweak these recommendations as you see fit for your communication strategy.
