Timing a news announcement when reporters are looking for news to cover or focused on a specific trend or topic takes thoughtful planning (and sometimes a bit of luck) but following a few suggestions can help you make that critical connection.
For breaking news, send as soon as possible to targeted journalists. Some reporters, but not all, will review the news in advance and hold publishing with an embargo. Make sure they honor embargos in advance, so you don’t overstep your legal or investor team or release product news before the solution or feature is ready for customers.
When alerting reporters to news, target Tuesday through Thursday between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Sending information just after the hour, at 9:12 a.m. for example, might avoid the rush of news or press releases sent by other companies. The goal is to get the news out in the morning while reporters are determining what they are covering that day. Afternoons and Fridays are out as reporters are already filing their stories and avoid holidays or other major pre-planned news announcements, e.g., Facebook’s IPO, the Royal Wedding, even major industry conferences (if you are a BtoB provider).
If you are sending a press release through a newswire, like PRWeb, contact them for recommendations on distribution timing. For example, PRWeb suggests scheduling releases via their wire at 3 a.m. ET, so news populates across their network of partner sites and is available for reporters first thing in the morning.
For all communications, monitor analytics available via Google Analytics, an email distribution partner or other media monitoring tools, to determine the timing that is right for you and your audience. This will vary based on your organization and the type of news you are trying to communicate.