Press Release Timing

[metaylor9]

Wondering if anyone had any suggestions about the best timing to do a press release if I am hoping to actually get some media coverage for an event? Also, should I be targeting print media and local TV or should I target print and hope the tv follows?

Any ideas and suggestions are appreciated. Thanks.

[Markz]

Do you mean time of day? week? year?

[metaylor9]

Sorry, I mean how many days in advance of the actual event would be the optimal time to do the press release?

[jamesww]

What has been people's experience with doing press releases? Has it provided much benefit and if so how much?

[TheLady]

you'll prolly want to do it no less than a week out and not more than a month. you will also want to get the fax numbers to your local stations and fax them a copy of it, as it is a local news event, they will often pick it up that way. additionally if you have a community station, rewrite the press release as a brief informational piece and you'll be able to have it posted on the community boards, often cheap or free. some communities will run it until the day of the event. hth's

[Mark Z]

What has been people's experience with doing press releases? Has it provided much benefit and if so how much?

The success of your press release depends upon the importance of your "newsworthy" press release. If you send out a press release that you just started a new real estate website, your press release is not going to be very successful. If you send out a press release that your real estate website is the first of its kind to allow people to search for foreclosures etc, etc. Then it might be more successful. Bottom line if your press release is really something of importance that you're announcing you will get better results than just sending a press release to just send it.

[jamesww]

Thanks Mark

[Ledgewood]

Press releases themselves are not always effective in order to get news coverage. What you need is a good pitch and an interesting angle on a story in order to get reporters interested. It would be good if you could tie a story idea into current news trends. For example, what are the trends for homebuyers in your area (in what is presumably a down market). Are most buyers first time homebuyers, and if so how do you suggest that sellers market their homes to this demographic?

[oliasud]

spam removed

[Maui]

Times like this I wish I was a moderator on this forum. Grrrr.