At what point does “sending out a lot of press releases to gain exposure” (which generally is a good idea), become “I just angered every single journalist that covers my industry”? It’s easy to blacklist yourself and your entire company by constantly sending out press releases to newspapers, especially to ones that you’ve already submitted.
On the other hand, getting your press release printed is a lesson in patience and tenacity. Not sending your releases out to reporters means you’ll never get noticed. How exactly do you walk this fine line?
How Much Is Too Much?
As usual, there’s never a clear and defined line and rule for you to follow. However, there are a few factors you can take into consideration.
How frequently you can send out press releases without irritating journalists depends on the relevance, quality, and newsworthiness of the content. Here are some guidelines to strike the right balance:
1. Focus on Quality, Not Quantity
- Only send press releases when you have genuinely newsworthy information (e.g., major announcements, significant achievements, product launches, or updates that affect your audience).
- Avoid sending trivial or repetitive updates.
2. Understand Your Industry
- Fast-paced industries (e.g., tech, entertainment): Weekly releases might be acceptable if each one contains fresh and valuable information.
- Slower industries (e.g., public services, manufacturing): Monthly or even quarterly releases may be more appropriate.
3. Segment Your Audience
- Customize your distribution list to target specific journalists who cover the topic. This reduces the perception of spam.
- Ensure that each press release is relevant to the recipient’s beat or audience.
4. Avoid Overloading During Campaigns
- If you’re running a campaign or event, cluster your communications but space them out appropriately (e.g., initial announcement, reminders, final recap).
- Consider combining minor updates into a single release to avoid bombarding journalists.
5. Build Relationships
- Establish trust with journalists by consistently providing valuable content.
- Engage with them outside of just sending releases (e.g., exclusive interviews, personalized pitches).
6. Gauge Feedback
- Monitor open rates, responses, and feedback from journalists to understand if your frequency is becoming overwhelming.
A General Rule for Press Release Frequency
As a general rule, one release every two weeks is a safe average, but it depends heavily on the factors above. Prioritize relevance and strategic timing to maintain good relationships.
You May Want to Ask
One great way to find out the answer to your question is to ask the reporters who you have developed relationships with over time.
By doing so, you may get a better idea of how often to send press releases to that particular media outlet. In fact, if you know them well enough, they’ll probably just flat out tell you when to send them.
If you don’t have a great relationship with anyone, you might try asking anyway. If you somehow get a not-too-busy reporter, they might tell you the optimal times and frequency to send press releases. If you still don’t have an answer, try giving a journalist at least a couple weeks before sending in a follow up email. Then, give them another month at least before sending in another press release. Of course, that also depends on:
The Importance of the News
How important is your press release? Not just to you, but to the world, and most importantly, the newspaper or magazine you send it to? If the news has the potential to change the world, then sending in more frequent press releases might be worth it. If it only has some importance to your company, it might be best to hold off entirely.
Nobody wants their time wasted. This goes especially for busy reporters. If they feel like you’re siphoning too much of their time, any potential partnerships could be damaged. It’s definitely better to get an idea of the specific needs of their establishment before bombarding them with press releases. All you have to do is ask!
This article is written by Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases (https://www.ereleases.com), the online leader in affordable press release distribution. Download your free copy of 7 Cheap PR Tactics for Success in Any Economy here: https://www.ereleases.com/free-offer/cheap-pr-tactics/