I have a new client and just sent out two press releases timed about a week apart. The second is being used on social media to boost the news on the first release. The client noticed how fast and how close these were and asked the great question, How often should we send out press releases?
You want to send out press releases any time you have news about your business. A release should go out when you’ve added new products, if you’re making a special appearance, or if a celebrity is getting involved. If something new and exciting is happening with your business, word needs to get out.
That said, you and your publicist should be looking at ways to regularly send out releases. It can be done once a month, once every couple of weeks, or weekly. The timing depends on how big the client is, but there needs to be a predictable schedule of at least once a month.
Is there such a thing as too many press releases? I aim for no more than two releases a week for a client, unless there’s something big going on. For example, with DomCon, we had some big stuff pop up during the show that needed releases. Press releases are a hair away from being spam. A major publicist will send out a few times a day, but these are for different clients.
A big budget client with a lot going on should be seeing press releases sent out about once a week. A smaller client can get away with about once a month. The biggest mistake I see is when someone just wants to send out one press release. These aren’t magic bullets. Your publicity campaigns should be aimed at growing the business over a period of time.
What if I have no news? This is where marketing and PR cross paths. Look for ways to make news. Celebrate a holiday with a contest. Offer a sale or special discounts. Book a guest spot for a podcast. One client bought ads with a radio station, we channeled that into several on air appearances, and of course this became an opportunity to send out press releases.
Is there a time when we should dial back on press releases or not send them at all? I personally dialed back PR about my own project, FetishArtist.net in 2020, as there wasn’t time to dedicate to the project and new products. One of my clients has a separate franchise we haven’t sent release out for yet because they’re not ready for high demand. Press releases should get dialed back if the subject is becoming rote. I’m dialing back releases for one client because their weekly show has become too repetitive and we’re going to have new things to offer soon.
Don’t forget the reasons why to send out a press release. A release is part of a larger marketing and publicity plan. Press releases are not advertising. Your publicist shouldn’t be sending out releases just to get them published. A release is meant to generate interest from the press. You want a press release to lead to interviews and profiles. A journalist might not publish a press release at all, but instead use your release to generate a bigger story including others.
So if you have a publicist, and haven’t planned ahead, start today.
