Is Tuesday Really the Best Day to Issue a Press Release?
The results of our poll are in. More than a hundred of you voted (thank you!) and Tuesday was the top vote-getter as the best day to issue a press release, garnering 40% of the vote. Wednesday came in second, with 24%, and Monday was third with 17%.
Tuesday's decisive win raises an interesting question: if Tuesday is the most popular day to issue a press release, isn't it
also the day when your release is going to get the least attention? It's like the freeway at rush hour -- everyone crowding onto the same stretch of asphalt, all trying to get where they're going at the same time.
Another interesting factoid: I think if we asked this question 10 years ago, Monday would have won. I recall PR people saying back then that you wanted to get your release out on Monday to get the maximum time during the week to pitch it. I guess since that became the conventional wisdom, Tuesday started to become popular as the thinking person's alternative.
So maybe it's time to go back to Monday to avoid the Tuesday rush. In any case, be forewarned -- if you issue a release Tuesday, expect a lot of competition for share of mind.
We also got some interesting reader comments, including:
I never, ever, time a news release to reach "other audiences" than the media. The news release is a media tool - period. Using it to get a message to stakeholder groups or other constituencies is like firing blanks at the newsrooms. (FinalSpin)I make a point of determining the pub first, then finding out deadlines and readership and when the story will hit the Web as well. (Webconomist)
If you have a significant announcement to make then I think what's more important than the day that you release it is the groundwork that you lay prior to its release:
- putting together a well-written release that clearly explains the broader importance of whatever it is that is being announced
- having the necessary collateral ready: images, videos, executives available for comment, etc...
- researching and then reaching out to the key influencers ahead of time
- delivering on your promises (sun56x)