Why timing is everything in PR
Timing is everything in PR. When it comes to developing a campaign, your business' own internal timelines will naturally take centre stage. Perhaps you've got to make an announcement or launch a product by a certain date.
But what about the timelines of those in the media and your customers? Have you factored those in?
This is so often where things come unstuck. An interesting story doesn't get the traction it could have because it was sent based purely on the business' own timeframes and didn't take into account the bigger picture.
Here are three questions to ask yourself before you press send on a media release.
What else is happening in the news?
TV, radio, newspapers and even digital publications are limited by the amount of content they can produce. If there's a significant event taking place - for example, January 26 - the reality is there will be several stories dedicated to it, resulting in less space for other news. Consider whether the announcement has to be made, or whether it can be delayed by a few days.
When is the best time to contact my chosen media outlets?
Answering this question requires getting to know the individual publications you're pitching to. A TV journalist preparing for a 6pm live cross isn't going to be checking their emails or taking follow-up calls at 4pm. Common sense, desktop research and asking around will go a long way towards getting your pitch noticed.
Can I piggyback on an existing issue?
Every summer we hear stories about water safety and new lifesaving initiatives designed to improve our time at the beach. Journalists are looking both for solutions and experts to talk to. Perhaps your business has developed a game-changing flotation device, like we saw in the media in the past week. It makes sense to launch it during summer, when people are talking about these issues, rather than in the middle of winter. The one caveat to this is knowing when to piggyback and when to leave it alone. Don't ever try to leverage a tragedy for your own capital gain. There is such a thing as bad PR.
A well-executed PR campaign will always factor in timing. Use it and it will often reward you.