What are the best ways to follow up on a press release?

It's important to know what a reporter typically covers, regardless if they are a full-time staff writer or a freelancer. If a pitch is outside of a reporter's coverage area, it's likely to end up in the digital trash bin.

Here are some valuable tips To effectively follow up on a press release with media houses: 1 - Email Follow-up: Send a concise email referencing the press release, providing additional details. Express your continued interest in having the story covered. 2 - Phone Calls: Politely call journalists to introduce the story and offer assistance. Express your continued interest and willingness to provide additional information, interviews, or visuals if needed. 3 - Embargo Reminders: Before embargo dates, send reminders and tailor your pitches for relevance. Express your continued interest in their coverage. 4 - LinkedIn Message: Use LinkedIn for professional outreach, Express your ongoing interest in their work.

Absolutely, personalizing follow-up communication in the realm of press releases is key. Before reaching out, conducting thorough research on the specific journalists and media outlets is essential. Understanding their focus areas, preferred contact methods, and deadlines allows for a tailored approach. Craft each follow-up email with this knowledge in mind, demonstrating a genuine understanding of their interests and requirements. This personalized touch increases the likelihood of grabbing their attention and fostering a more meaningful and productive professional relationship.

At the core of this proposition is a simple question: what is the individual journalist trying to get from the situation? We tend to skip past this question and mirror-image .... thinking about the interaction through our own lens and assumimg our counterparty thinks as we do. But a journalist wants, in fact needs, to get something from the interaction with us. If we understand what that is, writing the follow-up message becomes completely intuitive.

Absolutely, timing is a critical factor in following up on a press release. Striking the right balance is essential – not too early, not too late. The sweet spot typically falls within 24 to 48 hours after sending the press release, when journalists are actively reviewing their emails. However, context matters; align your follow-up with current events, industry trends, or any specific dates relevant to your press release. If your release has time sensitivity, plan the follow-up well in advance to give journalists ample time for coverage preparation. Conversely, if it's evergreen, you have more flexibility to adjust your follow-up strategy and angle to maintain relevance and pique interest.

This is where it becomes super important to have built relationships with your contacts in media outlets. If you have strong relationships with journalists, you'll have that direct contact via text or WhatsApp to prompt attention to your release on follow-up. Invest time and effort in relationship-building with your contacts in media outlets. This is what sets good communications teams apart from great ones.

Journalists and editors communicate at a frequency most of us would find prolific and unachievable. Because of the sheer volume of their comms, they tend to be quite direct and even terse. This is the style of communication which will work best to sustain and exchange with them. I would not recommend spending any words on pleasantries or pretense: every word needs to be committed to the purpose of the message. "Hey Jill, trust you saw our release yesterday on xxxx ... your readership want to know about this ... happy to support further coverage."

Coming from a former journalist, I think you’re on dangerous ground by following up on a news release that should have been published on the day it was sent. By the next day it is unlikely to be as news worthy and you are in danger of annoying the journalist. Yes follow up on pitches for contributed articles or interviews, or stories that are under embargo (and so have time for planning). But otherwise, it can make you look like you don’t understand the media if you follow up on a news release.

Also from a journalist, I think it's fine to follow up 7 days later with additional information or storylines that would still make the news...news.

Certainly! Here's a concise example based on the guideline: 1.Initial Press Release Sent: June 1st 2. Follow-up 1 (Within 24-48 hours): June 2nd or 3rd - Polite follow-up expressing eagerness for their feedback or interest in the press release. 3. Follow-up 2 (After a week): June 10th - Gentle reminder, reiterating the value of the story and offering further assistance if needed. Respecting the recipients' time and professional courtesy is key. Following up once or twice strikes the right balance, allowing for effective communication without being overly persistent.

I agree that it's better to connect with reporters before publishing the release. Unless you're announcing news of such magnitude that cannot be ignored, reporters who may already be committed to several assignments over the near term may not be able to take on another story. If you frequently interact with a particular reporter, it would be OK to give that person a call shortly after sending a release pertaining to a topic that is regularly the subject of news coverage. If pitching a story to a reporter whose beat overlaps with your release -- but who does not regularly cover your firm or agency -- it's a good idea to give advance notice so an overburdened newsroom can make plans to cover, especially if you can offer a good photo opp.

It can be a misstep to over-focus on how you follow up a press release, because most of the work should be done *before* the release. Lay the foundation with an outlet or two. Set the conditions so there is an appetite for what you're saying, and maybe even a soft plan or soft commitment with a particular outlet to cover your story. This again is where relationships will determine relative success. If you've built strong ties with counterparties, you will have them onside before speaking on behalf of the organization, and your message will flow to a prepared audience.