Is the press release still a relevant way to distribute news? In today’s digital age it may not seem as though the longstanding press release retains much value. However, the truth is that the press release remains as vital and integral to successful public relations as ever. Press releases have the power to attract the right attention, create buzz about your business, and drive traffic to your store or website. While quality writing is undoubtedly an essential component of an effective press release, as it is with all web content, there are other factors that can ensure your press release is truly powerful.

A recent study from pr.co, one of the web’s press release powerhouses, has evaluated over 50,000 press releases to learn more about what makes some press releases more effective than others. Here’s what they found:

The day of the week a press release is distributed can impact the amount of views it receives. While most press releases are published on Tuesdays and Thursdays, it’s on Wednesday that releases receive the most views from media sources. However, publishing a release late Tuesday evening or early Wednesday morning also means you’re competing with a lot of other releases that are fighting for a top spot in a recipient’s inbox. Conversely, less than 20 percent of press releases are published on the weekend, which creates an opportune time to snag the attention of the journalist prepping for next week’s stories.

The more media contacts that receive a press release the better, right? Not exactly. It’s been found that the shorter a distribution list, the more likely recipients are to actually open the email. For example, when a distribution list is comprised of just two recipients, there’s a 51 percent chance that they’ll open the email. Yet when a distribution list includes over 1,000 recipients, there’s only a 16 percent chance the email is opened. What accounts for the disparity? Chances are that a large distribution list covers a broad range of recipients, including many who are probably not very relevant to the topic of your release. However, smaller lists are usually a reflection of a public relations company that’s taken the time to ensure the release could really be of interest to its recipients.

In fact, the negative correlation that exists between open rates and the size of a distribution list can be attributed to this type of press release customization. Customized press releases, which contain a personal message and are delivered to the appropriate media contacts, are far more effective than releases that are distributed to a mass audience that may find the content irrelevant. Mass distributions usually also result in a barrage of automatic responses stating recipients’ contact information is outdated, or that they’ve moved on from their place of employment. Customized distributions are therefore both cost effective and better at yielding inquiries, and can also lead to the formation of some valuable working relationships with journalists.

So if your business is seeking marketing companies in Philadelphia that can make your press release more powerful, know that at Neff Associates, we have the insight and experience to meet your expectations.