Not Sure When to Distribute Your Crowdfunding Press Release? A Sample Timeline
When it comes to business and online marketing, timing matters. Timing is even more important when you’re dealing with the media. They have deadlines and windows to work within. Aligning their deadlines with your launch can be a bit tricky. It gets even trickier with a crowdfunding campaign because there are nuances to your campaign that can impact whether the media will cover your story.
The Uncertainty of Crowdfunding
The ideal time to distribute a press release for your crowdfunding campaign is a bit different than you might imagine. For many, the idea is that you distribute the press release to go out on your launch day. That way, the press release can generate attention and get you the funds you’re looking for. That’s one approach and it certainly can work to generate traffic and investors.
Another approach is to gain some momentum for your crowdfunding campaign and then leverage the media and a press release to capitalize on that momentum. The theory is that journalists won’t cover your campaign until it looks like it’s going to go viral. Then they’ll cover it. The problem with this approach is that you just don’t know when you’re going to hit that “viral” appeal or that ideal number of investors that make a journalist stand up and take notice.
The Best of Both Worlds
One way to wipe away the uncertainty is to do both. Issue a press release for your launch and issue another one once your campaign has taken off. This way you’re able to achieve both of your crowdfunding press release goals. You’re generating awareness for your campaign and you’re capitalizing on the momentum.
A Possible Timeline
Three weeks before launch – Research a few target journalists to pitch to. These should be media representatives that write for your industry and cover new business.
Two weeks before launch – Write your pitch, with each message personalized to the person you’re sending it to. Write your press release.
One week before launch – Pitch. Send your email to your chosen journalists.
Three days before launch – Follow up with journalists.
Launch – Distribute your press release.
Two weeks to a month into your launch – Write another press release. Remember to focus on how your crowdfunding campaign/products offer value and interest.
Distribute that second press release using a distribution service. You might also reach out to key media representatives and pitch a story to them.
Depending on how long your crowdfunding campaign lasts, you might repeat this process a few times. Keep in mind that each press release you write and distribute needs to be not only unique, but also newsworthy. Why will people care about your campaign and your story?
Crowdfunding campaigns can be greatly benefited with a bit of press and publicity. Timing does make a difference, but more importantly your story needs to be interesting, valuable, and appeal to your audience and the media. Focus on the quality of your press release and timing won’t be as important.
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