Note: Today’s post is a guest post by Francesca StaAna, a very active member in the PRWeb community.

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So you’ve just written the perfect press release: Catchy headline, newsworthy, interesting, and it has the ideal text to link ratio that’s bound to make the search engines smile. Nothing left to do but hit the “Submit” button, right? Not so fast.

While the success of a press release relies mainly on how well it’s written, it’s important to remember that other factors (such as timing) also come into play. Your article may be ready for the media, but is the media ready for it as well? Before sending your article to the press, be sure to ask yourself the following questions and evaluate if it is indeed the right time to publish your release.

1. What day is it? – While there isn’t an official consensus on the one perfect day to publish a press release, most publicists and journalists agree that issuing a release on a Monday or a Friday is a bad idea (unless it’s breaking news). Since Monday is usually spent catching up on work that accumulated during the weekend and planning the rest of the week, reporters and other potential readers would be too busy to see your article. Friday on the other hand, is much too relaxed, as people usually start to enter “weekend mode” on this day.

To be safe, stick to Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays to publish your press release.

Sending your press release on a holiday such as Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day, is also a big no-no, obviously because your target audience would most likely be on vacation.

2. Is there a big event going on? – Aside from minding what day of the week it is, also monitor the event calendar in your industry to ensure that you don’t schedule your press release on the same day that other big events are taking place.

For instance, if you’re in the mobile app industry, you wouldn’t want to publish your article on the same day that Apple has a press conference, because their news will obviously overshadow your announcement.

3. Are your boilerplate statement and contact information updated? – Boilerplate statements come in handy because they keep companies from having to re-type the same things over and over again, and it also adds a sense of consistency and familiarity especially if they’ve sent out several press releases in the past.

However, some people take their boilerplate statement for granted and use the same copy time and time again, without bothering to update it. If you’ve made any changes to your company, especially in terms of your mission, vision, and product line, be sure to check if your boilerplate statement still reflects what your business is all about.

The same thing goes for your contact information. Did you switch publicists? Did you move or change phone numbers? If so, then don’t forget to update the contact details in your release. The last thing you want is to miss a great media opportunity simply because of inaccurate contact information.

4. Did you spell out your URL? – When directing readers to visit your website, it’s best to spell out your site’s URL instead of using a hyperlink (i.e. “click HERE.”) While most websites and publications will pick up your entire press release, links and all, some websites only grab the text of your article, so it’s best to spell out your website to ensure that interested readers will be able to easily touch base with you.

Image credit: Horia Varlan on Flickr

Author Bio: Francesca StaAna is from AdMedia, an online advertising network that connects advertisers to consumers through a number of innovative products including remarketing ads, affiliate programs, pay per click advertising, and more.

Filed under: Content, Distribution by Stacey Acevero