How Many Press Releases Should My Business Send Per Year?

There's no magic number of press releases per year. A business that sends 24 releases of filler will do worse than one that sends four genuinely newsworthy ones.

The right number is: as many as you have real news for — and enough to stay visible.

Rough guidelines by business type

These are starting points, not rules:

Local small business: about 2–6 per year, tied to openings, milestones, community initiatives and seasonal stories
Startup: about 4–10 per year — launch, funding, key hires, partnerships, product updates, awards
Growing mid-sized company: about 6–12 per year across products, people, partnerships and expansion
Public companies: often more, driven by earnings and disclosure requirements

Why more isn't always better

Every release that isn't news trains journalists to ignore your name. If reporters see your company in their inbox every two weeks with nothing interesting, they'll start skimming past you even when you do have news. That's a big reason releases get ignored — see Why Do Most Press Releases Get Ignored?

Why too few can hurt

Go silent for a year and you lose momentum. Search results get stale. Investors and customers see no signs of progress. Journalists forget who you are.

A steady, credible rhythm beats one big splash followed by silence. It's one of the core principles in Press Release Best Practices for Building Brand Awareness.

Build a simple annual PR calendar

Sit down once a year and map out:

Known milestones - Launches and product updates - Anniversaries - Planned hires or expansion - Events you're hosting or sponsoring

Seasonal hooks (great for Calgary businesses) - New year planning and resolutions - Tax season - Spring home and garden - Stampede in July - Back to school - Holiday giving and year-end

Data opportunities - An annual survey or "state of" report - Year-in-review numbers

Flexible slots - Room for surprise news, awards and reactive commentary

Then space them out so you're showing up every month or two, not all at once. Remember lead times — see How Far in Advance Should I Send a Press Release?

Fill the gaps without a release

Not every month needs a press release to keep you visible:

Pitch yourself as an expert source on trending topics
Write guest articles or op-eds
Share coverage you've already earned on social
Post smaller updates on social instead — see Press Release vs. Social Media Announcement: Which Should I Do?

Quality checklist for every release

Before adding a release to your calendar, ask:

Is it genuinely new?
Would someone outside our company care?
Is there a local, human or data angle?
Do we have a spokesperson and visuals ready?

If not, it's a social post, a newsletter item or a blog — not a release.

Budget follows frequency

More releases means more writing and distribution costs. Plan your annual PR budget alongside your calendar — see How Much Does a Press Release Cost?

Quick FAQ

Is one press release a month too many? Only if some of them aren't real news. If you genuinely have monthly news, go for it.

Do expert comments count toward my PR rhythm? Yes. Being quoted as an expert keeps you visible between releases and builds credibility without a formal release.

What if I have no news for months? That's normal. Fill the gap with expert commentary, a guest article or a small survey. Don't invent news just to keep up a schedule.

Want a year of news mapped out for you? Blastily builds PR calendars that keep your business visible. Start your Blast at blastily.com.