Is This a Right Time To Submit a Press Release?

I will be submitting a press release to PR Web for a new startup in order for it to gain some exposure.
I've heard that having a press release be available on a Monday is one of the key times to submit a press release.
Would it be a good idea to submit a release on Monday, November 29th?

Additionally, have any of you had experience with PR Web with nice results?

Thank you!

Timing is likely to be the least of your problems. Your real problem is that unless you have some actual news that is extraordinarily interesting, nobody will care... there are millions of companies releasing millions of press releases all the time, and the press doesn't have time to try to find the one interesting needle in a haystack.

Joel is spot on. In addition, Monday the 29th has been dubbed Cyber Monday by the press, signaling the official beginning of the online holiday shopping season. This ensures there will be exponentially more press releases next week burying your startup announcement.

I'd encourage you build interest and gain exposure in other ways and rely on press releases to notify your established network of newsworthy information about your startup.

I don't have much to add, other than to agree with Joel and Keith. From my own experience, releases are nearly useless. Peldi @ Balsamiq offers some great insights and practical techniques on his blog, I highly encourage you to check it out!

Perhaps you're asking the wrong question. You first sentence notes "...to get some exposure". Perhaps the advice that you're looking for is... how to get exposure? And exposure to what? Are you looking for feet in the door at a physical store or eyeballs to a web-based business? The quality of the answer is limited by the question.

As Joel points out and Keith illuminates with an example, a Press Release is a small piece of a BIG puzzle. In general, press releases are among the tools within an integrated Marketing/PR Toolbox supporting a long-term marketing/PR strategy.

If the goal is getting eyeballs to a website, then an effective press release has many roles. Yes, it gets distributed via various channels (which, BTW, you’ll want to identify those channels), but it may also play a key role on your website’s News/Media pages that would ideally add new press releases and other events every few weeks. This New/Media page is a place for site visitors to “check you out” to see if you’re more than just a one-PR-pony or a business that always has a lot going on. It’s also a way to feed SEO with content – assuming that you actually started with a well-writing press release that leverages SEO.

BTW, three weeks ago, I knew little about effective marketing in today’s electronic world (although I want you to think otherwise). Then I read David Scott’s book, “The New Rules of Marketing and PR” and it totaled rocked my entrepreneur world. Check out some of the Amazon reader reviews.