Sending a press release is only the first step. The follow-up is where many small businesses either earn attention or quietly disappear.
A good follow-up email does not beg. It does not repeat the whole press release. It gives a journalist a clear reason to take a second look.
Journalists are busy, skeptical, and buried in email. Your job is not to “check in.” Your job is to make the story easier to understand, easier to use, or easier to act on.
Here is how to do that without sounding pushy.
When to Send a Follow-Up Email
In most cases, wait two to three business days after sending your press release or pitch.
If your news is tied to a date, event, opening, launch, or deadline, you can follow up sooner. Just be clear about why the timing matters.
A simple rhythm works well:
- Send the press release or pitch.
- Wait two to three business days.
- Send one helpful follow-up.
- If there is no response, move on or try a different angle later.
One thoughtful follow-up is professional. Three “just bumping this up” emails are not.
What a Good Follow-Up Email Should Do
A strong follow-up email should be short. Aim for 100 to 175 words. Cision’s media follow-up guidance also recommends keeping follow-ups brief, summarizing the earlier pitch quickly, and reminding the reporter why the story matters to their audience.
It should answer one question: why might this be useful to the journalist’s readers, viewers, or listeners?
For a fuller look at how to find the right journalists, shape your pitch, and use press releases strategically, review this guide on how to get media coverage for small businesses.
Before you send it, ask:
- Did I personalize the email?
- Did I make the news angle clear?
- Did I include the key detail near the top?
- Did I offer something useful, such as an interview, image, data point, or local angle?
- Did I make it easy to say yes?
Do not attach large files. Link to images, press materials, or the release if needed.
Template 1: Basic Press Release Follow-Up
| Subject: Follow-up: [Company] announces [news angle] Hi [First Name], I wanted to follow up on the release I sent about [company/news]. The quick version: [one-sentence summary of the announcement and why it matters]. I thought it might fit your coverage of [specific beat, topic, column, or audience] because [brief reason tied to their readers]. I’m happy to provide more details, images, or a quick interview with [spokesperson name/title] if useful. Here is the release again for reference: [link] Best, |
When to use it: Use this after sending a general announcement, such as a launch, new location, award, partnership, funding announcement, or community initiative.
Template 2: Local Media Follow-Up
| Subject: Local angle on [announcement] in [city/region] Hi [First Name], I’m following up on a story idea that may be relevant to [city/region] readers. [Company], based in [city], recently [announcement]. What makes this local is [jobs created, local customers served, community impact, founder connection, event location, or regional trend]. This could fit your coverage of [local business, community news, events, economy, education, health, etc.]. [Spokesperson] is available for a short interview and can speak about [specific local angle]. Release/details: [link] Thanks for taking a look, |
When to use it: Use this for newspapers, local business journals, TV assignment desks, radio producers, and community publications. The key is not that your business exists locally. The key is that the story affects local people.
Template 3: Trade Publication Follow-Up
| Subject: Story idea for [industry] readers: [specific angle] Hi [First Name], I wanted to follow up on a release I shared about [company announcement]. For your [industry] audience, the most relevant angle may be [industry-specific takeaway]. This points to a broader issue many [industry professionals/customers] are dealing with: [problem, trend, regulation, cost pressure, customer behavior, technology shift]. [Company/spokesperson] can speak to:
Here is the release: [link] Happy to send background or arrange a short interview if helpful. Best, |
When to use it: Use this when the publication covers a narrow industry. Trade editors care less about your company milestone and more about what the news says about the market.
Template 4: Follow-Up Offering an Interview
| Subject: Interview source on [topic] Hi [First Name], I’m following up on [announcement/topic] because [spokesperson name] may be a useful source for your coverage of [beat/topic]. [Spokesperson] is [title/credential] at [company] and can speak about [specific issue], including:
This is connected to our recent announcement: [brief summary or link]. Would a 10-minute interview be useful this week? Thanks, |
When to use it: Use this when the announcement is not enough by itself, but your founder, customer, expert, or executive can add useful perspective.
Common Follow-Up Mistakes
The biggest mistake is writing a follow-up that says nothing new.
Avoid lines like “Just checking in,” “Did you get my release?” or “Circling back on this.”
Those phrases put the burden on the journalist. Instead, add value. Point out the local angle. Offer a source. Share a timely update. Connect the announcement to something already on their beat.
Another mistake is following up with the wrong person. If a reporter covers restaurants, do not pitch them a software launch unless the software clearly affects restaurants. Relevance beats volume every time.
A Simple Follow-Up Formula
Use this structure:
- Remind them briefly what you sent.
- State the strongest angle in one sentence.
- Explain why it fits their audience.
- Offer one useful next step.
- Get out of the way.
The follow-up should feel like a helpful nudge, not a sales email. You are not trying to pressure a journalist into coverage. You are trying to make a relevant story easier to consider.
For a small business, that matters. You may not have a giant PR team or a household name. But you can be clear, timely, and useful.
That is often enough to get a second look.
Mickie Kennedy founded eReleases.com in 1998 after watching PR firms charge small businesses a $20,000 minimum for a single press release. For 27 years, he’s been closing that gap — distributing 150,000+ releases via Cision PR Newswire, serving 30,000+ clients including Manscaped, Squatty Potty, and 40+ Shark Tank brands, and generating $132M+ in earned media. A sought-after podcast guest and two-time Amazon bestselling author of Beginner’s Guide to Writing Powerful Press Releases and The PR Strategy Manifesto. Mickie holds an MFA in Creative Writing from George Mason University. Based in Baltimore, MD. LinkedIn