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Hi I am still in the process of launching my campaign. Myself and my business partner want to direct a documentary called 33 Days - Lost at Sea about a group of fisherman who drifted for 2200 miles. I have some press that I would like to get in touch with but I was wondering when I should contact them? Should I do it now or wait until just before the launch? If anyone has any ideas I would appreciate them.
Thanks

I am new to Kickstarter and didn't even think of a press release at first, I typed one up yesterday and will be distributing it today. There are still two weeks left in my project so I hope it helps drive some traffic. I feel like if people knew about my cause (making people smile) it wouldn't be too much to hope for that they'd add a dollar to it.

With a crowdfunding campaign you must market (before and during the campaign). Thus, I would send one a week or two before it launches and during the campaign as you see fit. Here's the thing - I would try to tie the press release in with a story in the news. So if yout campaign is this super cool high tech back pack for kids - it would make sense to tie it in at the beginning of the school year.

Also, I belive Crowd crux offers that PR/marketing press release service.

Thanks for your insight, I am doing a documentary on a shipwreck surviver so I thought of sending out the Press Releases in the next week because I am directing them to the people who actually wrote about the story hoping that we could develop a rapport before I actually launch my campaign (beginning of October). I'd like to hear your opinion on that if you don't mind.

Anyway here is the video, I 'm not quite ready to share the Kickstarter campaign.

http://youtu.be/56VyS7MU4Rk

I think you need to start building your rapport with your niche audience at least two months before you launch your campaign. Social sharing is just one key element to the process. We're 100% funded and we're still working on getting backers. It truly is a full time job. So, start the press releases but don't keep sending the same one out day after day.

Okay that's great advice. I feel that we need some more time to establish ourselves, we are new in the game and I know that we need a lot of support before we launch. I agree with the press releases too, since this is a project that I believe in, I want to be creative with my approach and not send the same thing to everyone. I appreciate your help.

Recently there has been a lot of changes in the PR industry and to be honest, press releases aren't all that important anymore. Yes, it's true that press releases get syndicated so that the same exact text gets spun out far and wide into the corners of the internet (including translations into some different languages at times), but it won't bring your campaign the support it needs to succeed.

The thing that matters most now for PR is to get the word out there about your campaign to the right outlets.

This means doing the legwork and finding the most relevant online places (since people who are your audience frequently reads it) and the most relevants journalists tol write about your (since they've written about similar projects in the past). I write a really detailed step-by-step guide (7,000 words) on how to do this here: https://crushcrowdfunding.com/the-crowdfunding-pr-strategy-that-works-2019-and-beyond/

Beyond that, getting press to write about you is also more about being able to SHOW to your audience that yes, this project is legitimate. So legitimate that even journalists are writing about it and putting their name (and reputation) on the line to talk about the project! You'll be able to include those press logos (from the outlets) on your page, to show people that yes, this campaign is the real deal.

So in sum - press releases won't take you far, the thing that will help catapult your campaign to success is getting your campaign to the right people in the right places.

Best of luck!