Writing Press Releases That Actually Get Read

What is a press release?

A press release is a concise, usually one-page document that businesses send out to announce something newsworthy, like a new product or an important recognition. The goal of any press release is to generate media attention and compel journalists to write their own stories about your business, thus broadcasting your message to wider audiences. 

While press releases are standard practice, they are especially crucial for small businesses. Even without a dedicated PR team, an attention-grabbing press release is an effective public relations solution that can help you reach a wider audience without spending big bucks on ads.

Types of press releases

Press releases can be written about anything a business believes to be newsworthy and wants to share with the public to generate positive attention and increase brand awareness. Here are some of the most popular small business press release types:

• Product launches: A press release can generate public awareness and inform potential customers about your new product’s features, pricing and availability. Additionally, if your press release prompts feature articles in reputable publications, you’ll increase consumer trust and drive sales.
• Product updates: Similar to a product launch, when you improve your product, a press release can reach a wider audience than traditional marketing channels can. Your release should include the reason for the changes and how customers will benefit.
• New businesses: If you’re starting a business, a press release can help you reach your target customers and let them know you’re open. Your introduction should explain who you are, where you’re located, and what needs your product or service meets.
• Events: A press release can drum up excitement for a corporate event, such as a new-product presentation or a community fundraiser. Creating buzz will boost your event’s attendance and build your company’s reputation. Include essential information, like the location, time and how to gain entrance. Timing is crucial — you don’t want to get the message out too early or too late.
• Contests and competitions: Contests and competitions are excellent ways to attract a new audience and build customer loyalty. Include dates and deadlines, eligibility and instructions for participating.
• Awards and recognition: If your business won an award or received a prestigious accolade, let people know. Prestigious awards are sure to create media attention and reinforce your business’s reputation. Don’t forget to explain why the award is important.
• Community involvement: People love to support local companies, especially small businesses involved in the community. From sponsoring events like fundraisers or food drives to donating to charities or local organizations, showing off your hometown solidarity lets customers know they can feel good about spending their money with your business.
• Partnerships: Entering a partnership with another company or organization likely benefits your business — but it should also benefit your customers. Let them know how you will do that in a well-crafted press release that includes information about both companies and why you’re working together.
• Mergers and acquisitions: If there’s a company merger or you acquire another business, you should inform the public. Include information about all of the companies involved, briefly detail the new structure and introduce the new leadership team — with quotes, if possible.
• Rebranding: A well-executed press release is essential for rebranding your business. To avoid confusing your customers, the press release should explain all of the changes, how they will affect customers and the rebranding timeline.
• New hires and promotions: You may think announcing new executives is reserved for big corporations with celebrity CEOs. However, new-hire press releases can also help small businesses. If you’re bringing on a respected and integral community member or another noteworthy professional, let people know. Their reputation can help boost the community’s perception of your company.
• Crisis management: It would be wonderful if things always went smoothly, but sometimes your business may hit a few bumps in the road. A press release can help you recover from a PR crisis. Explain the situation, and outline concrete steps to remedy the problem. Include an apology if one is warranted.
• General press release: Your business may want to share information that doesn’t fit into one of these categories. For example, you may want to alert your audience to breaking industry news or the results of a new study that affects your business. A well-timed press release can bring your name into the conversation.

How to write a press release

The art of writing a press release is about balancing the story your company is trying to tell while making it digestible for your desired audience. Follow these steps to write an effective press release.

1. Ensure that your press release shares something newsworthy.

When you’re deciding whether to write a press release, consider the big picture: Will journalists find your news interesting enough to share with their readers, or is it only interesting to you and your company?

“The best way to create a press release that gets read is to make sure that what you are announcing is actually newsworthy,” advised Karolyn Raphael, president of Winger Marketing. “I know it sounds simple, but a surefire way to become ignored by the media is to send them press releases that are about news items that are only relevant to your business.”

To avoid ending up in a reporter’s trash folder, save press releases for significant announcements, like new products or services, industry recognition or special events. [Read related story: Advertising vs. Marketing vs. PR: What’s the Difference?]

2. Craft a short, interesting press release headline.

Your press release’s headline must grab readers’ attention. “As a rule of thumb, your press release headline should be able to fit into [X’s, formerly Twitter’s] character limit,” Raphael said. “Reporters are bombarded by emails, but sending a link to your press release through [X] and email increases the likelihood of having it read. Having it be short enough to be read on [X] also broadens your audience.”

According to Sheri Wachenheim, senior director of public relations at BNO, an emailed press release’s subject line is also crucial. “If you want your press release to be read, your subject line should answer the question ‘Why should I care?’ If you cannot convince a reader why they should care with your subject line, your press release will never be read.”

3. Cover the basics.

The first lesson most journalists learn about news reporting is to cover the five W’s: who, what, where, when and why. These essential pieces of information make up the core of a news story and get the facts across clearly and concisely. While a reporter may spread the W’s throughout the first few paragraphs of an article to make room for a catchy lede, your release should include them all upfront.

Janet Falk, a PR professional who advises small business owners and nonprofit groups, suggested starting with the end in mind when creating a press release. “If you want a news story to be covered, remember that relevant content must be included in the press release,” Falk said. “If a reporter does not have time to call you for an interview and that information is not in the press release, it will [not be] in the news story.” 

4. Make your press release easy to follow.

Journalists want to see essential facts in an easy-to-read format, so deliver the details in bullet-point form.

“Reporters don’t have a lot of time to comb through a press release,” said Mike Adorno, partner and senior vice president of communications at Hot Paper Lantern. “They want to know, ‘What are the key takeaways that I need to come away with?’ A very straightforward way to do that is to create a short, bulleted list that has bite-sized, social media-ready information for any reporter or reader to quickly digest and utilize immediately.” 

Another excellent way to convey information quickly is to include relevant quotes. This gives the story a personal tone, and journalists can use those quotes directly in their articles without having to conduct interviews.

5. Clean up your press release.

Errors are a quick way to turn off a journalist. Ensure that your press release is free of typos and other mistakes.

“When drafting a press release, writing copy that is grammatically correct is critical,” said Durée Ross, president and CEO of Durée & Co. “Also, it is important to be concise and include real facts, a quote from an expert source, and a link to the brand’s website and social media channels. This will ensure that the message is relayed clearly, as the press release can potentially be passed through to multiple editors and journalists.”

What to include in a press release

While the details vary by industry, subject and more, all press releases should follow a standard format that quickly provides relevant information to journalists. If you want to get journalists’ attention, here’s what you should include in any press release:

• Business logo: Press releases aim to generate awareness for your business, so lead with your corporate logo. Place it on the top, either centered or in a corner, and be consistent about where you place it.
• Release date: At the top, include the phrase “For immediate release” or the date you intend the information to be released. You can also include the words “press release,” but it isn’t mandatory.
• Contact information: Journalists may have follow-up questions, so make it easy for them to reach out. Put your business’s contact information — specifically, the person fielding media requests — in the top corner. The position at the top can vary, but ensure that you use the same format every time.
• Headline: A concise, attention-grabbing headline should go immediately underneath the previous elements. Find a snappy way to summarize the main point of the press release to interest busy journalists. Put the headline in bold, or use a slightly larger font size.
• Subhead/lead: For subheads, stick to one sentence that expands on the headline while enticing the reader. Between the headline and the subhead, you should succinctly answer the who, what, where, when and why of your news.
• Dateline: Despite its name, the dateline must include the city where your business operates. You can also include the state or country. Bold this text, and place it directly before the body copy. If you’ve gone with “For immediate release” at the top, you can place the release date here, too.
• Body paragraphs: This is where you get into the details. Remember, you are trying to generate interest, so follow the inverted-pyramid format: Stack all of the important info at the top, and save secondary details for later paragraphs. Consider including bulleted lists and expert quotes.
• Company description: The last paragraph should include information about your company and a link to your website. Explain who you are, and share your company’s mission statement. This section is meant to give journalists some background on your business.
• Closing: It’s common practice to include a short closing to let journalists know the press release is over. The standard is ###, but you might see “Ends” or another symbol. Check to see what the standard is in your region.

Press release template 

A press release template that includes your company information can save time and ensure you follow the correct format. Below is a standard press release template. Add your business information and adjust it to align with the type of press release you’re crafting.                              

(Business name)                               COMPANY LOGO                          For immediate release

(Contact person)                                                                                       (or release date)

(Phone number)                                                                                             

(Email address) 

                                                            (Brief Headline)

                                                       (One line subhead/lead)

(CITY, STATE, date) — (Company name) today (action verb) (include the most important information, like the who, what, where, when and why).

(Go into further detail; provide background information, relevant facts and quotes if possible.)

(Company name)’s customers will benefit from (reason for press release) for these reasons:

• (Reason 1)
• (Reason 2)
• (Reason 3)

“(Relevant quote to support, explain or clarify point),” said (name, title). 

(A few sentences about your company to provide background and other interesting information.)

                                                                        ###

When to issue a press release

The consensus is that the peak times for sending a press release are between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

This time frame makes sense, as people are settled into their days around 10 a.m., and 2 p.m. catches people after lunch but before the end of the day. Some experts suggest sending press releases at times that are not on the hour or half hour; it may be more beneficial to see a release at 10:18 a.m. instead of right at 10:00. Keep time zones in mind, as well.

Avoid sending your press releases early in the morning or toward the end of the workday. You won’t get the most out of your releases at these times. Friday is also a no-go for press releases. Although you may catch some people, the open rate tends to be low, similar to the weekend rate.

Benefits of a press release for small businesses

Press releases are crucial tools for reaching potential customers and spreading the word about your business’s events and activities. Consider the following benefits of press releases for small businesses.

Press releases help build your brand.

A press release helps you control your narrative and share your business’s story with customers. Building a brand requires time, but if you don’t make an effort to impart your mission, you’ll have trouble standing out from the crowd.

Has your business recently received an accolade you’re proud of? Are you providing a new product or service? These are just some of the reasons your business might need a press release.

Press releases improve your business’s SEO.

Doing business in the digital age requires an online presence. You want to be searchable and have your business appear high on Google or Bing search results. [Read related article: How to Use Google Business Profile]

Writing press releases is an opportunity to add crucial keywords to your story. If the press release is picked up and an article is published, your business will be promoted and, when coupled with the right search-optimized keywords, gain recognition from your target audience.

Press releases can also double as original content for your website, such as blog posts or website updates, further helping customers find your business online.

Press releases establish and strengthen media relations.

Press releases help journalists and media contacts find quality stories to share. They must wade through copious submissions to find excellent content. However, your consistently effective press releases may get you noticed and gain respect for your company. 

A well-crafted press release will help you stand out and leave a good impression on media contacts. The relationships you develop could lead to a fruitful future, ideally one that includes news coverage.

Spark interest with a press release

Well-executed and timely press releases are essential tools for helping your small business reach a broad audience cost-effectively. If your company has an interesting, newsworthy story to share, get to work on crafting and releasing a press release. You don’t need a PR team or even extensive PR experience. Following these guidelines will help you write press releases that hook journalists, get your story shared and generate buzz for your business. 

Adam Uzialko contributed to this article. Source interviews were conducted for a previous version of this article.