Most press releases are ignored because they bury the news, overhype the story, or fail the five second skim test. If you want journalists to read past your headline, you need a clear news angle, a familiar format, and concise, verifiable facts. Use this guide to craft an effective press release that editors can use quickly, and audiences will understand instantly.
Teams moving fast often combine smart writing with automation. Explore AI press release tools to draft accurate first versions, then polish them for voice and nuance. When you are ready to share, plan a press release distribution workflow that includes your newsroom, targeted pitching, and wire when appropriate.
Before you write, define the newsworthy angle. Ask what changed today, for whom, and why it matters. Tie your announcement to an outcome, a milestone, a credible data point, or a timely trend. If a TV presenter had ten seconds to introduce it, what would they say. Lead with that top line, not your internal process or backstory.
Journalists rely on predictable structure to verify details quickly. Keep your release between 300 and 500 words, write in AP style, and place the most important facts first. Include city and date in the dateline, add one meaningful quote, and end with a clear boilerplate and media contact.
Use active voice, plain words, and one concrete result. Aim for 65 to 80 characters for the headline, then use a subhead to add a key metric or context. Avoid hype terms like groundbreaking or revolutionary. Replace them with measurable outcomes and specifics.
Answer the five Ws and the how in the first two sentences. Name the organization, the action, the audience affected, and the timing. Include one relevant number or fact that proves significance. Keep jargon out. If a reader stops after the lead, they should still understand the news.
Back up your claim with concise details. Add data from credible sources, customer or partner validation, or context from the market. Link to a product page or resource on your site so journalists can verify information quickly. Keep paragraphs short and scannable.
Quotes should deliver perspective, not restate facts. Use them to explain why the news matters to customers or the industry. Attribute to leaders who own the decision. One or two quotes are enough, around 20 to 35 words each, written like a natural sound bite.
Write a factual, 60 to 100 word boilerplate that describes what your organization does, whom it serves, and a concise proof point. End with a media contact that includes a name, direct email, and phone. Make it easy to reach a human.
Optimize for SEO with one primary keyword phrase, for example press release for B2B SaaS, and one secondary phrase related to your topic. Place the primary in the headline or subhead, then naturally in the lead and body. Add one or two links to relevant pages, use descriptive anchor text, and write image alt text that states what the image shows. Prepare a short social caption and a visual asset so your news is easy to share.
Start with a tiered media list that matches your audience. Local outlets may love community impact, while trade media prefer technical outcomes or customer results. Consider an exclusive for a top outlet if your story is strong. Send a short, personalized pitch email that highlights the news in one sentence, then paste the full release below.
Do not bury the lead or open with company background before the news. Avoid adjectives that inflate claims without proof. Skip vague quotes that mirror the headline. Do not overlink or include tracking-heavy URLs in the body. Never attach giant files. Link to a press kit with images, logos, and captions instead.
Give your release one final pass before you hit send. Read it out loud to catch complex sentences and jargon. Confirm names, titles, dates, links, and numbers. Ensure your story would make sense to a reader outside your company.
When your release tells a real story, follows a familiar press release format, and respects the way editors work, your news becomes easy to cover. Combine solid reporting with light automation, then focus your outreach where relevance is highest.
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