How to write a press release

The short answer

To write a press release, open with a plain headline and a first paragraph that states who, what, when, where and why. Add a second paragraph of detail, a quote from a named person, a short boilerplate about the organisation, and media contact details. Send it only when you have real news, and only to people who cover that subject.

What a press release is for

Knowing how to write a press release starts with knowing its purpose. A press release gives a journalist or editor the facts of a piece of news in a form they can use quickly. It tells them what happened, who is involved, why it matters to their readers and who to ask for more. It is written in the third person and in a neutral tone, because the person reading it is deciding whether there is a story, not whether to buy.

Most releases never become coverage. Editors receive many, and they pick only what suits their readers that day. A release is a way to make a good story easy to find and easy to check. It cannot turn a weak story into a strong one.

When a press release is worth sending

Send one when something has changed that a stranger would care about. Run the announcement through three tests: would someone outside your business find it interesting, would they find it interesting this week, and can you state it in one sentence without adjectives?

If the answer to the three tests is no, there are better routes than a release: a blog post, an email to customers or a short note to one journalist who covers your sector. The wider question of earning coverage is a separate job from writing a release, and it is a long game.

How to write a press release: the format

The format is conventional on purpose. Editors scan many of them, and a familiar layout lets them find the news quickly.

1. Headline: a short statement of the news, in plain words with a verb.
2. Subheading (optional): one line that adds the most useful detail.
3. Dateline and date: the city where the release originates, then the date.
4. First paragraph: who, what, when, where and why, in as few sentences as possible.
5. Second paragraph: the next most important detail, with context for someone new to the subject.
6. Quote: one or two sentences from a named person, with their job title.
7. Further detail: facts, figures you can source, links to full information, and what happens next.
8. Boilerplate: a short standard paragraph about the organisation, headed 'About' and its name.
9. Media contact: a named person with an email address or other contact that will be answered.
10. End marker: a line such as the word 'ends' or three hash marks, so the editor knows nothing is missing.

Keep it to about a page. Anything longer goes on a web page that the release links to.

A skeleton you can fill in

Copy this and replace each bracket. Delete anything you cannot fill with facts.

• [Organisation] [does something specific] [for whom or where]
• [City], [date]: [Organisation] has [done the news]. [One sentence on who it is for and why it matters now.]
• [A second paragraph with detail: what is new, what it replaces or adds, and when it starts.]
• '[Quote that gives a reason or an opinion, not a repeat of the facts],' said [name], [job title] at [organisation].
• [Further facts, with the source of any figure, and a link for readers wanting more.]
• About [organisation]: [two or three plain sentences saying what it does and for whom.]
• Media contact: [name, role, email and the best hours to reach them].
• ends

Write the headline and first paragraph first

If an editor reads nothing but the headline and the first paragraph, they should still have the whole story. Write those two parts first and then see what remains.

A weak headline reads: Local firm proud to announce exciting new direction. A better headline says what happened: Garden design firm opens free planting advice clinic for allotment holders. The second is specific, it names the audience and a journalist can see the angle.

Leave out words that praise your own work, such as innovative, exciting or unique. They add nothing a reader can check. Let the facts carry the weight, and if a claim needs a number, use only one you can source.

Quotes that add something

A quote should give a reason, a view or a human detail that the facts do not. 'We are delighted to launch this service' tells nobody anything. 'People kept asking us the same three questions, so we answered them in one place' does. Say it as the person would say it aloud, and get their approval of the wording.

A quote from a customer is stronger than one from your own director, as long as the customer has agreed to be named. Ask in advance, using the guidance in how to ask for and use customer reviews, and keep their words as they gave them.

Links, pictures and the page it points to

Include a link to a page with the full story, and make sure that page is ready before you send the release. A release about a launch should point to a page that explains the launch, not to a homepage. Landing page copywriting basics covers how to write one.

Offer a picture with a caption and the name of whoever should be credited, and say that more are available. Keep attachments small, because large files are often blocked. Putting a link to a shared folder in the email is safer.

Be sparing with links to your own website inside the release text. Google's spam policies list links with optimised anchor text in press releases that are distributed on other sites as link spam. Write for journalists first, use plain wording for any link, and treat links from coverage as a by-product. Check the current documentation for the exact wording.

Who to send it to

Send it to the few people who cover your subject, not to everyone. Build a short list from where your own customers read, listen and look. The customer profiles you made using how to create a buyer persona are a good starting point: which publications, newsletters, podcasts or local outlets would those people actually follow?

• Trade and industry press for business news.
• Local newspapers, radio and community sites for anything with local interest.
• Newsletters and bloggers who write for your niche.
• Podcast hosts and event organisers, if you have a story rather than a product to sell.

Read what each person has written recently. Address them by name, say in one line why this suits their readers, and paste the release into the email so it can be read without opening an attachment. Make the subject line a plain statement of the news.

For a consumer product, creators may reach your buyers more directly than an editor does, and influencer marketing for small business: the basics explains how to approach them.

Timing, embargoes and follow-up

Send the release when the news is ready, and a few days ahead of an event if you want attendance. An embargo asks journalists to hold a story until a stated time. Use one only if you have a real reason, always give the date, hour and time zone because your recipients may be in different countries, and accept that some will decline it.

One polite follow-up after a few days is reasonable, and it should add something, such as a new quote or picture. Repeated chasing does not help. If someone replies with a question, answer it promptly and accurately.

Publish it on your own site too

A news page on your website lets customers and journalists find the facts without asking. Keep the format the same as the version you send out. Decide where it sits among your other pages using website content plan: what to write first, and do not create a news section that will sit empty for months.

For help planning announcements, content and outreach together, the digital marketing service page describes the work Liftup Technologies offers.

Accuracy and permission

Check every claim before you send. Do not call anything the first, the biggest or the best unless you can show evidence that a stranger could check. Get permission to name people, customers and partners. Rules on advertising claims and endorsements differ by country, so ask a lawyer if the release makes comparative or regulated claims. If you find a mistake after sending, tell the recipients straight away.

Habits that get releases ignored

• Sending a release when there is no news.
• Opening with the company's history instead of the announcement.
• Using adjectives in place of facts.
• Sending the same email to a long list of unrelated recipients.
• Burying the contact details, or naming a contact who is unavailable.
• Pointing the release at a page that is not ready.

Related guides

• Website content plan what to write first
• Buyer persona how to create one
• Customer reviews how to ask and use them
• How to write a tagline for your business
• Value proposition how to write one
• Tagline vs slogan and how to write one

Questions and answers

How do I write a press release?

Start with a plain headline and a first paragraph that states who, what, when, where and why. Add detail, a quote from a named person, a short boilerplate and media contact details. Keep it factual, avoid praise and end with a clear marker.

When is a press release worth sending?

When something has changed that people outside your business would care about this week, such as a launch, a partnership, original research or a public event. If you cannot state the news in one sentence without adjectives, use another channel.

Who should I send a press release to?

Send it to the few journalists, bloggers and newsletter writers who cover your subject. Start from where your customers read and listen, address each person by name and say why it suits their readers.

What is the standard press release format?

A headline, an optional subheading, a dateline, a first paragraph with the key facts, a second paragraph of detail, a quote, further information, a short About paragraph, media contact details and an end marker. Keep it to about a page.

How long should a press release be?

About one page is a sound target. State the news in the first paragraph, add the supporting detail and a quote, and put anything longer on a web page that the release links to. Editors are scanning many releases, so brevity helps.

What is an embargo on a press release?

An embargo asks journalists not to publish a story before a stated date and time. Always include the time zone. Journalists can decline it, so use one only when you have a real reason.