How to Write a Press Release

Writing a press release sounds easy until you actually try to do it.

You have news to announce, media outreach to handle, and visibility to gain. But once you sit down to write, the same questions start appearing:

• What should the headline say?
• How formal should the tone be?
• What information actually matters?

And most importantly, why do some press releases get coverage while others get ignored?

To answer these, we’ve created this blog post that features a step-by-step breakdown of how to write a press release. In addition to the theoretical aspect, we’ll also share some real examples to make the practical implementation of this guide easier.

So, with that in mind, let’s dig in!

1) Start With a Newsworthy Angle

The biggest mistake people make when writing a press release is assuming that every company update deserves media attention. But the reality is, it doesn’t!

A strong news announcement just needs a clear angle that gives journalists a reason to care. Here’s a perfect example of such an angle:

SaaS Company Launches AI Platform That Reduces Customer Support Response Times by 42%.

Now, why would this work?

Well, that’s because it immediately communicates the:

• Business value
• Measurable impact
• Relevance
• Timelines

And if you really want to focus on such clear angles, simply ask yourself the following question:

“Would someone outside my company actually find this interesting?”

If the answer is unclear, then strengthen the angle first before moving forward.

2) Follow a Professional Press Release Format

Using a proper press release format makes your content easier for journalists to scan. So, make sure you follow that as well.

This is how a standard structure actually looks:

1. Headline
2. Subheadline
3. Dateline
4. Opening paragraph
5. Supporting information
6. Quote
7. Additional context or data
8. Boilerplate
9. Media contact information

It works every time because it prioritizes readability and quickly surfaces the important details.

3) Write a Headline That Sounds Like Actual News

Your press release headline is the first thing that journalists and search engines see. So, write a compelling headline that balances clarity with curiosity and stays away from clickbait.

But how does such a headline actually look?

Well, here is an example of a weak and a strong headline to help you better understand the point that we’re trying to convey:

Bad Headline Example: “Innovative Company Revolutionizes the Industry”

Better Headline Example: “Fintech Startup Launches AI Tool That Cuts Invoice Processing Time by 65%”

As you can see, the former example says almost nothing. However, the latter example is more specific, measurable, outcome-driven, easy to scan, and naturally keyword-friendly. So, it will be perfect for capturing the interest immediately.

But how should you write a headline?

Well, use this simple formula for writing better press release headlines:

[Company] + [Action] + [Specific Outcome]

And based on this formula, here are two further examples of best press release headlines:

“BrightPath Marketing Expands Into Canada With New Toronto Office”

“HealthTech Brand Releases Remote Monitoring Platform for Rural Clinics”

As you can see, these are simple, which is why they sound better than something that’s cleverly written!

4) Add a Subheadline That Expands the Story

Your subheadline should support the headline instead of repeating it. To be precise, it should add context, clarity, or business impact.

But how?

Well, let’s take a sample of a headline first and then create its subheadline to help you better understand how this whole thing should work in a press release:

Headline: “Cybersecurity Company Launches Real-Time Threat Detection Platform”

Subheadline: “The platform helps enterprise IT teams identify ransomware threats before system-wide disruption occurs.”

See? That’s how a headline and a subheadline should be in sync, so they can create immediate understanding for both journalists and readers.

5) Open With the Most Important Information

The opening paragraph is arguably the most important part of a press release. That’s because journalists often decide within seconds whether the story is worth reading further or not.

For this reason, your introduction should answer the following:

• Who
• What
• When
• Where
• Why it matters

This technique is known as the inverted pyramid structure, which is a foundational principle in press release writing. And based on this strategy, here is a practical example of a strong opening paragraph:

NEW YORK, May 8, 2026 — Customer support software company HelpLoop today launched an AI-powered ticket management platform designed to help eCommerce brands reduce response times and improve customer satisfaction. The platform is now available for businesses across North America and Europe.

As you can see, this introduction:

• Clearly explains the announcement
• Identifies the company
• Explains the benefit
• Keeps the language concise
• Sounds professional without giving a robotic vibe

So, it’s the perfect opening paragraph for a press release.

6) Avoid Corporate Buzzwords

One of the fastest ways to weaken a press release is by stuffing it with jargon. Have a look at the following weak example to better understand how jargon ruins a press release:

“Our innovative next-generation ecosystem leverages transformative scalability solutions.”

See how this whole statement sounds artificial and vague?

But don’t worry because by using clear language, you can improve the engagement, readability, SEO performance, and trust of such a statement. Here’s how:

“The platform helps businesses automate repetitive support requests.”

As you can see, it prioritizes clarity over sounding ‘corporate.’ And that’s how a good press release should be!

7) Include Real Data Whenever Possible

Strong press releases use specifics because numbers instantly make your announcement more credible and more useful. Therefore, whenever possible, include things like:

• Adoption rates
• Operational improvements
• Percentages
• Revenue data
• Survey results
• Timelines
• User statistics

Let’s again use a weak and a strong example to help you better understand the impact of real data in a press release:

Weak: “The software improves productivity.”

Strong: “Beta users reduced manual reporting time by 31% within the first 60 days.”

As is obvious, the ‘Strong’ version features specific claims. Therefore, its readability and EEAT signals look stronger than the weak version of the example, as they both demonstrate expertise and evidence-backed reporting.

8) Use Quotes That Actually Add Value

Most quotes in press releases are nothing but generic filler. This is how they actually look:

“We are thrilled to announce this exciting innovation.”

As is obvious, this adds no useful information. So, you should never use such quotes.

Instead, you should always prefer strong quotes; ones that add insight, explain motivation, provide perspective, sound human, and support the story angle. Here is a perfect example of such a quote:

“Support teams are under pressure to resolve tickets faster without sacrificing customer experience,” said Sarah Chen, CEO of HelpLoop. “We built this platform to automate repetitive requests while giving agents more time to handle complex customer issues.”

9) Optimize Your Press Release for SEO

A modern SEO press release should rank in search engines while remaining readable for humans. This means that while writing it, you will have to naturally integrate keywords instead of forcing them unnaturally into every paragraph.

But where should you place the keywords?

Well, your primary keyword should appear in the headline, introduction, at least one subheading, the conclusion, the meta title, and the meta description. And as far as the secondary and semantic keywords are concerned, they should appear naturally throughout supporting sections. Why?

Well, simply because natural integration matters more than repetition. Plus, keyword stuffing makes content harder to read and can actually hurt your rankings.

10) Keep Your Formatting Skimmable

Most readers scan content before fully reading it. For this exact reason, press release writing relies heavily on readability. 

To ensure the better readability of your press release, you can use the following:

1. Bullet points
2. Descriptive subheadings
3. Examples
4. Formatting breaks
5. Short paragraphs
6. White space

Doing so will improve the engagement, mobile experience, readability, and time on page.

11) Don’t Forget to Write a Strong Boilerplate

Your boilerplate is the short (50–100 words) company description placed near the end of the press release. Here’s a perfect example of a boilerplate:

EcoDrive is a logistics technology company that develops fleet optimization software for transportation and delivery businesses across North America.

As is obvious, we’ve explained what the company does, who it serves, where it operates, and what makes it credible in the above-crafted boilerplate. And we’ve done it in a concise and to-the-point manner. So, that’s how you should write the boilerplate in your press release.

How to Improve Your Chances of Media Coverage

Even a strong press release needs proper distribution and journalist outreach. So, here are some practical ways to improve response rates:

• Avoid large attachments
• Include supporting assets if relevant
• Keep your email concise
• Personalize outreach emails
• Pitch relevant journalists only
• Send the release at appropriate times
• Use a clear subject line

Follow these approaches to stay simple and relevant, and you will keep standing out. That’s because most journalists receive hundreds of pitches every week.

Concluding Thoughts

Learning how to write a press release is less about sounding ‘official’ and more about communicating information clearly, credibly, and strategically. That’s because the best press releases are backed by real information, concise, easy to scan, newsworthy, SEO-friendly, and structured. So, if you focus on a strong news angle, professional formatting, meaningful quotes, measurable data, readability, and strategic keyword usage, you’ll create press releases that are more likely to:

• Attract media attention
• Generate real business visibility

and

• Rank in search engines

And that’s what an effective PR strategy is all about.