Guide

How to Write a Press Release That Gets Published

A practical guide to writing press releases that journalists actually read, publish, and link back to. Covers the standard format, writing tips, distribution strategy, common mistakes, and the 2026 reality of digital PR. Includes a downloadable template.

Last updated: March 2026 · Reading time: 13 min

A press release is a 300-500 word document that announces news from your company to journalists, publications, and media outlets. It follows a specific format that hasn’t changed much since the Associated Press standardized it decades ago: headline, dateline, lead paragraph with the 5 Ws, supporting details, quote, boilerplate, and contact information. What has changed is how press releases get distributed and consumed. In 2026, 73% of journalists say wire services remain their primary source of press releases (Digital Journal, 2026). But journalists at major publications receive 50-100+ pitches per day. Your press release has about 3 seconds to prove it’s newsworthy before getting deleted. That means the headline and first paragraph carry more weight than everything else combined. Press releases also serve a digital PR function. A properly distributed release generates 5-15 high-authority backlinks per release and can drive a 300%+ increase in web traffic for brands running consistent distribution programs (Digital Journal, 2026). We treat press releases as both a media relations tool and an SEO asset at ScaleGrowth.Digital.

“Most press releases fail because they’re written for the CEO, not for the journalist. The CEO wants to talk about how innovative the company is. The journalist wants a news hook they can turn into a story in 30 minutes. Write for the journalist. The CEO’s ego isn’t going to get you published.”
Hardik Shah, Founder of ScaleGrowth.Digital

What this guide covers

The Standard Press Release Format
Step 1: Write a Headline That Gets Opened
Step 2: Nail the Lead Paragraph
Step 3: Write the Body
Step 4: Include the Right Quotes
Step 5: Write Your Boilerplate
Step 6: Distribute Your Press Release
How Press Releases Fit Into Digital PR Strategy
Pro Tips
Common Mistakes
FAQ

Foundation

What is the standard press release format?

The standard press release format follows a specific structure that journalists expect. Deviating from this format signals that you don’t understand media relations, and your release gets skipped. Here’s the structure, top to bottom:

Section	What It Contains	Typical Length
Company logo	Your logo at the top so journalists immediately know the source	Visual only
Contact information	PR contact name, email, phone number	3-4 lines
Release date	“FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE” or “EMBARGOED UNTIL [date]”	1 line
Headline	The news in 8-12 words	1 line
Subheadline	Additional context (optional but recommended)	1-2 lines
Dateline	CITY, State (Month Day, Year)	Precedes first paragraph
Lead paragraph	Who, what, when, where, why in 2-3 sentences	40-60 words
Body paragraphs	Supporting details, data, context (2-3 paragraphs)	150-250 words
Quote	1-2 sentence quote from a company spokesperson	25-40 words
Boilerplate	“About [Company]” paragraph	50-75 words
End marker	###	3 characters

Total length: 300-500 words. Anything over 500 words is too long. Journalists don’t read long press releases. They scan the headline, skim the lead, and decide in seconds whether the story has legs.

Step 1

How do you write a press release headline that gets opened?

Your headline determines whether a journalist reads your press release or deletes it. The headline’s job is to communicate the news in 8-12 words, clearly enough that a journalist can decide in 3 seconds whether it’s relevant to their beat.

A press release headline states the news directly. It is not a blog title, not a teaser, and not a marketing slogan. “Acme Corp Launches AI-Powered Inventory Tool for Mid-Market Retailers” works. “Revolutionizing the Future of Retail” doesn’t.

Writing a strong headline:

Lead with the most newsworthy element. “FinTech Startup Raises $12M Series A” leads with the news. “Exciting Milestone for Growing Company” buries it.
Include specific numbers when possible. “$12M” is more compelling than “significant funding.” “3,000 customers” is stronger than “rapid adoption.”
Name the company. Unless you’re a household name, include your company name in the headline so journalists know who’s making the announcement.
Write multiple options. Draft 5-10 headlines and pick the strongest one. The best headline is usually not the first one you write.
Add a subheadline for context. The subheadline (in italics, below the headline) adds one supporting detail. “New platform reduces inventory waste by 40% for DTC brands” gives the journalist enough context to keep reading.

Test your headline by reading it aloud. If it sounds like an ad, rewrite it. If it sounds like a news article headline you’d see on TechCrunch or your industry trade publication, it’s on the right track.

Step 2

How do you write the lead paragraph of a press release?

The lead paragraph (also called the “lede”) answers the 5 Ws in 2-3 sentences: Who is making the announcement? What is the announcement? When is it happening? Where? Why does it matter? A journalist who reads only your lead should understand the complete story. Format: Start with the dateline (CITY, State, Month Day, Year), then move directly into the news. Example of a strong lead:

MUMBAI, India (March 16, 2026) – ScaleGrowth.Digital, a growth engineering firm specializing in organic traffic, today launched its AI-powered SEO audit platform for mid-market brands. The platform runs 35-dimension diagnostics across technical SEO, content, and AI visibility, delivering a full audit report in under 24 hours. What makes this lead work:

Who: ScaleGrowth.Digital (company name + brief descriptor)
What: Launched an AI-powered SEO audit platform
When: Today (March 16, 2026)
Where: Mumbai (dateline)
Why it matters: Full audit in under 24 hours (the value proposition)

Keep your lead under 60 words. Long opening paragraphs lose journalists before they reach the second paragraph. Every word must earn its place.

Step 3

How do you write the body of a press release?

The body paragraphs expand on the lead with supporting details, data, and context. Use the “inverted pyramid” structure: most important information first, decreasing importance as you go down. Journalists cut from the bottom when editing for length, so put your critical details near the top. What to include in the body:

Paragraph 2: The “so what” detail. Expand on why this news matters. Include a specific data point: market size, customer impact, measurable results. “The platform has been in beta with 15 mid-market brands for 6 months, identifying an average of 47 ranking opportunities per audit” is concrete and credible.
Paragraph 3: Context or background. What problem does this solve? What’s the industry context? “Mid-market brands typically wait 4-6 weeks for a traditional SEO audit and pay $5,000-15,000. This platform delivers comparable analysis in 24 hours at a fraction of the cost.”
Paragraph 4: Forward-looking statement (optional). What’s next? “The company plans to add Google Ads audit capabilities in Q3 2026.” This gives journalists a future angle to revisit.

Write short paragraphs. Two to three sentences maximum. Journalists and editors scan press releases, and wall-of-text paragraphs get skipped. Format for skimmers: use short sentences, active voice, and specific numbers. Avoid corporate jargon. Write lines that a journalist can lift directly and include in their story. If your sentence requires translation to be readable by a general audience, rewrite it.

Step 4

How do you write a good quote for a press release?

The quote is the most misused section of a press release. Most quotes are generic corporate platitudes that no human would ever say out loud: “We’re excited to bring this innovative product to market and look forward to helping our customers achieve their goals.” That sentence says nothing. Journalists skip quotes like that. A good press release quote does one of two things:

Provides opinion or perspective that can’t be stated as fact in the body copy. “We built this because every mid-market brand we audited was flying blind on AI visibility. That’s going to separate winners from losers in 2026.”
Adds a specific claim with personal authority. “In our experience, 80% of mid-market brands have zero structured data for AI Overview citations. This platform fixes that in one click.”

Quote rules:

Keep quotes to 1-2 sentences. 3 sentences maximum.
Attribute to a named person with their title: “said Jane Smith, CEO of Acme Corp.”
Write the quote in conversational language. Read it out loud. If it sounds like something a person would actually say in an interview, it’s good. If it sounds like a committee wrote it, rewrite.
Include only 1 quote per release unless a second spokesperson (partner, customer) adds a meaningfully different perspective.

The quote is the one place in a press release where personality and opinion are expected. Use it.

Step 5

How do you write a press release boilerplate?

A boilerplate is a standard “About [Company]” paragraph that appears at the bottom of every press release. It provides background information about your organization in 50-75 words.

Your boilerplate should include:

What the company does (one sentence)
Who the company serves (target audience/market)
One proof point: founding year, customer count, revenue milestone, or key achievement
Website URL

Example:

About ScaleGrowth.Digital: ScaleGrowth.Digital is a growth engineering firm that builds organic traffic systems for mid-market and enterprise brands across BFSI, healthcare, D2C, and SaaS. Founded in 2019, the firm has completed 200+ SEO audits and manages organic growth programs for brands generating over $500M in combined annual revenue. Learn more at scalegrowth.digital. Write your boilerplate once and reuse it across all releases. Update it quarterly when company metrics change. Keep it factual and free of marketing superlatives. The boilerplate is reference material, not a sales pitch. End every press release with three hash symbols centered on their own line: ###. This is the universal press release end marker that tells editors there’s no additional content to expect.

Step 6

How do you distribute a press release in 2026?

Writing the press release is half the work. Getting it in front of the right journalists is the other half. There are three distribution approaches, and most brands should use a combination.

Wire services

Wire services (PR Newswire, Business Wire, GlobeNewsWire) distribute your release to hundreds or thousands of media outlets simultaneously. They’re the most common distribution method, and 73% of journalists cite wire services as their primary press release source (Digital Journal, 2026).

Service	Starting Price (2026)	Best For
PR Newswire	$400-800 per release (US distribution)	Largest network, best for major announcements
Business Wire	$400-1,000 per release	Strong financial/investor relations distribution
GlobeNewsWire	$350-700 per release	Good international reach, mid-market brands
eReleases	$300-500 per release	Small businesses and startups

Direct journalist outreach

Build a targeted media list of 20-50 journalists who cover your industry. Send them the press release directly via email with a personalized pitch in the first 2-3 lines explaining why the story matters to their specific audience. This takes more effort but produces higher-quality placements.

Your owned channels

Publish the release on your website’s newsroom/press page, share it on your social media profiles, and include it in your email newsletter. This ensures your existing audience sees the news even if no journalist picks it up. The most effective approach: distribute via wire service for broad reach, then follow up with direct outreach to 10-15 target journalists for specific placement efforts. Post to your own channels immediately after wire distribution goes live.

Strategy

How do press releases fit into a digital PR strategy?

Press releases serve three digital PR functions beyond traditional media coverage:

Backlink acquisition. A single well-distributed release generates 5-15 high-authority backlinks from news outlets, industry publications, and syndication partners. These are editorial-quality links that carry real SEO weight.
Brand entity building. Google’s Knowledge Graph pulls data from authoritative news sources. Consistent press coverage builds your brand’s entity profile, which influences how Google understands and represents your company in search results and AI Overviews.
AI visibility. Large language models train on news content. Press releases that get published on major news sites enter the training data pipeline, which means your brand, products, and messaging become part of the information these models reference when answering questions about your industry.

For maximum digital PR impact, align your press release calendar with your content calendar. A product launch press release works best when paired with a blog post providing deeper context, social media content driving discussion, and email announcements to your existing audience. Brands running consistent monthly press release programs see cumulative SEO benefits within 3-6 months. The backlinks compound, the brand signal strengthens, and journalists who’ve covered you once are more likely to cover future announcements.

Pro Tips

What do experienced PR professionals do differently?

Build a media list before you need one

Identify 30-50 journalists and editors who cover your industry. Follow them on social media. Engage with their work. When you have a story to pitch, you’re reaching out to someone who’s already seen your name, not a cold contact.

Time your releases strategically

Tuesday through Thursday mornings (9-11 AM in the journalist’s time zone) get the highest open rates. Avoid Mondays (inbox overload), Fridays (weekend mindset), and any day with a major industry event that will dominate the news cycle.

Include multimedia assets

Attach or link to high-resolution images, product screenshots, or short video clips. Journalists need visuals for their stories, and providing them removes a barrier to coverage. Press releases with multimedia get 2-3x more pickups than text-only releases.

Track and measure every release

Monitor pickups, backlinks, referral traffic, and social shares for 2 weeks after distribution. Use Google Alerts for your company name and Ahrefs or Semrush for backlink tracking. This data tells you which topics and angles get traction.

Mistakes to Avoid

What are the most common press release mistakes?

No actual news. “Company Celebrates 5th Anniversary” is not news unless you pair it with a data point, milestone, or announcement that matters to someone outside your company. A press release needs a news hook. Without one, it’s a blog post.
Writing for your CEO instead of the journalist. Internal stakeholders want to talk about how great the company is. Journalists want a story their readers care about. Ask: “Would an editor at [target publication] publish this?” If not, find a better angle.
Burying the lead. If your biggest news is in paragraph 3, most journalists never see it. Put your strongest fact in the headline and your second-strongest in the first sentence.
Too long. Releases over 500 words don’t get read. They get scanned and usually deleted. Respect the journalist’s time. Say what you need to say in 300-500 words.
Generic distribution. Blasting a fintech press release to food journalists wastes money and damages your reputation with outlets you’ll want to pitch later. Target your distribution to relevant beats and publications.

Related Resources

Resources to support your PR efforts

Digital Marketing Proposal Template

If you’re pitching PR as part of a broader digital marketing strategy, our proposal template helps structure the pitch with clear deliverables and pricing. Get Template →

Content Calendar Template

Align your press release schedule with your content marketing calendar for maximum impact across all channels. Get Template →

Client Onboarding Checklist

For PR firms and marketing teams onboarding new clients, our checklist covers brand voice documentation, media list building, and approval workflows. Get Checklist →

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should a press release be?

A press release should be 300-500 words. The lead paragraph should be under 60 words. Anything over 500 words is too long for most journalists. The goal is to communicate the news concisely, not to tell your company’s entire story.

How much does it cost to distribute a press release?

Wire service distribution ranges from $300-1,000+ per release depending on the service and geographic reach. PR Newswire and Business Wire charge $400-1,000 for US distribution. Budget options like eReleases start at $300. Direct journalist outreach costs only your time but requires building a media list and writing personalized pitches.

When should you send a press release?

Send press releases when you have genuine news: product launches, funding rounds, major partnerships, executive hires, research findings, or significant milestones. The best distribution days are Tuesday through Thursday, between 9-11 AM in the journalist’s time zone. Avoid Mondays, Fridays, and days with major competing news events.

Do press releases help with SEO?

Yes. A well-distributed press release generates 5-15 high-authority backlinks from news outlets and syndication partners. These editorial-quality links carry real SEO weight. Consistent monthly press releases also build your brand’s entity profile in Google’s Knowledge Graph, which influences how your company appears in search results and AI Overviews.

Can you write a press release yourself or do you need a PR firm?

You can write a press release yourself by following the standard format: headline, dateline, lead paragraph with the 5 Ws, supporting details, quote, boilerplate, and contact info. A PR firm adds value through media relationships, distribution infrastructure, and experience pitching stories to specific journalists. For your first few releases, writing them yourself and distributing via wire service is a reasonable approach.