What is a press release?
A press release (also called a news release or media release) is a short, factual announcement written in news style. It gives journalists, bloggers and the public everything they need to report on your news: the facts, a quote and who to contact. Published online, it also becomes a permanent page that search engines index — so it keeps bringing visitors long after the announcement.
How to write a press release in 9 steps
Step 1: Find the news angle
Ask “why would a stranger care today?” Launches, funding, milestones, research, events, partnerships, awards and local impact are newsworthy. A rebrand on its own usually is not — connect it to something that changes for customers.
Step 2: Write a headline that states the news
Use “Company + strong verb + what + why it matters”. Keep it under about 100 characters, avoid hype words (“revolutionary”, “world-class”) and put your main keyword early.
Weak: “Acme Is Excited to Share Some Big News”
Strong: “Acme Opens First Zero-Waste Grocery Store in Denver, Cutting Packaging by 90%”
Step 3: Add a subheadline
One sentence with the most persuasive supporting detail — a number, a benefit or the audience it serves.
Step 4: Open with a dateline and a lead paragraph
CITY, State – Date – then answer who, what, when, where and why in one or two sentences. If an editor only reads this paragraph, they should be able to write the story.
Step 5: Back it up in the body
Two to four short paragraphs in order of importance (the inverted pyramid). Use concrete facts: numbers, dates, prices, customer names, results.
Step 6: Include a real quote
Quotes give opinion and emotion that facts cannot. Attribute them to a named person with a title. Read it aloud — if nobody would say it, rewrite it.
Weak: “We are thrilled to announce this exciting new product.”
Strong: “Our customers told us they were spending three hours a week on invoices. We built this so they can get that time back.”
Step 7: Finish with a call to action and boilerplate
Tell readers where to go next (one link), then add a 2–4 sentence “About [Company]” paragraph.
Step 8: Add media contact details
Name, email, phone and website of a person who will actually answer. Close with ###.
Step 9: Publish and distribute it
Publish it on a press release site so it has a permanent, indexable URL, then email it to relevant journalists and share the link. On SubmitPR this is free and takes five minutes.
Skip the blank page
Start from our free press release template — it already has every section in the right order, plus templates for launches, events, funding, partnerships and new hires.
Press release headline formulas that work
| Formula | Example |
|---|---|
| [Company] Launches [Product] to [Benefit] | Brightly Launches AI Bookkeeping App to Save Freelancers 5 Hours a Week |
| [Company] Raises $[X] to [Goal] | Nomad Health Raises $12M to Expand Rural Telemedicine |
| [Number] [Audience] [Result] with [Product] | 10,000 Teachers Cut Grading Time in Half with ClassMark |
| [Organization] to Host [Event] in [City] | Lisbon Startup Week to Host 200 Founders in May |
| New [Study/Report] Finds [Surprising Fact] | New Survey Finds 62% of Small Shops Still Don't Accept Mobile Payments |
| [A] and [B] Partner to [Outcome] | CityBikes and MetroRail Partner to Offer One Ticket for Bike and Train |
7 press release mistakes to avoid
- Burying the news. If the announcement is in paragraph three, nobody will see it.
- Marketing language. “Best-in-class”, “game-changing” and exclamation marks make journalists stop reading.
- No numbers. Concrete figures make a story credible and quotable.
- Fake-sounding quotes. Quotes should sound like a person talking, not a brochure.
- Too long. More than one page usually means the news isn’t clear yet.
- Missing contact details. A journalist with a question and no one to ask moves on.
- Not publishing it online. An emailed release disappears; a published press release has a permanent URL that search engines index.
Write it for Google, too
A press release published online can rank in Google for years. To help it:
- Use the phrase people would search for in the headline and first paragraph.
- Add a featured image with a descriptive file name and alt text.
- Link to one relevant page on your site — on SubmitPR, links become clickable once you verify a link back or upgrade.
- Add 3–6 keywords in the keywords field when you submit.
- Share the published URL on social media and in your newsletter so it gets discovered quickly. Read more about getting a press release into Google News.
When your press release is ready, submit it free on SubmitPR — it is published instantly, with no registration and no fees.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a press release be?
Aim for 300–600 words. Shorter is fine if the news is simple; longer releases rarely get read to the end.
What makes a press release newsworthy?
Timeliness, impact on many people, something new or first, notable people or companies involved, local relevance, and numbers that surprise. The more of these your story has, the better.
How do I write a press release headline?
State the news plainly: “[Company] [launches/raises/opens/partners with] [what] [to/for benefit]”. Use active verbs, numbers where possible, and keep it under about 100 characters.
Should a press release include keywords for SEO?
Yes — naturally. Use the phrase people would search for in the headline and first paragraph, and add a few related keywords. Do not stuff keywords; editors and Google both penalise it.
When is the best time to send a press release?
Tuesday to Thursday mornings (in your audience’s time zone) usually perform best. Avoid Friday afternoons, weekends and major holidays unless your news is tied to them.
Can I publish a press release for free?
Yes. SubmitPR publishes press releases free, instantly and without registration. Each one gets its own SEO page, is pinged to Bing and Yandex and appears in our news feed.