The Four Things That Make a Press Release Actually Work
Agencies don't write better releases because they have more experience. They write them completely differently — because they understand what a press release actually is, and what it isn't.
A press release is a news story that happens to originate from your company. That single sentence contains everything you need to know about how to write one.
If it reads like marketing — with adjectives you can't prove, announcements framed around how good the news is for your company, and no regard for the reader — it fails. If a journalist has to hunt for the news, it fails. The test is simple: could a journalist paste this into their publication with minimal editing?
Most releases fail that test. Here's why — and how to write one that doesn't.
The lead sentence
This is the bet. If your opening sentence isn't interesting enough to make a journalist keep reading, nothing else matters. It must be specific, surprising, and self-contained. One sentence. One complete idea. The reader — not your company — is in sentence one.
"XYZ Company today announced the launch of its new payment solution for businesses."
"43% of businesses have never offered direct debit, leaving money on the table as customers increasingly expect seamless payment options."
The weak lead is about the company. The strong lead is about a problem that affects thousands of businesses — and the company's solution is introduced later as the response to that problem. The news is in the reader's world before it's in yours.
The headline
Write it as a statement of fact. Sentence case — only capitalise the first word and proper nouns. Under 80 characters. No "revolutionary." No "world-first." No claim you can't verify.
"XYZ Company Launches Revolutionary AI-Powered Hiring Platform"
"1 in 3 workers changed jobs in the past year as stability trumps ambition"
The weak headline is a company announcement with an unverifiable claim. The strong headline is a finding that makes you want to read more — because it tells you something about the world, not about the company.
The quote
Most quotes are terrible because they restate what the release already said. A good quote says what the data means — not what it said. It answers the "so what?" that the facts raise but don't resolve. Write it the way you'd say it over coffee. No "delighted." No "pleased." No thanking anyone.
"We're excited to partner with ABC to deliver better outcomes for businesses."
"The cost of living leaves little room to take risks. The career ladder is being replaced by the safety net."
The structure
Inverted pyramid. Most important information first, least important last. Editors cut from the bottom. Journalists scan from the top. The order is always: headline → lead sentence → 2–3 sentences of context → quote → supporting evidence → company boilerplate → -ENDS-.
The announcement types you'll actually use
Funding round: the amount is secondary. Who backed you and what the capital enables is the story. Lead with the investor's name and what their bet signals about the category.
Product launch: lead with the problem it solves or what it signals about the market, not what the product does. Nobody leads with the product.
Appointment: "Company appoints X as Y" is never the headline. What the hire signals about where the company is heading — that's the headline.
Partnership: "Company A and Company B announce partnership" is the dullest sentence in PR. Lead with what it unlocks for customers, or what it signals about where two industries are converging.
Research or data: lead with the most counterintuitive finding, not the most flattering one. The market story comes before your company.
Write your first release
- Pick your strongest story from the next 3 months.
- Write the lead sentence without your company name. Just the fact and what it means.
- Write the headline — under 80 characters, sentence case, no adjectives you can't prove.
- Write the quote — what does the news mean, not what did it say?
- Add 2–3 sentences of context, then your boilerplate, then -ENDS-.
- Read it back as if you're a journalist on deadline. Would you use this?