Press Release Best Practices

Write a strong headline

Your headline is the single most important part of your release. It determines whether readers click, whether journalists pay attention, and how search engines categorize your news.

• Keep it under 100 characters — ideally under 65, which is what Google indexes first

• Include 3–5 relevant keyword phrases your audience might search for

• Include your company name, product, or spokesperson

• Use title case (Capitalize The First Letter Of Each Word) — never ALL CAPS

• If your announcement is location-based, include the city

• Don't include a URL in the headline

Have a real news hook

Press releases work best when they announce something genuinely newsworthy — a product launch, funding round, award, key hire, partnership, event, or milestone. Promotional content that reads like an advertisement is less likely to be picked up by outlets or indexed by Google News. Each release should also be original — avoid recycling or repurposing content from a previous release.

• One release, one topic — don't try to announce everything at once

• Ask yourself: why would a reader who doesn't know my company care about this?

• Get to the point in the headline and first paragraph — don't bury the news

Structure your release for readers and search engines

• First paragraph: Who you are, what you're announcing, and why it matters — in 2–3 sentences

• Second paragraph: More detail — the what, where, and when

• Third paragraph: A quote from a company executive or spokesperson (include their full name and title)

• Fourth paragraph: Supporting details, numbers, and specifics

• Fifth paragraph: Summary and next steps, with a link or call to action

• Boilerplate: 2–3 sentences about your company at the end of every release

• Contact info: Name, email, and phone number of a press contact

Write for the reader, not the algorithm

• Write in third person throughout — "Company XYZ today announced…" not "We today announced…"

• Use plain language — avoid jargon and industry acronyms without explanation

• Keep tone informative and objective, not promotional

• Avoid exclamation points and hyperbolic claims ("revolutionary," "groundbreaking," "amazing") — these read as advertising, not news, and can limit pickup on some networks

• Proofread carefully — typos damage credibility and can affect pickup

Use images and links wisely

• Including a relevant image increases engagement and visibility

• Make sure you have legal permission for any images you use

• Maximum 1 link per 100 words — place your first link in the first paragraph

• Links should point to relevant pages on your website, not generic homepages

• Don't link from the headline or summary

Timing and follow-through

• Publish on weekdays for business audiences; consider afternoons and evenings for consumer announcements

• After your release goes live, share it — post it to your social media, link to it from your website, and include it in email campaigns. Releases that get shared get more traction.

• If your news is particularly significant, consider pitching it to a journalist as an exclusive before distributing — a press release can serve as strong backup material for direct media outreach