Knowing how to write a press release is still one of the most useful skills a marketer or business owner can have. A good release gives journalists, analysts, partners and customers the facts about your news in a format they recognize instantly, and it creates an official record you can point to for years. A weak one gets skimmed for three seconds and deleted.
The good news is that the press release format is highly standardized. Reporters expect the same parts in the same order every time: a headline, a dateline, a lede, supporting body copy, a quote, a boilerplate, media contact details and an end mark. Once you understand what each part does, writing a release becomes a fill-in-the-blanks exercise rather than a creative struggle.
This guide walks through each section, gives you a free press release template you can copy and paste, shows a short worked example, explains your distribution options and covers the mistakes that most often sink a release.
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 and sent to the media and the public. It answers the basic questions of who, what, when, where and why, and it is written so that a journalist could lift whole paragraphs into a story with little editing.
Companies use press releases for announcements such as:
- Product or service launches
- Funding rounds, acquisitions and partnerships
- Executive hires and leadership changes
- Earnings, milestones and original research findings
- Events, awards and community initiatives
For publicly traded companies, press releases also carry a compliance role. Under the SEC’s Regulation FD, the agency lists press releases distributed through a widely circulated news or wire service among the acceptable ways to make material information public. That is one reason earnings announcements almost always go out over a wire service rather than only on a company blog.
The Standard Press Release Format
Before you start writing, it helps to see the whole structure at a glance. The table below lists every part of a standard release in the order it appears.
| Section | What it does | Typical length |
|---|---|---|
| Release line | Tells editors when the news can be published | One line |
| Headline | States the news in plain language | Under about 15 words |
| Subheadline (optional) | Adds a key detail or number | One sentence |
| Dateline | Gives the city and date of the announcement | Start of first paragraph |
| Lede | Summarizes the who, what, when, where and why | One to two sentences |
| Body | Supplies context, details and proof points | Two to four short paragraphs |
| Quote | Adds a human perspective from a spokesperson | One or two quotes |
| Boilerplate | Describes the company in a standard paragraph | 50 to 100 words |
| Media contact | Tells reporters who to call or email | Name, title, email, phone |
| End mark | Signals the end of the release | ### centered below the text |
How To Write A Press Release, Step By Step
Here is how to approach each section, in the order you will write it.
1. Choose your release timing
The first line of most releases reads FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, which means media can publish as soon as they receive it. If you are sharing news in advance with selected reporters, use an embargo line instead, such as EMBARGOED UNTIL 9 a.m. ET, Oct. 14, 2026, and make sure the people you send it to have agreed to honor the embargo.
2. Write a headline that states the news
Your headline should tell a busy editor exactly what happened. Lead with the company name and a strong verb, and include the most newsworthy specific: the product, the amount raised, the city, the result. Skip clever wordplay and vague claims like “revolutionary” or “game-changing,” which editors read as filler.
Weak: “Brindlewood Takes Bookkeeping To The Next Level.” Strong: “Brindlewood Launches Free Invoicing Tool For Freelancers In The U.S.”
3. Add the dateline
The dateline opens the first paragraph and tells readers where and when the news originated. In Associated Press style, the city appears in capital letters, followed by the state abbreviation unless the city is well known enough to stand alone, as in the AP style examples from the Purdue OWL (“ST. PAUL, Minn.” and “DENVER”). Use AP date style as well: figures for the day, no “th” or “st,” and abbreviate long month names such as Oct. or Sept. when they appear with a date.
4. Write a lede that could stand alone
The lede is the single most important sentence in the release. Many readers will see nothing else, so it needs to summarize the entire announcement. A useful test: if a reporter used only your first paragraph, would their readers understand the news? If not, rewrite it.
Follow the inverted pyramid. Put the most important facts first and work down to background and supporting detail. This also lets editors trim from the bottom without losing anything essential.
5. Build out the body
The body expands on the lede with context and evidence. Explain why the news matters to customers or the industry, give concrete details such as pricing, availability, locations or dates, and include any data that supports your claims. Keep paragraphs short, ideally two to four sentences, and write in the third person.
Every fact should be checkable. If you cite a number, be ready to show where it came from. If you mention a partner or customer, get their sign-off before the release goes out.
6. Include a real quote
A quote from an executive, founder, customer or partner gives the release a human voice and gives reporters something they cannot paraphrase. The best quotes express an opinion, a reason or a vision rather than repeating facts already stated. “We are excited to announce” adds nothing; a sentence about why the company built the product and what problem it solves gives a journalist something usable.
Attribute the quote with the person’s full name and title on first reference, and make sure the person has actually approved the wording.
7. Add your boilerplate
The boilerplate is a short, standard “About” paragraph that appears at the end of every release your company issues. It covers what the company does, who it serves, where it is based and when it was founded, and it ends with your website address. Write it once, get it approved and reuse it, updating it only when something material changes.
8. List the media contact and end mark
Give reporters one named person to contact, with a direct email and phone number. A generic info@ address signals that nobody is watching the inbox. Finish with three pound signs (###) centered below the text, a long-standing newsroom convention that tells the reader nothing follows.
Free Press Release Template
Copy this press release template into your document editor and replace everything in brackets. Many house styles place a dash between the dateline and the first word of the lede; a colon, as shown here, works just as well.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
[Headline: Company Name + Strong Verb + Specific News]
[Optional subheadline: one sentence with a key detail or number]
[CITY, State abbreviation], [Month abbreviation] [Day], [Year]: [Company name], a [short description of the company], today announced [the news in one sentence: what, who it is for, and when or where it is available].
[Paragraph two: why this matters. Describe the problem it solves, the customers it serves, or the market context.]
[Paragraph three: supporting details such as pricing, availability, features, dates, locations or verifiable data.]
"[Quote that gives an opinion, reason or vision]," said [Full Name], [Title] at [Company]. "[Optional second sentence of the quote]."
[Optional paragraph four: partner or customer quote, next steps, or how to learn more.]
About [Company Name]
[Boilerplate: 50 to 100 words on what the company does, who it serves, where it is based and when it was founded.] Learn more at [website].
Media Contact
[Full Name]
[Title], [Company Name]
[Email address]
[Phone number]
###
Press Release Example (Fictional)
The following press release example is a fictional example for a made-up company, Brindlewood Software. The company, people, product and contact details are invented purely to show how the template looks when it is filled in.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Brindlewood Launches Free Invoicing Tool For Freelancers In The U.S.
New app lets independent workers send invoices and track payments from one dashboard
ST. PAUL, Minn., Oct. 7, 2026: Brindlewood Software, a maker of accounting tools for small businesses, today announced Brindlewood Invoice, a free invoicing app for freelancers and independent contractors in the United States. The app is available now on the web, iOS and Android.
Brindlewood Invoice lets users create branded invoices, send automatic payment reminders and see every outstanding balance on one screen. Freelancers can connect a bank account to mark invoices paid automatically.
The core app is free for up to 20 invoices a month. A paid plan for higher volumes and multiple team members is available for $12 per month.
"Freelancers told us they spend their Friday afternoons chasing payments instead of doing paid work," said Jordan Ellery, co-founder and CEO of Brindlewood Software. "We built Brindlewood Invoice so that getting paid takes a few clicks, not a few hours."
About Brindlewood Software
Brindlewood Software builds simple accounting tools for freelancers and small businesses. The company is based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Learn more at brindlewood.example.
Media Contact
Casey Morrow
Communications Manager, Brindlewood Software
press@brindlewood.example
(555) 010-0123
###
Notice what the example does: the headline names the company and the news, the lede could run on its own, the body adds price and availability, and the quote explains why the product exists instead of restating features.
How To Send A Press Release: Distribution Options
Writing the release is half the job. The other half is getting it in front of the right people. Most companies use some combination of the options below.
| Option | Best for | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|
| Paid wire service | Public companies, major launches, broad reach | Higher cost; reach does not guarantee coverage |
| Direct pitch to journalists | Targeted coverage in specific outlets | Time-consuming; requires research and relationships |
| Media database and outreach platform | Teams that pitch regularly | Subscription cost; lists need ongoing cleanup |
| Company newsroom page | Every release, as the official record | Little reach on its own |
| Email and social channels | Customers, partners and existing followers | Reaches people who already know you |
Wire services
The best-known U.S. wire services include PR Newswire, which was founded in 1954 and is now part of Cision; Business Wire, which Berkshire Hathaway acquired in 2006; and GlobeNewswire, which is operated by Notified. Wire services push your release to newsrooms, financial terminals and partner websites, and they are the standard choice for publicly traded companies meeting disclosure obligations. Pricing depends on the region, word count and add-ons, so request quotes directly from each provider.
If you are weighing Cision’s platform for both distribution and media outreach, our Cision review covering the good and the bad walks through what the suite does well and where it falls short.
Direct pitching
For most small and mid-sized companies, a short personal email to the five to 20 reporters who actually cover your space will do more than a broad wire blast. Paste the release into the body of the email rather than attaching it, write a two-sentence note explaining why the news fits their beat, and include a link to any images or assets.
Your own channels
Always publish the release on a newsroom or press page on your own site. It becomes the permanent, linkable record of the announcement, and it gives reporters and customers one place to find your past news, logos and media contacts.
And don’t forget your own team. Send a short internal memo before the release goes public, so employees hear the news first and know how to answer questions from customers or reporters. Our free memo template gives you the standard format.
Common Press Release Mistakes To Avoid
- Burying the news. If the announcement does not appear in the headline and first sentence, most readers will never find it.
- Announcing something that is not news. A minor website update or a routine blog post rarely justifies a release. Ask whether anyone outside the company would care.
- Writing marketing copy. Superlatives, exclamation points and phrases like “industry-leading” read as advertising. Use specific, verifiable facts instead.
- Overloading jargon and acronyms. Write for an intelligent reader outside your industry and spell out acronyms on first use.
- Using a quote that says nothing. “We are thrilled to announce” is the most common and least useful quote in public relations.
- Running too long. If the release runs well past a page, cut background detail and link to a fuller page instead.
- Missing or generic contact details. A reporter on deadline will move on if they cannot reach a person quickly.
- Skipping the proofread. Check every name, title, number, date and link. A wrong figure in a release can be repeated in coverage for years.
- Ignoring timing. Avoid sending major news when it will compete with holidays or larger industry announcements, and confirm time zones for embargoes.
If your team does not have the time or in-house writing capacity to produce releases and supporting content consistently, consider working with one of the blog writing and content marketing services that also handle press materials, so your announcements and your ongoing content share one voice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a press release?
A press release is a short, factual news announcement written in journalistic style and sent to the media and the public. It follows a standard format with a headline, dateline, lede, body, quote, boilerplate and media contact. Its purpose is to give reporters accurate information they can use in their own coverage.
How long should a press release be?
There is no fixed rule, but most releases fit on a single page, which usually means a few hundred words. Keep it as short as the news allows. If you have more detail to share, link to a fuller page on your website rather than adding paragraphs.
What does a press release look like?
A press release opens with a release line such as FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, followed by a headline, an optional subheadline and a first paragraph that starts with a dateline. It then has two to four short body paragraphs, at least one quote, an About section and a media contact block, and it ends with ### centered at the bottom. The template and fictional example above show the full layout.
What is a boilerplate in a press release?
The boilerplate is the standard About paragraph that closes every release a company issues. It briefly explains what the company does, who it serves, where it is based and how to learn more. Because it is reused, it should be approved once and updated only when the business changes.
How do you send a press release?
You can distribute a release through a paid wire service, email it directly to relevant journalists, use a media outreach platform, or publish it on your own newsroom page. Most companies combine several of these. When emailing reporters, paste the release into the message body and add a short, personalized note.
Conclusion
Learning how to write a press release comes down to respecting the reader’s time. Lead with the news, back it up with verifiable facts, add a quote with a real point of view, and make it easy for a reporter to reach you. The standard format exists because it works, so use the template above, adapt it to your announcement and spend your energy on the substance rather than the layout.
Then match the distribution to the goal: a wire service when you need broad reach or disclosure, targeted pitches when you want specific coverage, and your own newsroom every time. Done consistently, press releases build a public record of your company’s progress that journalists, customers and investors can trust.
