Press release template
A press release announces news in the format journalists are used to: a short active headline and subheadline, "For immediate release", a dateline, the news in the first paragraph, supporting detail, quotes from your company and from a customer or partner, availability, the "About" boilerplate and a media contact. Describe your news and the AI drafts it in that structure.
Templates
- Press release (document): Announce news to journalists with a standard press release: headline, dateline, quotes, boilerplate and media contact.
- Product launch (presentation): Announce a new product: what it is, who it is for, key features, pricing and availability.
How to use these templates
- Open the press release and tell the AI the news in one sentence, covering who, what, when, where and why.
- Give it the facts: dates, prices, figures, partner names and a few words from the people you will quote. Approve every quote with the person it is attributed to.
- Read the first paragraph on its own. If a journalist read only that, would they have the story?
- Download as Word or PDF, paste the text into the body of your email to journalists, and publish it on your website's news page.
Writing a press release journalists use
- Lead with the news, not the company. "Pune startup cuts courier costs for small sellers by 30%" beats "XYZ is pleased to announce".
- Answer who, what, when, where and why in the first paragraph, and keep the whole release to about one page.
- Make quotes say something only a person could: why it matters or what surprised them. Avoid "We are thrilled".
- Back claims with specific figures, and say where they come from.
- Use "Embargoed until [date and time]" instead of "For immediate release" if journalists get it early, and send it only to people you trust to respect the embargo.
- Paste the release into the email body. Many journalists do not open attachments from senders they do not know.
Frequently asked questions
What is a boilerplate in a press release?
The short "About [Company]" paragraph at the end, describing what the company does, who it serves and one notable fact. It stays the same from release to release.
How long should a press release be?
Usually 300 to 500 words, about one page. Put background material on a press page or in a media kit rather than in the release.
What is a dateline?
The city and date at the start of the first paragraph, showing where and when the news is coming from.
Do I need a newswire service?
Not to start. Sending the release to a short list of relevant journalists and publishing it on your own site is often enough for local and trade news. Wire services help when you need wide distribution.
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