How to write a press release

Most press releases are too long and too thin on evidence. A useful one lets a journalist spot the news, check the evidence, contact the right person and decide quickly whether the story fits their readers.

This guide gives you a working structure, three headline patterns, rules for quotes and the mistakes that make a release hard to use. If you'd like the wider picture of how releases fit into earning coverage, see our digital PR backlinks page, and for unfamiliar terms, the SEO backlinks glossary.

The structure that works

A usable press release usually follows roughly this order:

1. A headline of about 8 to 14 words that puts the news, not the brand, near the start.
2. A one-line subhead that adds the supporting fact.
3. A dateline with the city and date, for example “LONDON, 1 May 2026”.
4. A lead paragraph of 50 to 80 words that tells the whole story: what, who, when, where and why.
5. A supporting paragraph with context, data and secondary facts.
6. A first quote from the most senior relevant person, explaining why it matters.
7. A detail paragraph with extra information a journalist could use to extend the story.
8. A second quote from a different person, such as a customer, partner or independent expert.
9. A short “About the company” paragraph of 30 to 50 words.
10. Press contact details: name, email and phone.
11. An end marker, either ### or -ENDS-.

That usually comes to 350 to 500 words. Journalists often decide from the headline and first paragraph whether to keep reading, so those two do most of the work.

The headline formula

Three headline patterns tend to work:

Pattern 1: a surprising data point

“73% of UK SMEs Don't Know What [X] Means, Survey Reveals”

Why it works: the percentage is the story, and a journalist can lift it straight into their own headline. Only use a figure your data supports.

Pattern 2: a notable change or a first

“UK Fintech Hires First Chief AI Officer Following £40M Raise”

Why it works: it answers “why is this news right now?” before the journalist has to ask.

Pattern 3: a finding that challenges an assumption

“Bristol Overtakes London as UK's Fastest-Growing Fintech Hub”

Why it can work: a well-supported finding that cuts against expectations gives the journalist a clear angle.

Don't lead with brand enthusiasm. Phrases such as “is excited to announce” use space without telling a reporter what changed or why a reader should care.

The lead paragraph rule

Your first 50 to 80 words should carry the whole story, written as if the journalist won't read any further. The lead should answer what happened, who did it (by name), when it happened or takes effect, where it happened (local press care about this) and why it matters to the reader.

If your lead runs past 100 words, the news is probably buried. Cut it back.

Quote rules

Quotes are where most releases go soft. Three rules help.

Rule 1: quotes should carry information

Weak: “We're delighted to share this exciting milestone.”
Stronger: “Our pipeline doubled in Q1 because mid-market UK firms have started treating compliance as a board-level priority.”

Rule 2: use two people where you can

A single quote from the company reads as promotion. Two quotes from different people, such as a founder and a customer or a CEO and an analyst, read more like a story.

Rule 3: keep quotes short and quotable

Aim for 25 to 40 words per quote. Journalists often cut a quote down to one sentence, so make sure your strongest sentence can stand on its own.

The seven mistakes that bin most releases

1. Starting the headline with the brand name. The sender line already shows who you are, so spend the opening words on the news.
2. Marketing copy dressed as news. Words such as “leading”, “innovative” and “world-class” tell a journalist there's little news to find.
3. A buried lead. If the news first appears in paragraph four or five, move it to paragraph one.
4. No data. “We launched” isn't news, while “we launched and signed 200 customers in 90 days” might be.
5. A long attachment instead of an email. Unsolicited PDFs often go unopened, so put the essentials in the email body.
6. A generic mass send. “Hi journalist” sent to hundreds of addresses is easy to ignore and can trip spam filters. Write a first line for each person.
7. No story angle. A new hire is rarely news on its own. A hire that signals a shift in your market might be, so make the angle obvious.

SEO and source details worth including

A release should make the primary source easy to check. Links are there to help the journalist and reader:

• a relevant link to the underlying report, announcement or methodology, with descriptive wording;
• a company link in the boilerplate where it helps identify the organisation;
• supporting images, charts and data files on a stable public URL, with usage and credit information.

Don't stuff the release with commercial anchors. Google's outbound-link guidance says paid links should use the sponsored or nofollow relationship where appropriate.

A working template you can copy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LONDON, 1 May 2026

[HEADLINE: 8-14 words, news-led, no brand name first]
[Subhead: one line, supporting fact]

[Lead paragraph: 50-80 words covering what, who, when, where, why.
Treat this as the whole story, as many readers stop here.]

[Supporting paragraph: context, data, secondary facts. About 80 words.]

"[First quote: 25-40 words from the most senior named person.
Give information, not adjectives]," said [Name], [Title] at [Brand].

[Detail paragraph: extra facts journalists may use to extend the
story. About 80 words.]

"[Second quote: 25-40 words from a different person for the human
angle]," added [Name], [Title].

About [Brand]
[30-50 word boilerplate. Single branded link to homepage.]

Press contact:
[Name]
[Email]
[Phone]

###

The 30-second summary

• Use a news-led headline and a lead paragraph that carries the whole story.
• Try one of three headline patterns: surprising data, a notable change or a finding that challenges an assumption.
• Make quotes informative and keep them short.
• Send it to a short list of journalists who cover the subject, with a personal first line for each.
• Put the essential pitch and facts in the email, and link to supporting files where useful.

A press release supports a story. It doesn't guarantee a link. The stronger outcome comes when a journalist chooses to follow up on a newsworthy announcement. If you'd like a team to research, write and pitch stories for you through established journalist relationships, see our digital PR backlinks service.

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