Best Practices for Writing Press Releases

What to say when you announce a sponsorship, so people actually pay attention. This ain’t the run of the mill press release. You’re building the story that your partners, execs, and media will build from. For context: I co-write messaging with sponsors and service providers across sport. From the first post to the follow-up that actually drives momentum. Here’s the 13-part checklist I use with sponsors to make sure that happens: 1/ Headline POV Lead with perspective. Not the deal. → “Why [Brand] is backing [Athlete/Team]” → “This is what [Series] got right about the future” 2/ Opening line that earns attention Start with a stat, insight, or belief. Not a logo. Not a thank-you paragraph. 3/ Logo placement with purpose Use it once, early, and tie it to meaning, not just exposure. 4/ Strategic pull-quote from exec No boilerplate. No fluff. One line from the CEO/CMO/CTO that frames the why of the deal. 5/ Athlete or team reference Tie their style, performance, or history to your brand’s values. This is where sports meet story. 6/ Photo or visual asset Use race-day imagery, behind-the-scenes shots, or real team integration, not stock images. (More to be said on this) 7/ Internal link to company POV or press release Bridge to the deeper story. Let them explore the details, but don’t shove it in the feed. 8/ Quote or POV from second voice Let the CTO or Head of Innovation speak to tech. Let a customer reference the impact. Add depth through voice layering. 9/ Race-week timing Don’t post in the void. Align to the race calendar, qualifying hype, or post-podium conversations. 10/ Pre-baked reshare language Give execs and partner teams a 1-line summary to repost with intent. No “We’re thrilled...” reshares. (Please) 11/ Hashtags with purpose (or none at all) Avoid the hashtag soup. Use one or two that shape narrative, not reach. 12/ Tagged collaborators (if useful) If you tag the team/athlete, it should add context or bring new eyeballs. Never tag out of obligation. 13/ Soft CTA that drives alignment End with clarity: → “What’s something you want to see more of in sponsorships?” → “We’re just getting started. More from this journey soon.” Final note: You’re writing a reference point that sales, PR, and investors will return to all season. Don’t publish and vanish. Publish and position. Photo by Darren Heath.

The golden rule of media relations: make it easy for a journalist to say yes. It sounds simple, but too often, the basics get missed. If you want coverage that cuts through, don’t put friction in the way of a journalist doing their job. ✅ Make sure your angle is topical, newsworthy and relevant to their audience, not just important to your business. ✅ Check spelling, facts, links, and names. Typos and broken links are an instant frustration. ✅ Keep it concise. Journalists don’t want three pages of filler; they want the hook fast. ✅ Always include contact details on every press release and pitch. ✅ Ensure spokespeople are ready. Anticipate likely questions, have insightful and memorable quotes, and make sure you’re available following dispatch, not next week or month. ✅ Provide good quality headshots, photography, and B-roll, don’t make the newsroom chase you for assets. ✅ Time your announcement to the news cycle, don’t drop it Friday at 5pm and expect magic. ✅ Don’t use embargoes unless there’s a very good reason. Good media relations is about removing obstacles. Journalists are time-poor, flooded in pitches, under constant pressure and tight deadlines.  If you respect that, you’ll not only get coverage, but you’ll also build trust and better long-term engagement. PR isn’t about spraying and praying and pushing harder. It’s about making it effortless for a journalist to say: “Yes, I’ll run this story.” #PR #media #journalism #Australia #marketing #brand #spokesperson #business #company #organisation

During my tenure working with Invest India Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, I had the privilege of drafting several press releases for the Press Information Bureau - India (PIB). These experiences were instrumental in sharpening my communication skills and understanding the nuances of public information dissemination. Press releases are an essential tool for anyone working in #communications and PR. Here are 5 key lessons I learned about writing an effective press release: 1️⃣ Clarity is Key: Ensure that the headline and content are straightforward and easy to understand. The goal is to make the main message immediately clear to all readers. 2️⃣ Answer the 5 Ws and 1 H: Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How – every press release should comprehensively address these aspects to provide complete context. 3️⃣ Structured Flow: Start with the most important information in the first paragraph and gradually dive into the details. This inverted pyramid style helps readers grasp the essence quickly. 4️⃣ Credibility Matters: Back up statements with data, quotes, or references. For example, in the press release on the '50 Brands Dedicated to the Nation Under the 'One District, One Product' Scheme', I ensured the messaging highlighted the government’s commitment to local entrepreneurship by including scheme details, its significance, and quotes from key officials. 5️⃣ Tailored for the Audience: Understand who will be reading the release – media professionals, stakeholders, or the general public – and adapt the tone and content accordingly. Crafting a press release and mastering it can be a significant professional asset for communicators. I hope to gain more such skills going forward. To all the PR folks in my network, what’s your go-to tip for writing or evaluating a press release? Would love to learn. #PressRelease #Communication #PublicRelations #ProfessionalGrowth #GovernmentOfIndia #PIB #MarketingStudent

Most press releases suck. And believe me I know — I've seen too many. Now I write them myself, and here are my principles for a good-enough press release. The first sentence should always answer 3 questions: Who? What? Why? Example from Reuters: WHO? Venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz WHAT? is seeking to raise about $20B in what will be the largest fund in its history, WHY? to capitalize on global investors' interest in backing US artificial intelligence companies. The main part (body) must be simple, factual, and stick closely to the news you’re announcing. No opinions, and minimal background info. A press release breaks news; background isn’t news anymore. So any background info should be placed near the end and kept to 1–2 short paragraphs. Keep your paragraphs classic — no more than 3 lines each. Add headlines when everything else is written. It’s just easier. Use numbers, arresting words, and the active voice. Aim for 10–13 words. In English-language headlines, use present tense and drop articles when possible. Avoid words like “outstanding,” “unique,” “amazing,” “leading,” “disrupt” — they don’t add value. “Solution” is also just no. Please. Quotes — much like dialogue in books — are the voice of your press release. They add color, detail, and show motivation. Write them the way people actually speak. Avoid platitudes like “pleased to announce,” “proud,” “excited,” and “happy.” One quote must be solely about the news (place it in the 3rd or 4th paragraph). The second one, from a different speaker, should point to the “bright future” — put it at the end. All in all, keep it short and sweet — one Google Doc page is perfect (font: Arial, size: 11). My comms team has landed press releases in TechCrunch, Sifted, Forbes, VentureBeat, and Business Insider. You can trust me.

6 reasons journalists ignore your press releases (and what to do instead) After 12 years in both journalism and PR, I've seen the same mistakes over and over. How many are you making? 1️⃣ Leading with "We're excited to announce..." Journalists care about their readers, not your excitement. Instead, lead with the impact your news will have on their specific audience. 2️⃣ No clear "So what?" factor "We launched a new feature" isn't news. "This new feature helps companies reduce carbon emissions by 40%" is. 3️⃣ Writing for your CEO, not for journalists Dense paragraphs filled with industry jargon and meaningless superlatives? Instant delete. Good press releases use simple language that explains complex ideas clearly. 4️⃣ Pitching the wrong journalists If they've never covered your industry, why would they start now? Research is everything. 5️⃣ Treating PR as an isolated tactic The most successful companies integrate PR with content strategy, social media and thought leadership. One press release won't change your business. A comprehensive communication strategy will. 6️⃣ No compelling story angle "We're growing" isn't a story. "We're growing because we've found a solution to [industry problem] that no one else has solved" might be. If you're struggling with PR results, the problem might not be the media. It might be your approach. P.S. What's your biggest PR frustration? Share it in the comments and I'll give you my honest take. 👇 #PublicRelations #Sustainability #MediaRelations

🌶️ Most GTM Teams Don’t Understand the Real Job of a Press Release #hottake Next up in our GTM Hot Takes series from The GTM Circle is Sydney Fenkell, Head of Marketing Comms at Proscia. 〰️ 🎤 Sydney Fenkell's Hot Take 🎤 Let’s get this straight: press releases aren’t just for the press anymore, and they haven’t been for a long time. But too many marketing teams, execs, and even comms pros still treat them like they are. They write for journalists, put them on the wire, hope for a pickup, and move on. That’s outdated thinking and a missed opportunity. Today’s press release is a multi-functional GTM asset that does far more than chase headlines. When written strategically, it can: ♦️ Rank in search and appear in AI-generated summaries via your favorite LLM, expanding discoverability in the age of AI ♦️ Educate and validate buyers who are doing self-directed research on your company or category ♦️ Serve as a timely, high-credibility asset for sales, offering an “excuse to reach out” or a link to drop into a follow-up Signal traction to prospects, customers, analysts, partners, and investors Anchor your message in owned channels, giving your narrative longevity and SEO/GEO value long after the initial announcement fades. If your press release isn’t designed to show up–in search, in chatbots, in decks—you’re not just behind. You’re invisible. I’ve written my fair share of releases, from product launches to strategic partnerships. Early on, success meant media coverage: Did the trades run it? Did it get syndicated? But as buyer behavior evolved, so did our approach. Now, the value of a release lies in how well it reaches and resonates with modern decision-makers—buyers doing their own research, sellers looking for timely proof points, and yes, AI systems scanning for credible sources. Our most recent announcement introduced new survey findings, but we didn’t just “PR the data.” We approached the press release as a discovery asset—structured to signal authority across channels, crafted to tell a story that supports sales conversations, and positioned as a launchpad for downstream demand generation. It wasn’t about buzz. It was about building durable visibility and utility in a world where buyers often find you long before you ever speak to them. And the early signals suggest the approach is working. 💡 Tip: Before you publish your next press release, paste it into your LLM of choice and ask: “What would a buyer learn from this?” You’ll quickly see whether it communicates value, credibility, and differentiation—and how ChatGPT makes sense of it. In a world where AI is the new front door, your release needs to resonate with buyers and their algorithms. Final words: Press releases aren’t dead. They’re just underutilized. In the right hands, they’re one of the most underrated tools in the modern GTM playbook. ---------- 📌 At focal, I run The GTM Circle, an invite-only community of the top GTM startup leaders. DM me for more details!