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. Sample release included.
  • Product launch (presentation): Announce a product in 9 slides: the problem, what is new, three headline features, who it is for, pricing, availability and the launch plan. Sample product included.

How to use these templates

  1. Open the press release and tell the AI the news in one sentence, covering who, what, when, where and why.
  2. 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.
  3. Read the first paragraph on its own. If a journalist read only that, would they have the story?
  4. 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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