What I’ve Learned From Writing Press Releases (That No One Told Me)
When I first started writing press releases, I thought it would be simple. Slap a headline on it, add a quote, sprinkle in a boilerplate, and boom: news. Well, that’s what I learned from school anyway.
Well, my friend. I have news for you: the real world isn’t so simple.
Writing press releases is basically the communications version of learning to season food. At first, you dump a bunch of salt on it and pray. But eventually, you learn what actually makes the flavor work: all the subtle pieces, the timing, the restraint. Suddenly, things click.
And yeah, I’ve been told that my writing sucked. The next day, I was told that it’s fantastic. That’s the part you’re not taught. Your writing can change day by day, and your peers’ judgments can change too.
After writing releases for emergency veterinarians, functional beverage brands, film production houses, children’s food companies, nonprofits, and even more industries than I can recall, I’d like to share with you my simple no-formula formula.
1. A Press Release Isn’t “Information.” It’s a Negotiation.
You’re negotiating with the reader’s attention span, which is roughly the length of a TikTok at double speed. Even faster if it’s borrrrring.
Everyone internally wants every detail included, right? They all worked so hard on every last detail that, of course, they want their recognition. Who wouldn’t?
But the media? They want one great angle and a few relevant sentences.
So one of the biggest things I learned is this: cut ruthlessly until what’s left is undeniable. Because if you try to say everything, you end up saying nothing. Loudly.
2. Journalists Can Spot Fluff From Space
One of my first “aha” moments came when my boss told me:
“This quote sounds like it was written by a robot that’s never felt emotions.”
Fair. But in my defense, we keep things blunt around here.
Since then, I’ve learned that:
“We’re thrilled to announce…” isn’t a quote. It’s a corporate reflex.
Quotes should reveal something real about the person or the mission.
If a quote can be swapped between two totally different companies without anyone noticing? Say bye-bye.
Your quotes should either teach, inspire, challenge, or clarify. If it doesn’t check at least one of those boxes, they’re verbal packing peanuts.
3. You Have Three Seconds to Make Your Headline Work
Maybe less.
In about 150 milliseconds, our brains can actually process language and detect the structure of a short sentence. At just a glance, that headline decides whether someone reads on or dumps it in the bin of “don’t bother me, I’m too busy for your spam.”
A good headline is a miracle of compression. A bad one is a silent career cry for help.
Here’s what I’ve learned the hard way:
No puns. (You think you’re being memorable. You are, but not in the way you think.)
No vague bragging (“Company X Announces Major News” is not news. Lead = Buried.)
No 20-word sentence that reads like a legal document.
A great headline answers one question: Why should anyone care today?
If you can nail that, you’ve won the first half of the battle.
4. Boilerplates Are Boring, But They Are Also Forever
Think of a boilerplate as a company’s dating profile.
It’s the little paragraph that shows up everywhere, whether they like it or not. The good news? We get to write it.
What I’ve learned:
It should be timeless (unlike the phrase “cutting-edge,” which expires next week when a new “never-before-seen” innovation gets released).
It should be clear, brief, and friendly.
It should not sound like it was copied and pasted from 2009. (Hey there, 2009 called. They want their iPhone 3GS and boilerplate back.)
A great boilerplate is like a good haircut: no one comments on it, but it makes the whole thing look better. If someone comments on it, assume they’re secretly talking behind your back, like that time you experimented with a buzzcut.
5. Press Releases Are Collaborative… Even If You’re the One Rewriting the Whole Thing at Midnight
Here’s the reality: a press release passes through more hands than a birthday card at an office party.
But someone still has to make it coherent.
What I’ve learned:
Ask clarifying questions early.
Confirm ALL facts because someone will inevitably “remember it differently.”
Nail down the actual news before you start writing, because sometimes, even the client isn’t entirely sure what the announcement is.
Expect at least one draft to come back with edits that contradict each other. Your job is to translate chaos into clarity.
You’re the story’s quality control. Embrace it. It also helps to have a can of Red Bull handy.
6. A Good Press Release Makes Every Other Form of Communication Better
This one surprised me the most.
Writing releases sharpened my:
pitching
talking points
internal emails
media prep
content writing
longform storytelling
Once you’re trained to find the “one sentence that matters,” everything else becomes cleaner, smarter, and more strategic. You’ll learn to build up from that sentence. That’s your angle. That’s your lead. That’s the secret.
Press releases basically give you your very own kryptonite: being allergic to clutter.
7. The Best Lesson of All: Great Releases Respect the Reader
At the end of the day, the press release isn’t about you, the client, or the brand.
It’s about the person reading it: the journalist finding a story, the editor scanning for angles, or the audience absorbing the news.
So the best thing I’ve learned is simple:
Write with empathy. Write like someone is actually going to read it. Write something you’d want to pick up.
That alone makes your press releases, and honestly, your communication in general, infinitely better.
Final Thought
Press releases have taught me discipline, clarity, patience, and the very delicate art of making something corporate feel human. Even if you’re writing for a trade publication, the reader wants simple.
No, they’re not glamorous. But they shape how brands speak to the world, and when you get them right, they open doors that pitches alone can’t.
And if you ever see me staring intensely at a headline for 40 minutes, just know: I’m adding seasoning.
