To write a press release for a small business, start with genuine news, put the most important fact in a plain headline and a first paragraph that answers who, what, when, where and why, add a human quote, close with a company description and a media contact, and email it directly to a reporter who covers that topic.
What counts as news for a small business press release?
A press release works only when it announces something a reporter's readers would care about, so the first job is finding the news, not polishing the wording. Strong small-business angles include a new location or expansion, hiring that brings jobs to the area, a milestone anniversary with a community tie-in, a partnership with a local nonprofit, a public event, or original data collected from your own customers.
Journalists are blunt about what fails. In Muck Rack's State of Journalism 2025 survey of 1,890 journalists, 86% said they disregard a pitch that is irrelevant to their coverage area and 71% said they delete pitches that are overly promotional. A release that reads like an ad for a weekend sale belongs in your advertising, not in a reporter's inbox. Before writing, ask one question: would a stranger who never buys from you find this interesting?
Timing matters too. If the news is an expansion you are financing, wait until the funding has closed and the lease is signed before announcing it; our guide to business funding to expand your business covers that sequence, and as a broker that has 50+ lenders compete for one application, The Broker Shop can help you line up the financing first.
How do you structure a press release?
A standard press release follows the inverted pyramid: the most important information first, supporting detail next and background last, so an editor can cut from the bottom without losing the story.
- Release line: “FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE,” or an embargo date if the news cannot run before a certain day.
- Headline: one plain sentence with the news in it. “Riverside Bakery Opens Second Location, Adding 12 Jobs” beats “Exciting Growth for a Beloved Local Favorite.”
- Dateline and lead paragraph: city, state and date, then one or two sentences answering who, what, when, where and why.
- Body: two or three short paragraphs with the details a reporter needs, such as numbers, dates, what the public can do and what happens next.
- Quote: one or two sentences from the owner that add opinion or feeling, never a repeat of the facts.
- Boilerplate: a three-sentence “About” paragraph saying what the business does, where, and since when. Reuse the positioning line from your small business branding work so it stays consistent.
- Media contact: a name, phone number and email that someone will actually answer the same day.
Keep the whole release to one page, roughly 300 to 500 words. Reporters skim, and anything that needs a second page usually needs editing instead.
How do you write a headline and quote reporters will use?
State the news in the headline in as few words as possible and make the quote sound like a person talking, because those are the two pieces most likely to be lifted straight into a story.
Write the headline last, once you know the strongest fact in the release. Use numbers when you have them, such as jobs created, square footage, dollars donated or people served, and drop adjectives like “exciting,” “innovative” or “premier,” which read as promotion. For the quote, think about what the owner would tell a friend about why this matters. “We started in my garage in 2019, and this is the first time we have room to train apprentices” is quotable. “We are thrilled to continue delivering best-in-class service” is not.
Read the finished release aloud. Any sentence you would not say to a reporter on the phone should be rewritten or cut, and every claim should be something you can back up if they call to check.
How do you send a press release so it actually gets read?
Send it as a short, personal email to the specific reporter who covers your topic, with the release pasted into the body, instead of blasting a generic newsroom inbox or relying only on a paid wire service.
The same Muck Rack survey found that 62% of journalists prefer to be pitched by one-to-one email, 69% prefer pitches under 200 words, and 78% want to receive them before noon. Keep the email itself to a few sentences: the news in one line, why it matters to that reporter's readers, and an offer of an interview or photos, with the full release below. Find the right person by reading the local paper, business journal or trade publication and noting who writes about businesses like yours; our guide on how to get press for your small business covers building that list.
Follow up once, a few days later, and then let it go; half of the journalists surveyed said one follow-up is ideal. Whatever the result, post the release on your website's news page and share it on your social channels so it keeps working as part of your small business marketing plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should a small business press release be?
Aim for one page, roughly 300 to 500 words: a headline, a dateline and lead paragraph, two or three short body paragraphs, one quote, a brief About section and a media contact. The email you send with it should be much shorter. Muck Rack's 2025 survey found 69% of journalists prefer pitches under 200 words.
Do I need a paid wire service to send a press release?
No. A wire service can get a release posted on news sites and indexed online, which has some value, but local and trade coverage usually comes from a direct, personal email to the reporter who covers your topic. Most small businesses get more from a well-targeted note to a handful of relevant reporters than from mass distribution.
Sources: Muck Rack — The State of Journalism 2025 (survey of 1,890 journalists)
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See What I Qualify For →The bottom line: A press release earns coverage when it carries real news, states it in the first sentence, sounds human in the quote and reaches the one reporter whose readers care; everything else is formatting.