UBCNews - Business - How to Write Business Press Releases That Journalists Will Actually Read

Episode Date: March 2, 2026

Welcome back everyone. Today we're tackling something that, honestly, I think a lot of businesses get wrong - press releases. You know, how do you write one that journalists actually want to read? And more importantly, how do you measure if it's working? I'm here with someone who's been deep in the PR and content marketing space for years. Thanks for joining us. Press Release Zen City: London Address: 15 Harwood Road Website: https://pressreleasezen.com/

Welcome back, everyone. Today we're tackling something that, honestly, I think a lot of businesses get wrong. Press releases. You know, how do you write one that journalists actually want to read? And more importantly, how do you measure if it's working? I'm here with someone who's been deep in the PR and content marketing space for years. Thanks for joining us. Thanks for having me. Yeah, press releases can be tricky. I've seen so many that just sit there and go nowhere because they read like advertising. instead of news. Exactly. So let's start with the basics. What makes a press release actually effective?

What are journalists looking for when they open that email? Well, it really comes down to a few key elements. First, you need a compelling headline, and I mean short, under 10 words, if possible. Use active verbs, be specific, and highlight what's unique. If your headline is vague like local company releases new product, you've already lost them. Right, so something more like local tech innovator unveils game-changing, eco-friendly smartphone. That tells a story immediately. Exactly. And then your introduction needs to answer the who, what, when, where, and why in just a few sentences. Journalists want the most important information

right up front. They're using that inverted pyramid structure, so don't bury the lead. I actually learned this the hard way early in my career when I sent out a release with the big news buried in paragraph four, got zero responses. Ouch, makes sense, though. Now, I've heard that multimedia really boosts engagement. How important is that? Hugely important. Actually, research shows that 57% of journalists consider multimedia assets, like video, pictures, and infographics as one of the three most important elements of a news release. And here's the thing. Multimedia press releases consistently outperform text-only releases. We're talking 33% more views for product announcements with visuals. Mm-hmm. Interesting. You need high-resolution images that are directly relevant.

Include captions and alt-text for better SEO and accessibility. And if you can include both images and videos, engagement can increase by six times. Plus, 87% of journalists used PR provided multimedia in the past year, so they're actively looking for that content. That point about multimedia assets sets up our next piece, the data and proof behind your story. But first, a quick word from our sponsor. If you're looking to strengthen your press release skills and amplify your brand's visibility, press release Zen is your go-to, resource. This platform offers free guides and actionable insights at the intersection of PR and content marketing. Whether you're crafting your first release or refining your strategy, press release Zen

helps you drive traffic, build authority, and reach new audiences. Learn more at pressreleasezen.com. Picking up on those multimedia assets, how do you use statistics and hard numbers to strengthen your press release without it feeling too dry? Great question. Data adds credibility, but it has to be from reliable sources and presented clearly. If you're announcing a sales increase, don't just say sales have increased. Say something like, we've seen a 25% surge in Q1 compared to last year, reflecting growing consumer demand for sustainable products. That contextualizes the number and shows why it matters. I see. That makes sense.

You also want to avoid being overly promotional. Journalists want newsworthy, factual content. So instead of hyping your product, focus on what problem it solves or the broader trend it fits into. You want to inform, not sell. That's the whole point of a press release. Right. And that idea of informing rather than selling is really the core principle here, isn't it? Absolutely.

Now, the back-end stuff is also critical. The boilerplate contact info, SEO keywords. The boilerplate is your About Us section. It should be consistent across all your releases and include your company's mission, notable achievements, and links to your website. Contact information is equally important. Journalists prioritize that. 51% say it's essential, so make sure it's up to date with a full name, phone, and email.

And SEO keywords, I imagine those help with discoverability. You want to choose keywords based on what your audience is actually searching for. Tools like Google Keyword Planner can help, but don't stuff your release with keywords. Integrate them naturally. Your press release needs to rank and search results, but it also has to be readable. Nobody wants to read something that sounds like it was written by a robot. Huh, true, so we've established the structure and content. But here's the big question for everyone listening. Have you ever wondered how to actually measure if your press release is driving results?

What should people be tracking? That's where amplification comes in. Traditional press releases focus on news outlets, but the modern approach is about multi-format content distribution. New AI platforms can transform your announcement into many different content forms. like news articles, blog posts, podcasts, videos, infographics, slideshows, social posts. Then those formats get distributed to many different platforms, meaning customers see your content no matter where they are online. So instead of one press release going to a wire service, you're creating this whole ecosystem of content?

Exactly. And the beauty of this approach is the reinforcing effect. visibility in one channel increases credibility and attention in others. There's a case study of a home robot retailer that launched 30 campaigns from March 2021 to December 2022 and saw a 195% increase in organic traffic within the first year, plus over 210 high-quality backlinks. That's impressive. Any other examples? Yeah.

An Oklahoma car dealership used one campaign per month and saw a 76.7% increase in organic traffic over 16 months, growing from around 1,400 visitors per month to over 2,500 visitors without spending money on ads. The SEO first strategy and multi-domain backlinks strengthen search engine rankings, so traffic compounds over time. So to everyone listening, how much further could your message reach if you, you stopped thinking about press releases as just one news item? Right, and measuring ROI becomes clearer when you're tracking traffic, backlinks, engagement across platforms, and even media pickup rates. You can see which formats resonate most with your audience and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Before we wrap up, what's one common mistake you see people make with press releases that they should absolutely avoid? I'd say the biggest mistake is being too promotional and forgetting to proofread. Typhos and grammatical errors undermine your credibility instantly. Also, missing a clear call to action. Tell readers what you want them to do next, whether that's visiting your website, signing up for a demo, or contacting you for more information. Perfect.

And I think the ideal length is around 400 to 500 words. ideally keeping it to one page, right? Exactly. Journalists are busy. They appreciate brevity. Every word should count and contribute to your message. Keep it tight. Keep it relevant.

This has been so helpful. Together we've covered how to write a press release that journalists will actually read and how to measure the real business outcomes. Thanks again for breaking this down. My pleasure. I hope everyone listening feels more confident about their next press release.

And if you want to go deeper into these strategies, head over to www.pressreleasezen.com. Thanks for tuning in, everyone.