Marketing

How to Write a Press Release for Your Small Business (With Examples)

A single press release that gets picked up by your local newspaper or a popular industry blog can deliver more credibility than months of paid advertising — and it costs you nothing but time. Here's exactly how to write one, who to pitch it to, and how to follow up without being ignored.

Most small business owners think press releases are for big companies announcing product launches or IPOs. They're wrong. Local journalists and bloggers are constantly hungry for stories, and a well-framed press release about a genuinely newsworthy local business development can land in front of tens of thousands of readers for free.

The catch is that most press releases from small businesses are terrible. They read like ads, lead with things that aren't news, and make journalists work too hard to see the story. This guide will show you how to write one that actually gets picked up — and how to build media relationships that keep paying off.

First: What Actually Qualifies as News?

Before you write a single word, you need to answer one question: why would a reader who doesn't know your business care about this? If you can't answer that, it's not news yet.

Newsworthy Stories for Small Businesses

• Significant growth milestones: "Local plumbing company crosses 1,000 five-star reviews" or "Cleaning business expands to second city, adds 12 employees"
• Community involvement: Donating services after a local disaster, partnering with a school, sponsoring a community event
• Launching something genuinely new: A first-of-its-kind service in your area, a new technology or approach, a new location
• Industry recognition: Awards, certifications, being named to a list
• A compelling human story: A veteran starting a business, a family business passing to a third generation, a business that survived adversity
• Timely local angle on a bigger trend: "As heating costs rise, this local HVAC company offers a program to help seniors stay warm for free"

Not Newsworthy (Stop Pitching These)

• You launched a new website
• You're having a sale
• You have a new service that's basically what you already do
• You hired a new employee (unless they're notable)
• You think your business is great

The test: would a stranger read the headline and say "that's interesting"? Or would they say "so what?" If it's "so what," the news hook isn't there yet. Find a bigger angle, a community tie, or wait for a more genuinely newsworthy moment.

The Press Release Formula

A well-formatted press release has six components, in this order:

1. The Headline

Clear, specific, and newsworthy. Not a marketing tagline — an actual news headline. Write it as if you were a journalist writing the story.

The strong version has specificity (200 households), context (record freeze warning), and a community angle. It answers "why does this matter right now?"

2. Dateline and Lead Paragraph

Format: CITY, STATE — Month Day, Year — Your lead paragraph must answer all five Ws in under 50 words: Who, What, When, Where, and Why it matters. Journalists call this the "inverted pyramid" — the most important information comes first, because editors cut from the bottom.

Example: "AUSTIN, TX — June 19, 2026 — Austin-based Clearwater Plumbing today announced a free winter safety program offering no-cost pipe inspections to 200 local households through December 15, following the National Weather Service's record freeze warning for Central Texas this week."

3. Body Paragraphs (The Story)

Expand on the lead with supporting details. Include:

• Why you're doing this (motivation matters to readers)
• How it works (practical details)
• Who benefits and how (the community angle)
• Any relevant stats or data that add credibility

Keep paragraphs short — two to three sentences. Journalists are busy. Write in simple, clear language. Avoid industry jargon.

4. A Quote from the Owner

Every press release needs at least one quote, and it should add something the body text doesn't — perspective, personality, or emotion. Don't write quotes that just repeat the facts in a different order.

The good quote tells a story. It reveals the "why" behind the company's decision and gives the journalist something human to anchor the story in.

5. Boilerplate (About Your Company)

End with a standard two-to-three sentence paragraph about your business. Keep it consistent across all your press releases. Include: what you do, how long you've been in business, where you serve, and a brief differentiator.

Example: "About Clearwater Plumbing: Founded in 2014, Clearwater Plumbing serves homeowners and commercial clients across the Greater Austin area. With over 1,200 five-star reviews and a team of 14 licensed plumbers, Clearwater specializes in emergency service, whole-home inspections, and water heater installation. Learn more at clearwaterplumbing.com."

6. Contact Information

Name, title, phone number (your direct line, not a main number), and email address. Journalists will not go out of their way to find you. Make it one click to reach you.

Who to Pitch: Building Your Media List

A press release with no distribution strategy is a document, not a campaign. You need to send it to the right people, in the right way.

Local Newspapers and TV News

Your local newspaper (including its online edition) and local TV news stations are your best-odds placements. They need a constant stream of local stories, their audience is your customer base, and local businesses with genuine community angles are exactly what they want to cover.

Find the right contact: look at the bylines on recent local business stories and find the reporter who covers small business, local business, or your industry. Most papers list reporter email addresses. Address your pitch to a specific human being, not "editor@" or a generic inbox.

Local Business Journals and Magazines

Most metro areas have a Business Journal (often part of the American City Business Journals network) or a local business magazine. These publications specifically cover local business news and are more receptive to business milestones (expansions, hires, revenue growth) than general newspapers.

Industry Blogs and Trade Publications

If your news has an industry angle — a new process, a technology adoption, a market trend — industry blogs and trade publications are often eager for real-world small business examples. Search for "[your industry] blog" or "[your industry] trade magazine" and find their editorial contact.

Local Podcasts

Many cities and industries have local podcasts covering business, entrepreneurship, or community stories. A press release sent to a podcast host is often an invitation to be a guest — which is frequently more valuable than a news mention anyway. Search "[your city] business podcast" and make a list of shows that have active episode publishing.

How to Write a Pitch Email (Not the Press Release Itself)

The press release is an attachment or appendix — not the email body. Your pitch email is what determines whether a journalist reads the release at all. Keep it under 150 words:

Notice what the email does: it names the story angle in the subject line, leads with why readers would care (not why it's good for you), offers a concrete story element (families to interview), and stays under 150 words. Busy journalists respect their own time and yours.

Distribution: Free vs. Paid Services

For most local service businesses, the free direct pitch approach delivers far better results than paid distribution. A $400 PR Newswire release will get you syndicated to dozens of sites that nobody reads. A targeted email to the right local journalist can get you front page of the local business section — an audience of people who live in your service area.

Following Up Without Being Annoying

Send your initial pitch, then follow up once — exactly once — five to seven business days later if you haven't heard back. Keep the follow-up to two sentences:

"Hi [Name], following up on my note from [date] about [the story angle]. Happy to answer any questions or provide additional details. Thanks again."

If there's still no response, move on. Do not send a third email. Journalists receive hundreds of pitches per week; silence is not a rejection that requires additional argument — it's just silence. Build a media list of 10–15 contacts and when one doesn't bite, the next might.

Building Long-Term Media Relationships

The small businesses that regularly get press coverage aren't necessarily the ones with the best stories — they're the ones who have built relationships with local journalists over time. When a reporter covers your business once, treat that relationship as an asset:

• Send a thank-you after any coverage
• Share their articles on social media (journalists notice this)
• Position yourself as a source for future stories — "If you ever need a local [HVAC / plumbing / landscaping] perspective for a story, I'm happy to comment"
• Send new pitches specifically to reporters who've covered you before — they're far more likely to cover you again

A journalist who knows your name, trusts your information, and has covered you before is a business development asset. Maintain that relationship with periodic low-ask contact: forwarding a relevant article, commenting on their work, or sending a quick holiday note. Small gestures that cost nothing compound into coverage that money can't buy.

Press releases won't replace your paid advertising or referral network. But one well-placed local story — the kind that shows up when a potential customer Googles your business name — adds a layer of third-party credibility that no ad can match. Start with one genuinely newsworthy story, pitch it to the right five journalists, and see what happens. The downside is a few hours of your time. The upside is free reach to your entire community.