Communication is key—but it’s not about what you say, it’s about how you say it.
Whether you’re chatting with a friend, investors, or the team—your tone, language, and style of communication will always change depending on who you’re connecting with to drive your message home in the most authentic and effective way.
That’s why a well-crafted press release is so crucial! They clearly communicate important news about your brand and reflect who you are as a company in hopes of reaching even more of the right people.
There’s not just one type of press release, either. Some press releases may clarify your organization’s challenges while others focus on your industry and various market trends. Both can be great resources for your target audience!
But let’s be real—some businesses and smaller organizations rarely have news they find worthy of the high costs to spread across journalists’ networks. Of course, press releases can be shared organically, but working with major distributors like PR Newswire, eReleases, Accesswire, and Newswire will help make sure your news is seen.
This puts a lot of pressure on press releases to be compelling and specific while still casting a wide-enough net to generate valuable chatter around your business. Luckily, there are plenty of press release templates and examples to help you get started—and we’ve got five of them on hand!
So if you’re ready to write a press release that will captivate readers with your brand’s message, look no further!
What is a Press Release?
A press release (or press statement) is an official statement or announcement that an organization uses to share its news with the public. This document works as an official means for businesses to pass information to a wide range of audiences including customers, investors, and competitors.
Press releases play a vital role in shaping the public relations aspect of an organization. They help establish and maintain a company’s overall image and can have a severely positive or negative influence on its bottom line. 💰
Usually, a steady flow of positive news from your organization has the potential to attract more customers and keep your name relevant in the market. There’s no requirement or regulation when it comes to the type of information shared through a press release, but it should always be notable and newsworthy. Otherwise, the press release loses its value.
On the bright side, a lot of daily business updates can be considered news—and press releases can cover them all! Seriously, any and all information could be mentioned in a press release, whether it’s positive or negative, celebratory or detrimental. Some of the most common types of press releases include:
- New product launches
- New CEO introductions
- Annual market updates
- Merger and acquisitions
- New investments
- New or ending partnerships
- Public addresses (apologies or a stance on a particular issue)
Benefits behind powerful press releases
Writing press releases can be an expensive, labor-intensive, and time-consuming undertaking for your organization. It takes a skillful person to write influential press releases as they can attract considerable benefits to your company’s well-being including:
- Increased business exposure
- Media coverage
- Proactive reputation management
- A surge in web traffic
- Credibility as a thought leader in your industry
And so much more. 🤯
What to look for in a press release template?
You don’t have to start from scratch every time you want to write a press release. It’s hard enough as it is to share them with every journalist in your Rolodex and eventually, the world! Instead, save time, reduce errors, and improve the quality of your press release using a template designed to manage the basics for you.
A press release template will not only kickstart your writing process but help you establish a standard approach to writing uniform press releases quickly, every time.
With a press release template, you already have a defined and easy-to-follow structure to achieve your desired impact. All you need to do is plug and play the news you want to share and voila! A well written press release is ready for the public eye. 🤩
There are an endless and growing number of free press release templates out there that are readily available. However, not every press release template is equally valuable, easy to use, detailed, or on-brand for your business.
Essential press release template details
Before investing too much time in the first press release template you find online, do a quick skim of the document to make sure all of the basic and necessary public relations elements are there. A good press release template should contain (at least) the following elements:
- The headline: This is the most crucial element of a press release because it captures what you’re sharing with your target audience. The best headlines will summarize the entire press release in fewer than 10 words—as only about 20% of people will read the entire document.
- Date and location: Dozens of press releases go out every day. And since press releases focus on current and newsworthy information, it’s key to lay the context around when and where the event took place.
- Supporting quotes: Most press releases include supporting quotes from the related department. Consider introducing quotes from partners and customers to enhance the credibility of your announcement.
- Lead paragraph: Your press release template should highlight the critical information immediately. The lead paragraph answers the who, what, when, where, and why behind the document.
- Call to action: What do you want readers to do after reading your press release? Whether it be buying your product, sharing information, or visiting your website, a good press release will motivate people to do something.
- Boilerplate: Every press release needs a solid boilerplate description of your company and the organization(s) included in the document. This gives everyone a clear understanding of who you are and who you’re working with.
- Contact details: Provide contact information on your press release so the public or news outlets know who to reach for more information. This is usually your Head of Communications.
5 Free Press Release Templates to Get Started ASAP
Now that we’ve covered the basics, it’s time for the good stuff!
We’ve done our homework and combed the web to bring you five free and powerful press release templates to enhance your writing and publication process:
1. Press Release Template by ClickUp
Beyond informing your target audience and competitors of your company’s latest major update, you want your press release to build a natural buzz and excitement around your company. The goal is to write a press release that will excite media outlets so they want to republish your press release, create a positive narrative around your company, and build brand awareness for you.
It’s crucial to ensure your organization remains relevant, top of mind, and is clearly stating news to the public—and the Press Release Template by ClickUp is the ideal resource to conquer this very objective. This dynamic and customizable template captures all of the critical press release requirements in a detailed and intuitive structure. This press release template can also be used as a learning resource, and largely focuses on helping you develop a press release that will impress your audience as much as the media outlets publishing it.
2. Release Notes Template by ClickUp
While a press release template eases a bit of the writing process, it’s still a challenge that requires strategic planning, creativity, and detail.
The Release Notes Template by ClickUp is a must-have resource for every publicist’s virtual tool belt. This pre-built template for ClickUp Docs walks you through the process of writing thorough release notes—an essential asset to align internal and external communication and construct a successful press release.
3. Product Announcement Press Release Template for Microsoft Word
Software companies are constantly working to assist organizations in using their products so they can get things done faster and more efficiently. Microsoft Word Press is one of these tools, helping companies write seamless press releases to impact the market.
The Microsoft Word Product Announcement and Press Release Template can be a quick option for teams who already use Microsoft products and rely on Word as their go-to document editor. This custom news release template is pre-formatted, making it easier for companies to customize the document with product details, availability, reviews, and company information.
4. Classic Press Release Template by GooDocs
The GooDocs Classic Press Release Template is an easy-to-use press release design formatted to a Google Doc. It’s designed to be simple yet effective, and flexible enough that you can customize it to meet any organization’s needs. This press release template helps you prepare a standard yet engaging press release but also leaves space to dive deeper into other products and services your organization may offer.
5. Product Release Press Template for Google Docs
Presenting customers with new products or services is no easy feat, especially for smaller companies still trying to establish themselves in the industry. Generally, you want a high-quality presentation that can capture the imagination of the customers.
Google Docs Product Release Press Template is designed to help you build a reputation in the market through increased sales. This free press release template is available in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides to give you the option of choosing the format that best matches your organization’s needs.
How to Publish and Share a Press Release
The work doesn’t stop when the press release is written—in some ways, that’s actually when the real work begins. The most critical part of any publicist’s role is to then find ways to publish and share your press release in order to reach your target audiences. As they say, it’s all about who you know!
Choosing where to publish and send your press release depends on your niche—AKA, your unique value proposition. But a common place to start distributing your press release is by reaching out to business journalists, newspapers, social media influencers, bloggers, and partners.
This might sound easy, but these outlets are flooded with PR requests on a daily basis. To make the process less daunting and more genuine, start by putting yourself in your network’s shoes. Build a strong working relationship with someone at your desired publications first, then ask them what they need from you to make your request happen.
Consult the following tips to make your press release easier to read, share, and publish:
- Work with reputable publishers
- Send your press release on time, every time
- Consider after-hour publishers
- Work with specific journalists to build your network of contacts
- Include multimedia content
- Share press releases on your social media platforms
Customize Your Press Release Template Today
The power of a press release cannot be understated!
It’s an important communication channel that not only helps to pass information to the public but has the potential to build the influence of an organization in the market.
As you write press releases, focus on creating the reports and news releases that reflect and build your brand. Lean on the best press release examples and templates designed to boost your productivity, improve your press releases, and scale your business—all while saving you time on a daily basis.
Access all of these customizable ClickUp templates and hundreds more for every other use case at no cost! Plus, ClickUp can streamline any process and centralize your work across apps with its rich set of features, over 1,000 integrations, and accessible pricing plans.
Sign up for ClickUp to establish your brand as an industry leader using these free press release templates—today! 📈
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