A trade journalist opens a press release to answer one question: is this news for my readers? A good release makes that quick to answer. The format below is a familiar one for trade media, so the person reading it knows where to look for each piece of information.
What a B2B press release is for
A B2B release tells trade and industry media something that has happened, in a form they can use directly. Typical triggers are a product launch or update, a funding round, a partnership or acquisition, an award, an executive appointment, or a response to an industry development.
The reader is a journalist or editor first and your customer second. Writing for the journalist's readers, who are the people in your industry, serves both.
Press release structure, section by section
1. Headline
State the news in one line, in plain words. Name the company and the thing that happened. For a partnership, lead with the partnership itself and put the scope in the body. Leave out adjectives such as "innovative" or "leading", because the facts carry the headline.
2. Subheading (optional)
One sentence that adds the detail the headline had no room for, such as who benefits or what is now possible.
3. Dateline and first sentence
Start with the place and date, then a short first sentence that gives who, what and when. If the release is held back for a set time, write the embargo line as the time and date it lifts, for example "Embargoed until 09:00 CET, 12 November". A first sentence that can be read two ways will be read the wrong way by somebody, so test it on a colleague.
4. Supporting paragraph
One paragraph on the detail that makes the news useful: what was launched or agreed, who it is for, what changes for them, and any dates or availability. Use figures only when you can source them, and say where they come from.
5. Quote
Place a quote high in the release, ideally in the third or fourth paragraph. It should say something a person would say, covering why the news matters to customers or the market, and not repeat the headline. Attribute every quote with a name and job title. For a partnership, include a quote from each side.
6. Further detail
Add the second tier of information: product specifics, availability by market, pricing if public, a customer or partner mention you have permission to use, and a link to the full page on your site.
7. Boilerplate
A short "About [Company]" paragraph in the third person, usually three or four sentences: what you do, for whom, where you are based, and your website. Write it once, keep it current, and adapt it to each release so it supports that announcement.
8. Media contact
Name, role, email and phone number of a person who will answer. Add a link to a press page or assets folder with logos and images.
Example layout
Replace each bracket with your own details. Anything you cannot yet confirm stays flagged until you can.
HEADLINE: [Company A] and [Company B] partner to [do what]
Subheading: [One sentence on who benefits and what is now possible]
[City], [date] - [Company A], [one-line descriptor], has [done what] with
[Company B], [one-line descriptor], so that [who] can [do what].
[Supporting paragraph: what was agreed or launched, who it is for, what
changes, when it starts. Sourced figures only.]
"[Quote about why this matters to customers or the market]," said [Name],
[title] at [Company A].
"[Second quote from the partner]," said [Name], [title] at [Company B].
[Further detail: availability, markets, product specifics, link to page.]
About [Company A]
[Three or four sentences in the third person.]
About [Company B]
[Three or four sentences in the third person.]
Media contact
[Name], [role], [email], [phone]
Writing rules that keep a release usable
- One news item per release. If there are two announcements, write two releases.
- Keep the first sentence short and free of anything that can be misread.
- Write in the third person, in the past or present tense, and avoid "we are thrilled" and similar phrases that a journalist will delete.
- Say what it means for the reader in the first two paragraphs. A release that explains only what the company did gives the journalist the harder job.
- Use the terms your trade press uses. Readers of an industry title know their own vocabulary, and spelling out basic terms reads as padding.
- Stay near a page. Around 300 to 500 words is a common length for most announcements. Longer detail belongs on a web page the release links to.
- Finish on facts, such as the boilerplate and contact details, and skip any closing sales line.
Press release checklist
- The headline names the company and states the news in plain words
- For a partnership, the headline and first sentence lead with the partnership
- The first sentence is short and gives who, what and when
- Date, place and any embargo time are correct
- A quote appears in the first third of the release
- Every quote has a name and job title, and the speaker has approved it
- Every figure has a source you can name
- Anything unconfirmed is flagged until confirmed
- Names of companies, products and people are spelt correctly
- The boilerplate is current, in the third person and under an "About" heading
- A media contact with email and phone is included
- Links to the web page and image assets work
- A second person has read it before it is sent
- The release is one page or close to it
Before you send
Send it to the journalists who cover your topic, individually or through the channels each outlet states it prefers, and attach images in a form they can reuse. Keep the original on your own site, on a news or press page. Check for permission from every named person and partner before anything is distributed, because a release cannot be recalled once it is out.
