Press Releases: How to Write a Good Press Release and Get Media Coverage

A press release is a short, news-style document that gives journalists and media outlets everything they need to write a story about your business. Unlike a pitch email — which is a personal outreach asking if a journalist is interested in a story — a press release is written in standard format to read like a news article itself. A reporter can use it directly, pull quotes from it, or use it as background information for a longer piece.

For HVAC companies, plumbing businesses, and other service contractors, press releases are one of the most underutilized tools for getting free publicity. Local media — local newspapers, radio stations, city news sites, community blogs — actively looks for local business stories. A good press release about something genuinely newsworthy can get you press coverage that builds more trust than any paid ad, because it comes from a third party.

For the broader strategy of building media relationships and pitching journalists, see the public relations guide. This article focuses specifically on how to write a press release that gets media attention — and where to send it.

Is Your Story Newsworthy?

Before writing anything, the most important question is whether your announcement is worth sending. Journalists and editors at local newspapers and TV stations receive many press releases every day. A press release that isn't genuinely newsworthy will be ignored or filtered as spam — and sending too many press releases with thin news value will get you permanently tuned out.

Ask yourself: Would this story be interesting to someone who has no connection to my business? Would a neighbor share this in a community Facebook group? Would a local news anchor mention it?

Newsworthy content typically:

• Has an impact on the community or raises awareness about something important
• Evokes an emotional response — inspiring, surprising, alarming, or heartwarming
• Ties to an upcoming event or current trend already in the news
• Features a genuine "first" — first business in the area to do something, a company milestone that's genuinely significant

If the story isn't naturally newsworthy, look for a newsworthy angle to attach it to. This is exactly why businesses donate services, host charity events, partner with nonprofits, and respond publicly to local challenges — they're creating news, not just waiting for it.

Types of Newsworthy Stories

Human Interest

Human interest stories consistently generate local press coverage because local news prioritizes community impact. These press release examples work especially well in this category:

Ideas that get media attention:

• Donating services to families in need, nonprofits, or community organizations
• Sponsoring or organizing a charity event — a school supply drive, food bank partnership, or disaster relief effort
• Establishing a scholarship for students in your trade, particularly in partnership with local schools or technical colleges
• Community involvement with a local landmark or historic building restoration
• Recognizing a long-tenured employee or celebrating a community mentor

Community involvement also creates secondary benefits — award eligibility, relationships with organizations that may need your services, and genuine goodwill with local journalists who cover these stories regularly.

Press release examples:

• "Atlanta Electrician Raises $10,000 for School Supply Drive"
• "Dallas HVAC Company Launches Scholarship for Aspiring Tradespeople at Dallas College"
• "Fresno Plumbing Co. Donates Services to Restore 100-Year-Old Community Theater"
• "Mark Horner Electric Offers Free Wiring Inspection for Senior Citizens This Winter"

Company Milestones and Announcements

Company news makes for a good press release when it has genuine significance — a company milestone that affects the community, a product launch of a new service type, or a grand opening. The bar is: would someone outside the company find this important news?

Ideas that get press coverage:

• Grand opening or significant expansion into a new service area
• Company milestone — 10th, 25th, or 50th anniversary with genuine community history
• Receiving a notable award or industry recognition
• Completing a high-profile or large-scale project the community is aware of
• Adding a new service that addresses a real local need
• Hosting a workshop, seminar, or community event for homeowners

Press release examples:

• "Dallas' Leading HVAC Company Marks 30th Anniversary With Free Tune-Ups for Seniors"
• "Portland Contractor Completes First Net-Zero Commercial Renovation in the City"
• "Arrow Plumbing Brings Affordable, Eco-Friendly Solutions to Jacksonville's Underserved Neighborhoods"
• "Tri-County Handyman Wins Statewide Volunteer Award for Third Year Running"

Newsjacking

Newsjacking is attaching your business to a story already generating local or national media attention. When current events relate to your trade, a timely press release positions you as a relevant expert voice or shows your business responding to community need. This is one of the fastest ways to get media coverage without waiting for something to happen organically.

The key is speed — newsjacking press releases need to go out within 24–48 hours of the event to be relevant to a reporter working the story.

Examples of newsjacking for service businesses:

• Cold snap forecast → plumbing company issues release on pipe freeze prevention
• Water quality concern makes local news → plumber offers free water testing
• Energy costs spike in the news → HVAC company offers free efficiency audits
• Historic local building threatened → contractor offers expertise on preservation

Press release examples:

• "Local Plumbers Offer Free Sump Pump Checks Ahead of Forecast Flooding"
• "Milwaukee Plumbing Offering Free Water Testing Following Area Sewage Spill"
• "Local Expert Shares Key Points on Preparing Homes for Severe Heatwave"
• "Springfield Builder Offers to Rebuild Burned Family's Home for Free"

Data and Insights

Journalists want data points that tell a story their audience hasn't seen before. If your business has collected anything interesting — customer survey results, job trend data, before/after statistics — a press release built around that data can get significant coverage because it gives media outlets accurate information to cite.

You can also find publicly available data and tie it to your local expertise:

• Google Scholar — academic research on your trade topics
• Data.gov — government datasets
• Statista — industry statistics across sectors
• Google Keyword Planner — what your target audience is actually searching for locally

For collecting your own data from customers:

• SurveyMonkey
• Typeform
• Google Forms

Press release examples:

• "1 in 10 Austin Homeowners Haven't Had HVAC Inspected in Over 5 Years, Survey Finds"
• "65% of Young Homeowners Plan Renovation This Year — What Contractors Say to Expect"
• "Solar Installation Requests Up 40% in Texas: What Homeowners Should Know Before They Buy"

Press Release Format: How to Write a Good Press Release

A good press release reads like a news article — not a company announcement or a sales pitch. It's written in third person, active voice, and structured so a reporter can quickly identify the essential details and accurately report on them. The press release format is standardized precisely because journalists are used to it and can process it quickly.

Length: 400–600 words. Keep it to one page. More than that and you lose the journalist's attention.

Submission format: Send as a Word document (.docx) or paste directly in the email body — not as a PDF. A journalist needs to copy and edit to accurately report on your story, and PDFs create unnecessary friction.

Header: "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE" in bold at the top left, followed by the date. If you want to hold the release until a specific date, use "EMBARGOED UNTIL [DATE]" instead — embargoed press releases tell journalists they have the story early but cannot publish before the specified time.

Closing marker: "###" centered on its own line at the end signals that the press release is complete and there are no additional pages.

Headline

Keep your headline under 10 words. Include your company name or location where it fits naturally. Use specific, active language — "Donates" is stronger than "Contributes"; "Launches" is stronger than "Introduces." A good headline does most of the work of getting a journalist to read the rest of your press release. For headline writing guidance, Capitalize My Title's headline guide is a useful reference.

First Paragraph

Open with a compelling hook — a striking statistic, a surprising fact, or a concrete scenario that shows immediately why this is important news. Include your company name, city, and state in the first paragraph. Every effective press release includes a direct quote in the first paragraph, always ending with "[said First Last, Title, Company Name]." This makes the journalist's job easier — they can pull the quote directly without having to call you first.

Body Paragraphs

Two to three paragraphs covering the who, what, when, where, why, and how. Cover all key points and essential details while staying around 100–150 words per paragraph. Bullet points are fine when they make information easier to skim, but use them sparingly — the standard format is paragraph-based. This is not the place for promotional language; write it the way a journalist would write it.

Boilerplate

A boilerplate is a 100-word (or shorter) company description that appears at the bottom of every press release you send. It covers what your business does, where it's located, when it was founded, by whom, its scale, and any notable achievements or recognitions. End with a brief call to action: "To learn more, visit [website]." You write this once and reuse it on every release — journalists use it for background information when writing about your company.

For a detailed breakdown of how to write an effective boilerplate, see FitSmallBusiness's press release boilerplate guide. For a free press release template you can customize, FitSmallBusiness also provides a full template worth bookmarking.

Contact Details

Include your name, direct phone number, and email address — your media contact information — at the top or bottom of the release. A reporter will have additional questions, and if they can't reach the right person quickly, they'll move on.

Include your company logo at the top of the document — it signals professionalism and makes the release immediately identifiable among the many press releases a journalist sees each day.

When and How to Submit

Submit a press release only when you have something that qualifies as important news or valuable information for a media outlet's audience. Sending many press releases about low-value announcements is one of the fastest ways to end up in a journalist's spam folder permanently. Quality over volume — a few effective press releases per year will get more press coverage than weekly announcements that don't clear the newsworthiness bar.

For company announcements and upcoming events, send the press release early — at least a week before the date, ideally more. For newsjacking, the window is 24–48 hours.

A media alert is a shorter format (one page or less) used for breaking news, urgent announcements, or event reminders that don't need the full press release treatment. If you're inviting media to an event or responding to breaking news quickly, a media alert may serve better than a full press release.

Where to Distribute Your Press Release

Writing the press release is half the work. Getting it to the right audience is the other half.

Direct pitching to local media is the most effective channel for a local service business. Build a media contact list of journalists, editors, and assignment desks at local newspapers, local news TV stations, radio stations, and neighborhood publications — then send the press release directly with a short, personalized note explaining why it's relevant to their audience. A direct relationship with a local reporter is worth more than any distribution service. See the public relations guide for how to build that list.

PR distribution services syndicate your release to news wire services and media databases, giving it broader reach:

• EIN Presswire — affordable with solid national and regional distribution; free tier available
• PR Newswire — industry standard with widest reach; premium pricing
• Business Wire — strong for trade and industry publications
• PRWeb — mid-tier pricing with decent regional coverage
• Newswire — strong for local and regional distribution

Digital-first distribution:

• Your own website — Publish every press release on a news or press section of your site. This creates accurate information in the public record, adds content to your site, and gives journalists a way to verify your history.
• Google News — Press releases published on your site can be indexed by Google News if your site is properly configured. This gives your release additional discovery without extra cost.
• Social media — Share a brief summary on Facebook, LinkedIn, and other active channels, linking to the full release on your website. This reaches your existing audience directly.
• Email newsletter — If you have a customer email list, notable company news is worth including. Keep the tone personal — this is a note to existing customers, not a formal press release.
• Source request platforms — Qwoted and Featured.com connect reporters actively seeking expert sources. These aren't for distributing press releases directly, but they're valuable for being found when a journalist is working on a story related to your industry. HARO, which served a similar function, permanently shut down in December 2023.

For building the business pitch and value proposition that supports your PR story, see the business pitch guide.