How to Get Your Press Release Picked Up

You spent time on a press release, and it got picked up nowhere — while a company of similar size landed a story with theirs. The difference isn’t luck. It’s how it’s written.

I’m Naohiro Hayashi, creator of Soreda!. This article covers the tips that get a release noticed by reporters and picked up. A note: a press release is fact-based. Exaggerating to grab attention only damages your credibility, so read this on the premise of winning with facts.

Why your press release isn’t getting picked up

The reasons are usually the same two things.

Reporters get a flood of releases every day

A reporter’s inbox fills with press releases daily. They pick what to cover, so a release whose value isn’t clear at a glance gets skimmed past in the first few lines. You’re not just competing with other companies in your field — you’re competing for attention against every other release that landed that morning.

It isn’t “news” — it’s written from your point of view

“We launched a new product,” written from your point of view, isn’t news to a reporter. What the reporter is watching is the reader beyond them. Miss the angle of “is this valuable to the reader?” and no amount of effort lands. What’s a big deal to your company and what’s news to the world don’t always match. Just noticing that gap changes how you write.

Tips for a release that gets picked up

Releases that reach reporters share a few things to get right.

Make it “news for the reader,” from the reporter’s view

Translate your announcement into value for the reader. Not “we started a new service,” but “the X that used to be a hassle is now easy” — show how the reader’s life or work changes. Moving the subject from your company to the reader is step one. A useful test: read your own headline and ask whether a stranger with no stake in your business would care.

Put the point in the headline and opening

Reporters decide whether to read in the first few lines. In the headline and the opening lead, convey “what” and “how it’s new,” specifically. Don’t hold back — lead with the point. Start with a long preamble or company history and you’ll be skimmed past before the point. Just keeping to the news basic of leading with the conclusion changes how it lands.

Back it with objective facts and numbers

Back your claims with objective facts and numbers. The thing to watch here is superlatives like “industry first,” “No. 1,” or “best.” Using them requires objective grounds — and on top of that, you disclose the scope and timing honestly, like “per our research,” “in the X region,” or “as of June 2026.” Hiding the scope to imply you’re overall number one can mislead even when you have grounds. A superlative you can’t pair with grounds and scope is safest left out.

See Soreda!‘s press release AI →

Crafting copy that lands with reporters, with AI

These points are something you can put together solo with AI.

AI organizes the point into copy through dialogue

Soreda!‘s press release AI organizes what you want to convey into reader-facing copy as you answer its questions. The detailed flow of building it through dialogue is in Write a Press Release with AI.

You still need a news angle first

Before copy that lands, you need a “news angle.” However well-written the copy, without an angle worth covering there’s nothing for a reporter to grab. If you feel “we don’t have any news,” start from finding the angle.

FAQ

Q. What do I fix to get picked up? A. Turn your point of view into news for the reader, and back it with objective facts and numbers. Whether the value lands in the first few lines is the key.

Q. Does writing “industry first” catch the eye? A. Only when you can disclose objective grounds and scope (per our research, the target region, the date). Used with vague grounds or scope, it risks misleading and damages trust instead.

Q. How do I write the headline? A. Convey the point specifically. A headline that conveys the substance accurately earns more trust than one that overpromises and then disappoints.

Q. How much does it cost? A. Pricing is ticket-based, counted per press release. See the official site for current details.

Whether the media picks you up comes down to turning your point of view into the reader’s, backed by facts. Don’t catch the eye by exaggerating — convey the value that genuinely exists, accurately and clearly. That’s the shortest path to a release trusted by reporters and readers alike.

Write a release that reaches the media with Soreda! →