Most startups wait too long to use press releases.
They think a release only works after people know the company. That is backwards. A press release can help create the first layer of recognition, especially when you do not yet have a big audience, customer list, or brand people search for by name.
The key is to stop thinking like a famous company. You are not announcing news because everyone already cares. You are announcing news because you have something useful, timely, or specific to say.
Start With News, Not Noise
A startup press release should answer one simple question: why should someone outside your company care?
“We launched a company” is rarely enough. But “we launched a tool that helps restaurants cut food waste by 20%” gives a journalist a clearer reason to pay attention.
Early-stage startups should look for news in practical places. Once you have a real news hook, the next step is structure. A simple guide on how to write a press release for a small business can help you turn that idea into a release journalists can quickly understand:
- A product launch that solves a clear problem.
- Funding tied to a larger market trend.
- A partnership with a known organization.
- Customer results from a pilot.
- Original data from users or research.
- A founder story tied to a timely issue.
The smaller your brand, the sharper your story has to be.
Borrow Context From the Market
When you lack brand recognition, connect your news to something people already understand.
A cybersecurity startup may not be known yet. But if it releases data showing a rise in scams targeting small medical practices, it gives the media a timely angle. The startup becomes a source inside a larger conversation.
That is often how early visibility begins. You are not asking the media to care about your logo. You are giving them a useful piece of a story they are already covering.
Build Credibility One Signal at a Time
A good press release gives journalists and readers reasons to trust you. PR Newswire’s guidance on what a startup press release should include also points to the importance of clear headlines, newsworthy content, key milestones, data, quotes, visuals, and a clear next step.
That does not mean stuffing the release with hype. It means including proof.
Use details like:
- Who is involved.
- What problem you solve.
- Why the announcement matters now.
- Customer, investor, partner, or advisor credibility.
- Clear numbers, when you have them.
- A quote that sounds like a real person.
If you do not have big names yet, be specific. “Used by 43 retailers” is better than “rapidly growing.”
Use Releases as Searchable Proof
A press release can also create a public record.
When someone hears about your startup and searches for it, what do they find? A release can show that the company is active and connected to a real market.
This matters for investors, customers, partners, and journalists. They may not contact you after seeing one release. But the release can make the next conversation easier.
Follow Up Like a Human
Distribution helps, but it is not magic. The best startup PR often happens after the release goes out.
Send a short note to a few relevant journalists. Do not paste the release and ask, “Can you cover this?” Explain why it may matter to their readers.
For example:
“I saw your recent piece on rising costs for restaurants. We just released pilot data from 27 restaurants using our waste-tracking tool. The numbers may be useful for future coverage.”
That is a better start.
Keep Going
One press release will not build a brand. A steady pattern of useful announcements can.
Startups earn recognition by showing up with real news, clear proof, and a point of view. You do not need to be famous first. You need to be useful first.
That is where good PR begins.
Mickie Kennedy founded eReleases.com in 1998 after watching PR firms charge small businesses a $20,000 minimum for a single press release. For 27 years, he’s been closing that gap — distributing 150,000+ releases via Cision PR Newswire, serving 30,000+ clients including Manscaped, Squatty Potty, and 40+ Shark Tank brands, and generating $132M+ in earned media. A sought-after podcast guest and two-time Amazon bestselling author of Beginner’s Guide to Writing Powerful Press Releases and The PR Strategy Manifesto. Mickie holds an MFA in Creative Writing from George Mason University. Based in Baltimore, MD. LinkedIn