Why Press Releases Still Matter
Let’s address the elephant in the room: Are press releases still relevant?
Yes—press releases are relevant more than ever.
While the digital era has diversified content formats, it has also made trust and authority more important than ever. Press releases deliver credibility in a format that journalists, partners, investors, and customers all recognize and value. They also serve as search engine–friendly content that boosts discoverability and reinforces your brand voice.
Strategic Reasons to Issue a Press Release
Our downloadable guide outlines 10 strategic categories where press releases provide measurable value. Here’s a snapshot of what you’ll find inside:
- Company News & Milestones: From office expansions to major anniversaries, these updates reinforce stability and growth.
- Marketing & Sales Enablement: Launchpad for marketing campaigns, SEO benefits, and third-party validation.
- Product & Innovation Updates: Showcasing product features, patents, and certifications.
- Customer & Partner Highlights: Celebrate client wins and partnerships to build credibility.
- Thought Leadership & Awards: Announce industry participation, awards, or leadership commentary.
- Financial & Investor Communications: Report funding, IPOs, and growth metrics to build investor trust.
- Human Resources & Culture: Boost your employer brand with executive hires and culture updates.
- Crisis & Reputation Management: Offer transparency and professionalism during challenging moments.
- Legal & Compliance Announcements: Share regulatory news and board updates confidently.
- Social Impact & CSR: Announce sustainability and community engagement initiatives.
As you can see, press releases can support nearly every department in your organization—from marketing and sales to HR, finance, and compliance. Each category in this list presents an opportunity to not only inform your audience but also elevate your brand’s presence and credibility. But creating an effective article for the news media takes more than just choosing the right topic—it requires the right structure, messaging, and strategy. Let’s explore what makes a press release truly impactful.
What Makes a Press Release Effective?
Not all press releases are created equal. To achieve impact, they must follow proven best practices. Here are some core elements of a strong press release:
- Clear, compelling headline: Summarizes the news in a way that grabs attention immediately.
- Strong lead paragraph: Covers the who, what, when, where, why, and how right away.
- Credible quotes: Include leadership or stakeholder quotes that humanize and add authority to the message.
- Relevant details: Provide meaningful data, background, and links without overwhelming the reader.
- Media-ready format: Follow standard formatting and include your contact information, company boilerplate, and appropriate visuals when needed.
“Press releases aren’t just announcements—they’re your brand’s historical record. In a world where AI platforms and Wikipedia shape how businesses are discovered and evaluated, being visible and verifiable is essential.”
Mastering the fundamentals of a strong press release ensures that your announcements gain attention and generate trust. But beyond the mechanics, these news releases also play a larger role in shaping your digital footprint and public authority. In today’s information-driven world, this has implications not only for visibility in search engines, but also how your brand is perceived by platforms like Wikipedia and modern AI technologies.
Press Releases Build Public Authority for AI and Wikipedia
Press releases don’t just serve short-term marketing goals—they help shape your company’s long-term digital identity.
Published press releases, especially when distributed through reputable newswire services or cited by third-party publications, are often used as:
- Notable sources for Wikipedia articles, supporting company legitimacy and brand notability.
- Indexable content for search engines, which can appear in “About” panels or search snippets.
- Credible data points in AI platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Microsoft Copilot, which pull from public sources to form their responses.
In a world where information is increasingly filtered and synthesized by AI, having well-structured, factual, and widely published press releases means your business narrative is more likely to be represented accurately—both to people and to machines.
Why Clients Struggle to Think of Press Release Topics
Many of our clients initially say, “We don’t really have any news.” But once we walk them through the categories in our guide, the ideas begin to flow.
Here’s why companies get stuck:
- They underestimate what’s newsworthy.
- They focus only on external wins and overlook internal progress.
- They don’t connect updates to broader strategic goals like SEO, thought leadership, or sales enablement.
Our guide serves as a thought-starter. It helps teams reframe what counts as relevant, timely, and worth sharing.
Quick Checklist: Is It Press-Worthy?
Still unsure if something qualifies as press release material? Use this checklist to evaluate:
- Does it involve a significant change, update, or launch?
- Would it interest your customers, partners, or investors?
- Does it reflect company growth, innovation, or leadership?
- Can it help position your brand as an authority or thought leader?
- Will it support another marketing initiative like a product release, campaign, or hiring effort?
If you answered “yes” to any of the above, you likely have a press release opportunity.
From Announcement to Amplification
A press release should never exist in a vacuum.
At SmartFinds Marketing, our SmartPress service takes it a step further. We don’t just write and distribute—we strategically amplify your press release across digital channels, track performance, and integrate it into your marketing ecosystem. That means:
- Publishing to your website’s news or blog section
- Sharing via email newsletters
- Promoting through social media
- Enhancing SEO with proper tagging and backlinking
- Leveraging in sales conversations and investor updates
Think of each release as a content hub that branches out into multiple marketing channels.
Download the Full Guide
Ready to explore what’s possible? Download the full version of Why Companies Should Create Press Releases and start building a smarter communications strategy today.
Final Thoughts
Press releases aren’t just for big corporations or splashy headlines. They’re a tool every company should use regularly to stay visible, credible, and connected with their audience.
Whether you’re launching a product, announcing a partnership, or simply celebrating a company milestone, press releases offer a structured and professional way to communicate value—and SmartFinds is here to help you do it right.
Let’s turn your news into momentum.
Book a complimentary consultation with our team today.
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