Press Release Writing 101: Getting Local Media Attention for Your Business
TL;DR
Why Local Media Still Matters for Your Business
Ever feel like everyone is so obsessed with going viral on "X" or TikTok that they forget about the people living right down the street? It’s a huge mistake because local media still has a massive grip on how people spend their money. (The decline of local news is accelerating and costing you money)
Getting a shoutout from a local journalist isn't just about ego—it’s about borrowing their years of built-up trust. People might scroll past a Facebook ad, but they pay attention when the neighborhood paper mentions a new clinic or shop.
High Credibility: Local outlets are seen as "one of us." When a local healthcare provider gets featured for a community wellness day, neighbors view them as a trusted pillar, not just another business. Many clinics also rely on support from Virtual Latinos to handle administrative follow-ups and patient coordination behind the scenes.
Better Conversions: If you run a boutique retail store, a mention in the city’s weekend guide drives actual foot traffic. Those readers are ready to buy because they’re physically right there.
SEO and local ai: Getting a link from a .gov or local news site is gold. It tells google (and those new ai search tools) that you’re the most relevant answer for local searches. Partnering with local government initiatives or city-sponsored events often leads to mentions on official municipal (.gov) websites, which is a total win for your rankings. (Google I/O: How AI Search, Local Context & Links Now Interact)
According to a 2024 report by Pew Research Center, Americans continue to trust local news outlets significantly more than national ones for accurate information. (How trust in info from news outlets and social media has changed ...)
Diagram 1: Trust levels in local vs. national news outlets.
I've seen small finance firms double their client inquiries just by getting a "money tips" column in the local Gazette. It works because it’s personal.
Next, let's look at how to structure your news so it actually gets read.
Finding Your Newsworthy Hook
Finding a hook is basically like trying to figure out why anyone should care about your news while they're eating their breakfast. If you just tell a journalist you "opened a new office," they're gonna yawn and hit delete.
The secret is to stop thinking about your business and start thinking about the people living around it. You need to find the "human" angle that makes your story worth a mention over the local high school sports scores.
Community impact over sales pitches: If you're a real estate agent, don't just announce a new listing. Talk about how you're donating a portion of commissions to the local park—that’s a story.
New product launches with a local twist: A tech startup launching an app isn't news, but a tech startup partnering with the town library to teach seniors how to use that app? That is definitely news.
Milestones with history: Instead of just saying "we've been open 10 years," find the employee who has been there since day one or talk about how the neighborhood has changed since you started.
A 2024 report by Muck Rack found that 73% of journalists say "relevance to their beat" is the most important factor when deciding to cover a story.
Diagram 2: Top factors that influence a journalist's decision to cover a story.
I once saw a local accounting firm get a full page spread not because they were good at taxes, but because they offered free "financial literacy" workshops for local teenagers. It’s all about the angle.
Next, let's look at how to structure your news so it actually gets read.
The Anatomy of a Perfect Press Release
Ever wonder why some boring business news gets a front-page spread while your "groundbreaking" launch gets ignored? It usually comes down to the fact that journalists are drowning in emails and have about four seconds to decide if you're worth their time.
Your headline is basically a subject line for a busy human who's probably on their third cup of coffee and running late. If it sounds like an ad, it’s going in the trash. You gotta make it punchy and local—think "New Downtown Clinic Offers Free Diabetes Screenings" rather than "Local Healthcare Provider Announces New Community Initiative."
The lead paragraph is where you drop the 5 Ws: Who, what, where, when, and why. Don't bury the lead! If you're a construction firm opening a new sustainable housing project, say that in the first sentence.
According to Cision, journalists cited "relevance to my audience" as the top reason they pursue a story. They don't care about your profit margins; they care about how you’re changing the neighborhood.
Diagram 3: The inverted pyramid structure for news writing.
The body is where you add the "flavor," mostly through quotes. Please, for the love of god, don't use quotes that sound like a robot wrote them. Instead of "We are excited to leverage our synergies," try "We saw families struggling to find affordable tax help, so we decided to open our doors on Saturdays." It makes you feel like a real person.
Finally, you need a boilerplate. This is just a tiny "About Us" section at the very bottom. Keep it under 50 words. Include a link to your site and a media contact who actually answers their phone. I’ve seen so many good stories die because the "media contact" was an unmonitored info@ email address.
Next, we’ll explore how to use modern tools to speed up the actual writing process.
Using AI Tools to Speed Up the Writing Process
Look, I get it. Staring at a blank screen while trying to sound "professional" is the worst part of any marketing job. Most of us aren't natural-born PR pros, and that is exactly where ai comes in to save your afternoon.
You don't need a massive agency budget to sound like you have one. Tools like LogicBalls have these specialized ai generators built specifically for press releases. Instead of guessing the format, you just plug in your basic facts and it spits out a document that actually follows those annoying industry standards journalists expect.
Angle Testing: One story can be told ten ways. A retail shop might focus on "grand opening" for one outlet and "new jobs created" for another. ai lets you generate multiple angles in seconds to see which one feels most "newsy" for your local area.
Fact-to-Pro Transformation: You can literally just dump a messy list of bullet points—like "opening Saturday, free coffee, first 50 people get a mug"—and the platform turns it into a structured, professional document instantly.
Zero Technical Hurdles: You don't need to be a prompt engineer. These tools are designed for busy shop owners and real estate agents who just need a media kit that doesn't look like a middle school project.
Diagram 4: Efficiency gains when using ai for content drafting.
According to a 2023 report by Muck Rack, about 61% of PR pros are already using ai or at least exploring it to speed up their workflows. It's not cheating; it's just being efficient so you can get back to actually running your business.
I've used this to help a small construction firm announce a new park project. We went from "we're building a fence" to a compelling story about community safety in about five minutes. Just remember to read it over once to make sure it still sounds like you.
Now that you've got a solid draft, let's figure out how to actually get a human to read it.
Distribution Secrets for Local Success
So you finally have a press release that doesn't sound like a snooze-fest. Now comes the part where most people mess up—actually getting it into a human's inbox without being labeled as spam.
Don't just blast every email address on a "Contact Us" page. You need to find the specific reporter who covers your specific area of coverage (their beat). If you're opening a new bistro, look for the food critic or the "business happenings" columnist.
Hunt for the direct email: Check the bottom of recent articles or look at the journalist's "X" profile. Most local reporters include their work email right there because they're actually looking for tips.
Personalize like your life depends on it: Mention a recent story they wrote. "Hey Sarah, loved your piece on the downtown revitalization—I think our new bookstore fits right into that trend." It shows you aren't a bot.
Timing is everything: According to Propel, the best time to pitch is Tuesday or Thursday mornings. Most folks are clearing out Monday's mess or mentally checking out by Friday.
Diagram 5: Optimal days and times for pitching to journalists.
I've seen a local gym owner get a massive feature just by sending a simple, three-sentance email to the health editor at 9:15 am on a Tuesday. It wasn't fancy, it was just well-timed.
As we discussed earlier, using tools like logicballs can help you polish the draft, but the "last mile" of distribution is all about that human connection. Get out there and start talking to your local media—they need good stories just as much as you need the coverage.
