When (and When Not) to Use a Press Release

How to Use Them without Wasting Your Time

Why This Matters

Press releases are often misunderstood. They are not press coverage—they are official company statements. Used well, they build credibility and become part of your public record. Used poorly, they waste time and dilute your message.

Founder's Point of View

I once worked with a client CEO who insisted every minor update—from onboarding interns to fixing small bugs—deserved a press release. The comms team churned out endless drafts no one read. It became a time suck and distracted from meaningful PR. That experience taught me a critical lesson: press releases are valuable tools, but only when tied to real business or communications goals.

Overview

A press release is your formal, referenceable statement—an anchor in your communications plan. It carries weight with investors, analysts, regulators, and customers even if it never results in earned media coverage.

When you should issue a press release:
- Major funding rounds (seed, Series A, Series B, IPO)
- Executive leadership changes (CEO, CMO, CTO)
- Significant product launches or upgrades
- Strategic partnerships, mergers, or acquisitions
- Crisis communications or regulatory disclosures
- Market-shaping milestones (global expansion, hiring 100+ employees, etc.)

When you don’t need one:
- Minor product features or bug fixes
- Routine hiring announcements
- Internal culture awards (unless tied to a recruiting push)
- Small partnerships or customer deals without broader market impact

The key: a press release is not a media pitch. Journalists know the difference, and so do readers. Its value lies in being official, quotable, and part of your company’s long-term record.

Key Actions to Take

Metrics

Number of press releases tied to material milestones vs. minor updates
Media coverage citing your release as a source
Traffic to your newsroom page (direct + referral)
Mentions or quotes from your release reused in articles

Examples

A fintech startup announces a $15M Series A with a press release. It doesn’t guarantee coverage, but reporters cite it as the official source.
A SaaS company skips a press release for a minor product update and posts a blog instead—avoiding wasted effort and focusing on content that engages users.
A healthtech startup uses a press release during a security breach, creating transparency and setting the record straight in media and customer communications.

Tools

Press release distribution: PR Newswire, Business Wire, GlobeNewswire (paid) + EIN Presswire, PRLog (lower-cost/free)
Media monitoring: Meltwater, Brandwatch (paid) + Google News, Talkwalker Alerts (free)
Internal hosting: Company newsroom page (WordPress, Squarespace, HubSpot, or custom CMS)

Optional Assets

Pro Tips

Use a newsroom hub on your website so all releases are archived and searchable
Don’t publish every release on the wire— consider when direct pitching or blog posts are more effective
Treat releases as anchors for comms, not shortcuts to press

Don't Make These Mistakes

Treating a press release as if it equals media coverage
Issuing too many releases, which dilutes credibility
Using vague or promotional language instead of factual, verifiable details
Expecting wire distribution metrics (impressions, clicks) to represent true impact