Most press releases never get past the subject line. An editor at a county paper or a business journal starts each morning with a pile of announcements, and most of them read like ads. So they get deleted in seconds. This guide shows you how to write press releases for NJ businesses that editors can actually use, and how to put them in front of the right person.
The good news is that you don’t need an agency or a big budget. Instead, you need a real story, a release built the way reporters work, and a short list of people who cover your world.
First, Make Sure It’s Actually News
Before you write a word, ask one question: why would a reader in this town care about this, this week? If the honest answer is “they wouldn’t,” then you have an announcement, not a story.
Stories that earn coverage usually share a few traits. They’re timely, they affect local people, and they include something new or surprising. For example:
- Growth with local impact: a new location, new jobs, or a service your area didn’t have before.
- A name change or relaunch: a rebrand is real news, because customers need to know you’re still the same company. Our complete guide to rebranding an established business covers the rest of that rollout.
- A new business that fills a gap: a startup solving a real local problem. A reporter will sum you up in one line, so settle your positioning first with our guide to building a startup brand identity.
- Community work with specifics: a food drive or scholarship, with dates and results you can verify.
- Expert reaction: your take on a new state rule or a local shift that affects your customers.
On the other hand, website launches, minor awards and “we’re excited to announce” news rarely clear the bar. If you need stronger angles, our post on building a public relations strategy that earns media coverage shows how to find and test them.
The Anatomy of a Release a Reporter Can Use
Local newsrooms are small, and one reporter may cover several towns. So a good release lets a reporter grasp the story in 30 seconds and write a short piece without calling you. Here’s the structure, in order:
- Headline: plain, specific and under about 12 words. Lead with the news, not your company name. For example, “Clifton plumber opens second shop in Wayne, adds eight jobs” beats “ABC Plumbing Announces Exciting Expansion.”
- Subhead: one line with the next most useful detail, such as the opening date.
- Dateline: the town in capital letters, then the state abbreviation and the date, as in WAYNE, N.J., Oct. 6, 2026.
- Lede: who, what, when, where and why in the first one or two sentences. Many editors decide right here, so don’t warm up.
- Body: two or three short paragraphs of supporting facts, most important first.
- Quote: one or two lines from a real person with a real opinion.
- Boilerplate: a short “About” paragraph with what you do, where you work and your website.
- Media contact: the name, direct phone and email of someone who will actually answer. Then add ### to signal the end.
Write in the third person, the way a reporter would, and cut the adjectives. After all, “leading,” “innovative” and “world-class” give a reporter nothing to print.
Write a quote worth printing
The quote deserves extra care, because it’s often the only part a reporter copies word for word. “We’re thrilled to serve the community” tells them nothing. Instead, give a human reason. For instance, our made-up Clifton plumber might say, “Our Wayne customers were waiting two days for a plumber, and that wasn’t fair to them.” That line explains the news and sounds like a person.
How Local Businesses Should Send Press Releases
Distribution is where most releases quietly die. A blast to hundreds of generic newsroom addresses mostly produces silence. In our experience, press releases for NJ businesses go further when they reach a handful of named reporters than when they go out as a mass email.
Start with the reporters who covered your industry or town in the last few months. That usually means the business press, like NJBIZ, plus your county daily, such as The Record in Bergen or the Asbury Park Press in Monmouth. Hyperlocal sites like TAPinto and Patch belong on the list too.
Then send it the way editors prefer:
- Paste the release into the body of the email, since many newsrooms won’t open attachments from strangers.
- Use the headline, or a sharper version of it, as your subject line.
- Add two or three sentences on top explaining why this matters to that outlet’s readers.
- Link to one or two high-resolution photos with captions instead of attaching large files.
- Follow up once, a few days later, and then let it go.
Timing matters as well. Avoid Friday afternoons and holiday weeks. For an event, send a one-page media advisory (what, when, where, who to call) about a week ahead. If one outlet matters most, offer it the story first as an exclusive.
Are paid wire services worth it?
Wire services such as PR Newswire and Business Wire post your release on many partner sites at once. That suits a public company or truly national news. For a local business, however, those postings rarely turn into stories written by reporters, and reporter coverage is what customers notice. Don’t count on the links inside wire copy to lift your search rankings, either. In fact, Google’s spam policies name links with optimized anchor text in press releases distributed on other sites as an example of link spam. So treat a wire service as an optional extra, not the main plan.
Common Mistakes Businesses Make With Press Releases
Most weak press releases from NJ businesses fail for the same few reasons. Fortunately, each one is easy to fix.
- Writing an ad. Exclamation points, prices and “call today” belong in your ads, not in your news.
- Burying the news. If the key fact first shows up in paragraph three, move it to the lede.
- Making claims you can’t prove. Words like “best” or “first in the state” invite a fact check you might fail.
- Listing a contact who never answers. Reporters on deadline simply move on to the next story.
- Leaning on jargon. Write for a smart neighbor, not an industry insider.
Accuracy also carries legal weight. A release that promotes your business is marketing, and the FTC’s truth-in-advertising guidance says ads must be truthful and not misleading wherever they appear. Regulated professions have extra rules, too. Law firms must follow New Jersey’s attorney advertising rules, and dental or medical practices can’t name a patient without written HIPAA authorization. Similarly, financial advisors should run each release past compliance, because SEC and FINRA rules cover public communications.
Get More Value From Every Release You Send
A release shouldn’t vanish after you hit send. First, post it on a news page on your own website and as an update on your Google Business Profile. Next, share any coverage you earn, linking to the article rather than pasting it in full. Finally, add an “As seen in” line only after an outlet actually runs your story.
Then think in seasons rather than one-offs. Each quarter, list the real news coming up. A roofer in Toms River, for instance, might plan storm-prep tips for the fall and a hiring announcement for spring. That rhythm keeps you on reporters’ radar without flooding their inboxes. For community-level ideas like sponsorships and chamber events, see our guide to local public relations for small companies.
Press Releases for NJ Businesses: Quick Answers
How long should a press release be?
Aim for one page, roughly 300 to 500 words. If a reporter wants more, they’ll call you, and that call is exactly what you want.
How often should small businesses send press releases?
Send one whenever you have genuine news. For most NJ businesses, that means a handful of press releases a year. Sending far more usually means some of them aren’t really news, and editors start skimming your name.
Do press releases help businesses with SEO?
Indirectly, yes. When a real outlet writes about you, the article may link to your site and prompt readers to search for your name. Links in wire copies or self-published releases, on the other hand, count for little. So earn coverage first and treat any search lift as a bonus.
Get Help Telling Your Story
A strong release takes a real story, clear writing and the right inboxes. You can handle all three yourself. If you’d rather hand it off, Samaroo Solutions is based in northern New Jersey and works with businesses across the state. Our public relations service can help you sharpen the angle, write the release and reach the right reporters.
When you have news worth sharing, tell us what’s happening and we’ll help you decide whether it’s ready for the press.
