I’ll be honest: most press releases are terrible. They’re written in corporate-speak, buried under jargon, and announce things nobody cares about. Journalists delete 95% of them without reading past the subject line.

AI won’t fix a boring announcement. But it can help you write a press release that’s clear, newsworthy, and formatted the way journalists expect: in about 15 minutes instead of 2 hours.

The Press Release Prompt

“Write a press release for [company name] announcing [what’s being announced]. Key details: [who, what, when, where, why it matters]. Target media: [industry publications, local news, tech press, etc.]. Include: headline (under 10 words, newsworthy angle), subheadline, dateline, lead paragraph (who/what/when/where in 2 sentences), 2-3 body paragraphs with supporting details, a quote from [person, title], boilerplate ‘About [Company]’ section, and media contact information. AP style. Under 500 words.”

What Makes It Newsworthy

Before you write anything, ask: why would a journalist care? AI can help you find the angle:

“I want to write a press release about [your announcement]. Help me find the newsworthy angle. Consider: Is there a trend this fits into? Is there data or a statistic that makes this significant? Does this affect a specific audience in a meaningful way? Is there a human interest story here? Give me 3 possible angles, ranked by newsworthiness.”

The best angle is rarely “we launched a product.” It’s “this product solves a problem that affects X million people” or “this is the first time anyone has done Y.”

The Quote That Doesn’t Sound Like a Robot

Press release quotes are notoriously bad. “We’re excited to announce…” is not a quote: it’s filler. AI can do better:

“Write a quote for [person name, title] about [announcement]. The quote should: sound like something a real person would actually say (not corporate-speak), add insight that isn’t in the rest of the press release, and be under 40 words. Avoid: ‘excited,’ ‘thrilled,’ ‘pleased,’ ‘leveraging,’ and ‘synergy.’”

The Pitch Email

The press release is only half the battle. The pitch email to journalists matters more:

“Write a pitch email to a [beat] journalist about this press release: [paste or summarize]. The email should: have a compelling subject line (under 8 words), open with why this matters to their readers (not why it matters to us), summarize the news in 2 sentences, include one compelling data point or angle, and end with an offer to provide more information or arrange an interview. Under 100 words total. Journalists get 200 emails a day: this needs to stand out.”

Distribution Strategy

AI can also help plan your distribution:

“I’m distributing a press release about [topic]. My target audience is [audience]. Suggest: 5 specific publications or journalists I should pitch (with reasoning), the best day/time to send, 3 social media posts to accompany the release (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook), and a follow-up email template for journalists who don’t respond within 3 days.”

Common Press Release Mistakes

1. Burying the news. The first sentence should contain the announcement. Not background. Not context. The news.
2. Writing for your CEO, not journalists. Your CEO wants to see the company praised. Journalists want a story. Write for journalists.
3. No data. Numbers make press releases credible. “Revenue grew” is weak. “Revenue grew 40% year-over-year to $10M” is a story.
4. Too long. 500 words max. Journalists won’t read more. If they want details, they’ll ask.
5. Sending to everyone. A targeted pitch to 10 relevant journalists beats a blast to 1,000 irrelevant ones.

The Realistic Expectation

Most press releases don’t get coverage. That’s normal. But a well-written, well-targeted press release with a genuine news angle has a much better chance than the corporate fluff that fills most journalists’ inboxes. AI helps you clear the quality bar faster: the strategy and targeting are still on you.

Related reading: AI for Case Studies: Write Client Stories Faster · AI for Webinar Promotion: Emails, Ads, and Landing Pages · 15 ChatGPT Prompts for Content Marketers

🛠️ Need email subject lines for your pitch? Try our Email Subject Line Generator.

Getting Started

The best approach for marketers is to start small and build from there. Pick one workflow or task that takes you the most time each week: that’s where AI will have the biggest impact.

Here’s a simple framework:

1. Identify your time sink: What repetitive task do you spend 3+ hours on weekly?
2. Draft your first prompt: Be specific about the output format, tone, and context you need.
3. Iterate and refine: Your first output won’t be perfect. Edit it, then refine your prompt for next time.
4. Build a template library: Save prompts that work well so you don’t start from scratch each time.
5. Measure the time saved: Track how long tasks take before and after AI. This justifies further investment.

Most marketers report that the first two weeks feel slow (learning curve), but by week three, they’ve saved 5-10 hours that would have been spent on manual work.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

After working with hundreds of marketers who use AI, these are the patterns that waste time instead of saving it:

• Being too vague in prompts: “Write me an email” produces generic output. “Write a follow-up email to a client who hasn’t responded in 5 days, professional but warm tone, referencing our last meeting about their Q3 budget” produces something usable.
• Skipping the review step: AI output is a first draft, not a final product. Always read through before sending to clients or publishing. The 2 minutes you spend reviewing saves you from embarrassing errors.
• Trying to automate everything at once: Start with one workflow, master it, then add another. Marketers who try to implement 10 AI tools simultaneously end up using none of them well.
• Not keeping templates updated: Your industry changes, your clients change, your tools update. Review your AI workflows every quarter and update prompts that no longer produce quality output.
• Ignoring data privacy: Never paste confidential client information into tools that don’t have proper data handling policies. Check whether your AI tool trains on user data before uploading sensitive documents.

The Bottom Line

The tools and approaches covered here represent the current best options for marketers in 2026. The landscape changes fast: new tools launch monthly and existing ones add features quarterly. But the fundamentals stay the same: pick tools that solve real problems you have today, start with the simplest option that works, and only upgrade when you’ve outgrown what you have.

The biggest risk isn’t choosing the wrong tool: it’s analysis paralysis. Marketers who spend three months evaluating options lose more productivity than those who pick a “good enough” tool and start using it immediately. You can always switch later; you can’t get back the time spent deliberating.

FAQ

Do I need any special tools to get started with this?

For most AI applications, you just need a ChatGPT ($20/month) or Claude ($20/month) subscription. Some tasks benefit from specialized tools, but you can start with a general AI assistant and add specific tools as your needs grow.

How much time will this actually save me?

Most marketers report saving 3-8 hours per week once they’ve established their AI workflows. The first week is slower as you learn, but by week 2-3, the time savings compound. Focus on the tasks you do repeatedly: that’s where AI saves the most time.

Is the output quality good enough to use directly?

Rarely use AI output without editing. Think of AI as producing a strong first draft that’s 70-80% ready. Your expertise adds the final 20-30%: context, nuance, and accuracy that AI can’t provide. Always review before sending to clients or publishing.

What are the biggest mistakes marketers make with AI?

The top three: (1) not providing enough context in prompts, (2) trusting output without verification, and (3) trying to automate everything at once instead of starting with one workflow. Start small, verify everything, and expand gradually.

Will AI replace marketers?

No. AI replaces tasks, not jobs. The marketers who use AI will outperform those who don’t: they’ll handle more clients, produce better work, and spend less time on repetitive tasks. The value shifts from execution to judgment and relationships.