Every week, editors at Business Daily, Nation and Standard receive hundreds of press releases from Kenyan businesses. Most are deleted without being read.
Here is exactly what separates the ones that get published from the ones that get ignored:
📰 The Anatomy of a Press Release That Gets Published
1. The Headline — Most Important Line You Will Write
Journalists decide in 3 seconds. Your headline must answer: What happened? Why does it matter to readers?
❌ Bad: “XYZ Company Launches New Product Range”
✅ Good: “Nairobi Startup Cuts Small Business Accounting Costs by 60% with New App”
2. The Lead Paragraph — Answer the 5 Ws Immediately
Your first paragraph must answer: Who, What, When, Where, Why. All five. In under 60 words. If a journalist only reads one paragraph, they should have the full story.
3. One Strong Quote
Include one quote from your CEO or a credible spokesperson. It should add context or opinion — not repeat what the release already says.
❌ Bad: “We are excited to launch this product.”
✅ Good: “Kenyan SMEs lose an average of 12 hours per month to manual accounting. We built this specifically to give that time back.”
4. Supporting Facts and Data
Journalists love numbers. Market size, growth percentages, customer numbers, impact statistics. If you have data that validates your story — include it.
5. Boilerplate and Contact Details
End with a short “About [Company]” paragraph (2–3 sentences) and direct contact details for a real person the journalist can call immediately for more information.
❌ The 5 Mistakes That Get Your Press Release Deleted
- Sending it to the general inbox — find the specific journalist who covers your beat
- Writing it like an advert — “best product ever” gets deleted instantly
- No actual news angle — “we have been in business for 5 years” is not news
- Sending it as a PDF attachment — paste the full text in the email body
- Following up more than once — one polite follow-up call is the maximum
📣 Let KCVP Group Write and Distribute Your Press Releases
Our PR team writes media-ready press releases and pitches them directly to the right journalists — the ones we have real, active relationships with across Kenya’s leading media houses.
✅ PR retainers from KES 60,000/month (includes 2 press releases)
📞 +254 728 851 675
🌐 kcvpgroup.com/services/public-relations
First consultation free — we will review your current PR approach and tell you exactly what needs to change.
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