Press Releases: Why Issuing One or Two per Year Isn’t Enough

Businesses are constantly competing for attention, and a single press release announced once a year is no longer enough to hold onto it. Between crowded newsfeeds, shifting search algorithms, and audiences who expect regular updates from the brands they follow, companies now need a consistent stream of news to remain relevant, trusted, and top of mind.

Yet many organisations still treat press releases as a once-a-year event, wheeled out only for a major product launch or a funding round. It is an approach that ticks a box, but it does little to reflect the ongoing value a business delivers to its stakeholders and the media throughout the rest of the year. A strategy built around multiple, well-timed releases, by contrast, tends to pay dividends across media interest, brand recognition, search performance, and stakeholder engagement.

This article explores why a single annual press release falls short nowadays, what businesses stand to gain from publishing more consistently, the kinds of stories worth telling year-round, and how often companies of different sizes should realistically be issuing news.

Why Isn’t One Press Release a Year Enough?

Publishing a single press release tied to a major milestone, such as a new round of funding or product launch, might feel like sufficient coverage for the year. In reality, it captures only a fraction of what a business achieves and communicates almost none of its ongoing momentum. Relying on one big announcement means missing a string of smaller but valuable opportunities: reinforcing key brand messages, showcasing incremental wins, nurturing relationships with journalists, improving visibility in search results, and reaching both new and returning audiences. 

It also does little to reassure investors who tend to look for continuous signs of progress rather than a single yearly update. Press releases work best when treated the same way as social media or content marketing: as an ongoing effort rather than a one-off event. Consistency is what builds credibility over time, not scale. A business that only speaks once a year risks being forgotten for the other eleven months, no matter how impressive that one announcement was.

There is also a practical reality worth acknowledging: hundreds of company announcements go out every single day. A single release, however strong, has a short shelf life in a news cycle that resets constantly. Without a steady follow-up cadence, even genuinely newsworthy stories can vanish from view within days.

Main Benefits of Sending Multiple Press Releases

A steady release schedule does more than simply keep a company’s name in circulation. It compounds several distinct advantages that a single yearly announcement simply cannot deliver.

1. Stronger, more consistent media coverage

Journalists are not only chasing breaking news; they are also watching for patterns, momentum, and thought leadership. A company that publishes only once a year gives reporters very little reason to see it as an ongoing, credible source within its industry. Regular releases, on the other hand, keep media contacts engaged, increase the odds of follow-up interviews or coverage, and gradually turn a business into a familiar, trusted name that journalists return to.

2. Greater brand recognition in a crowded market

With so many announcements competing for attention on any given day, a single release rarely has staying power. A consistent flow of news keeps a business visible over time, demonstrates ongoing traction, and helps it stay connected to conversations already happening within its industry. Regular publishing essentially buys a brand more chances to be seen by the people who matter, whether that is journalists, analysts, or prospective customers.

3. Improved SEO and AI search visibility

Each press release distributed through a reputable newswire tends to be picked up and republished across multiple news portals and media sites, which can generate valuable backlinks and strengthen a company’s domain authority. This, in turn, supports better rankings in traditional search results and improves the odds of being referenced by AI-powered tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot, which increasingly pull from indexed news content when generating answers.

Businesses that optimise their releases for search have been found to see meaningfully higher online visibility than those that don’t. That said, frequency alone isn’t the whole story here—publishing something newsworthy every few months or so tends to build stronger, longer-lasting authority than flooding channels with releases that lack real substance. Search engines are good at spotting thin, repetitive content, so quality still has to come first.

4. Deeper trust with investors and stakeholders

For publicly listed companies and startups courting investment alike, a steady flow of news signals that a business is active, growing, and hitting genuine milestones. Analysts and institutional investors often monitor newswires directly, which makes consistent press releases a meaningful part of any investor relations strategy. A company with a visible history of regular, well-distributed updates comes across as transparent and engaged, rather than reactive or, worse, quiet for reasons that raise questions.

Taken together, these benefits reinforce one another. Better media relationships lead to more coverage, more coverage strengthens SEO and brand recognition, and all of it builds the kind of sustained credibility that a single yearly release simply cannot replicate.

Common News Ideas Worth Announcing in a Press Release

One of the biggest misconceptions about press releases is that they should be reserved only for the biggest news a company has. In practice, there is a wide range of moments throughout the year worth sharing, many of which fall well outside the major launch category.

• Growth and performance milestones offer some of the easiest wins. These might include hitting a user or customer growth target, celebrating a company anniversary, reporting strong revenue figures, or announcing entry into a new geographic market. This kind of news demonstrates traction without requiring a single dramatic event.
• People, partnerships, and deals are another rich source of material. A new executive hire, a board appointment, a strategic partnership, a merger or acquisition, or even a notable new client relationship can all justify a release, particularly when they signal a shift in direction or capability.
• Recognition and credibility markers are often under-used by businesses, despite being genuinely newsworthy. Industry awards, professional certifications, rankings in respected lists, or original research and survey findings all give a company a reason to speak up while also positioning it as a source of expertise.
• Purpose-driven and cultural news rounds out the mix. Corporate social responsibility initiatives, sustainability commitments, community partnerships, or major internal culture announcements can resonate strongly with both media and the public, especially when they reflect values that customers and investors increasingly care about.

The common thread across all of these is that none of them require waiting for a single defining moment. A well-planned communications calendar can easily surface several genuinely newsworthy stories throughout the year without resorting to filler content that dilutes a brand’s credibility.

How Many Press Releases Should a Company Send Per Year?

There is no single correct number of press releases a business should issue, but a sensible starting point is at least one release per quarter, with the ideal frequency shaped by company size, industry, and communications goals.

As a broader rule, most established organisations find a workable rhythm somewhere between one release a month and one per quarter, adjusted according to how much genuinely newsworthy activity they generate. Fast-growing businesses in dynamic sectors, such as technology or healthcare, often lean towards monthly updates, while more mature companies in stable industries may find quarterly releases perfectly sufficient.

It is worth stressing that cadence should never come at the expense of quality. Publishing news simply to hit a target number rather than because there is something worth saying can backfire. Search engines and journalists alike are quick to recognise low-value, repetitive announcements, and an oversaturated newsroom can end up doing more harm than good to a brand’s credibility. The goal is a rhythm that reflects real business activity, not an arbitrary quota.

Make Your News a Habit, Not a Headline

The businesses that get the most out of press releases are the ones that treat them as an ongoing communications habit rather than a single headline reserved for the biggest news of the year. A steady, well-planned release schedule builds stronger media relationships, keeps a brand visible in an increasingly crowded search landscape, and reassures customers and investors that a company has genuine momentum behind it.

If your current press release strategy still revolves around one or two big moments a year, there is a clear opportunity to do more with the news you already have. Reach out to our team to build a press release strategy that keeps your business consistently visible, credible, and newsworthy throughout the year.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How often should a small business send out a press release?

Most small businesses and startups do well with around four to eight releases a year, spaced out to align with genuine milestones such as product updates, partnerships, or funding news. The right number depends on how much newsworthy activity the business generates rather than a fixed quota.

2. Can too many press releases hurt a company’s reputation?

Yes, if the releases lack real news value. Publishing frequently is only effective when each release is genuinely newsworthy. Sending out low-substance updates purely to maintain a schedule can make a brand appear to be padding its news, which can dilute credibility with journalists and audiences alike.

3. Do press releases actually help with SEO?

They can, particularly when distributed through a reputable newswire that syndicates content across multiple news sites. This creates backlinks and search visibility that a company’s website alone would struggle to achieve. However, consistency and genuine newsworthiness matter more for long-term SEO value than sheer volume.

4. What is the difference between a press release and a blog post or social media update?

Press releases are formal, newsworthy announcements intended for media distribution and are often built for wider syndication and search visibility. Blog posts and social media updates are typically better suited to smaller updates, behind-the-scenes content, or company culture news that may not meet the bar for formal press coverage.

5. What counts as “newsworthy” enough for a press release?

Newsworthy topics generally involve a meaningful change, achievement, or development, such as a new hire, a partnership, an award, a funding round, a product launch, or original research findings. If the update would genuinely interest a journalist, customer, or investor, it is likely a strong candidate for a release.

6. Should every business follow the same press release schedule?

No. The ideal cadence depends on a company’s size, industry, and goals. A fast-moving technology startup may have enough news to justify monthly releases, while a smaller or more established business in a stable industry might only need one every quarter. The key is consistency that reflects real business activity.