How to Write a Year-in-Review Press Release (With Template)
How to turn your company's year into a short, newsworthy annual recap release, with a template, worked example and the best December and January send windows.
A year-in-review press release turns your company’s 12 months into one short, data-led story that a reporter, partner or customer can read in two minutes. This guide shows you which numbers to include, how to structure the release so it reads as news rather than a brag sheet, a fill-in template, a worked example, and the best windows to send it in December 2026 and January 2027.
Key Takeaways
- A year-in-review release works when it leads with one clear headline result and a forward-looking angle, not a list of everything you did.
- Pick three to five verifiable metrics with a comparison (year over year, first time, local rank) and cut the rest.
- Structure: headline, subhead, dateline and lead with the main number, two or three proof paragraphs, a quote with a point of view, a short “what’s next” paragraph and a boilerplate.
- Best send windows are roughly the first two weeks of December or the first two weeks of January; avoid the week of Christmas.
- Get written permission before naming customers or partners, and only publish numbers you can back up.
What a year-in-review press release is (and when it is worth sending)
A year-in-review or annual recap release is a news announcement that summarizes a company’s year through results, milestones and what comes next. Larger companies issue them alongside annual reports. For a small business, it is a way to give local reporters, trade publications, customers and investors one tidy story instead of a dozen small updates.
It is worth sending if at least one of these is true:
- You hit a number people outside the company would care about: customers served, jobs created, money raised for charity, a first-ever milestone.
- You changed something visible: opened a location, launched a major product, entered a new market, won a notable award.
- You have a plan for next year that affects your community or industry, such as hiring, expansion or a new service.
If your year was quieter, a recap can still work on your own website, blog and newsletter, even if it is not one to pitch to media. If you are new to the format, our guide on what a press release is covers the basics.
The data to include: pick three to five metrics
The most common mistake is including every number you have. Journalists skim. Choose the metrics that are specific, comparable and easy to verify.
| Metric type | Example phrasing | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | “Revenue grew 42% over 2025” | Shows momentum; percentage avoids sharing absolute revenue if you prefer |
| Scale | “Served 18,000 customers across three counties” | Easy to picture |
| Jobs | “Added 11 full-time jobs, bringing the team to 34” | Local media cares about employment |
| Community impact | “Donated 6,200 meals to the regional food bank” | Gives a human angle |
| Firsts | “Became the first certified B Corp roaster in the county” | “First” is a strong news hook if it is true and verifiable |
| Product or service | “Launched four new services; the top one now makes up 25% of bookings” | Shows what changed and what customers chose |
| Recognition | “Named to [publication]’s list of [award]” | Third-party validation |
The figures in this table are illustrative phrasing, not real data. Use your own numbers, and keep a short source note for each one (accounting system, CRM export, donation receipt) in case a reporter asks.
Rules for numbers that survive scrutiny
- Always give a comparison. “1,200 orders” means little. “1,200 orders, up from 500 in 2025” tells a story.
- Use the same time period. If your year ends December 31 but you send the release on December 10, say “through November” or “year to date”.
- Round sensibly. “Nearly 18,000” reads better than “17,846”, unless precision matters.
- Do not stack percentages on tiny bases. “300% growth” from 2 clients to 8 sounds inflated. Give the absolute numbers.
- Be truthful and specific. Advertising and marketing claims, including those in press releases, must not mislead. If you say “fastest-growing”, you need evidence.
The structure, section by section
A year-in-review release follows the standard press release shape, with the main result in the first sentence. For a deeper walk-through of each part, see our guide on how to write a press release.
- Headline. Lead with the strongest single result plus the company name. “Riverbend Bakery Doubles Wholesale Accounts in 2026, Plans Second Location” is better than “Riverbend Bakery Reflects on a Great Year”. Our press release headline guide has formulas you can adapt.
- Subhead. One sentence adding the second-best result or the forward-looking angle.
- Dateline and lead paragraph. City, state, date, then who did what and why it matters, in about 35 to 45 words.
- Proof paragraphs (two or three). One per theme: growth, people, community, product. Each with one or two numbers.
- Quote. From the founder or CEO, with an opinion or insight, not a restatement of the numbers.
- What’s next. Plans for the coming year: hiring, launches, expansion. This is often what makes a recap newsworthy.
- Boilerplate. A short “About [Company]” paragraph.
- Media contact. Name, email, phone.
Aim for 400 to 600 words. If you have more to say, link to a fuller year-in-review page on your website.
Style details reporters notice
Most US newsrooms follow the Associated Press Stylebook, so writing close to AP style makes your release easier to reuse. A few habits help: write the dateline city in capitals followed by the state as AP abbreviates it (for example “NORTHFIELD, Minn.”), use figures for most numbers, spell out “percent” or use the % sign consistently, and give full dates such as “January 6, 2027” rather than “1/6”. Use the person’s full name and title on first reference and only the surname after that. Keep jargon out; if a word only makes sense inside your company, replace it. None of this will make a weak story strong, but it removes small reasons for an editor to skip yours.
Fill-in template: year-in-review press release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
[Company] [Main Result] in 2026, [Forward-Looking Angle] for 2027
[Second result or context in one sentence]
[CITY, State], [Month Day, Year] – [Company], a [short description], today shared its 2026 results, including [main result with comparison]. The company also [second key fact], and plans to [main plan] in 2027.
[Theme 1, e.g. Growth]: In 2026, [Company] [metric with comparison]. [One sentence on what drove it.]
[Theme 2, e.g. Team or Community]: [Metric with comparison]. [One sentence on why it matters locally.]
[Theme 3, e.g. Product or Recognition]: [Launch, award or first, with a number if possible.]
“[Quote that offers a view: what the team learned, what surprised you, or why the plan for 2027 matters],” said [Name], [Title] of [Company]. “[Optional second sentence about customers or community.]”
Looking ahead: In 2027, [Company] plans to [specific plan with a timeframe, such as “open a second location in [city] by spring” or “hire 10 people”].
About [Company]
[Two or three sentences: what you do, where, since when, and who you serve. Website.]
Media contact: [Name], [Email], [Phone]
###
Worked example (fictional company)
Here is how the template looks when filled in. The company and numbers below are invented for illustration only.
Northfield Home Repair Grows Customer Base 60% in 2026, Will Add 8 Technicians in 2027
Family-owned company completed more than 2,400 jobs and launched a free safety-check program for seniors
NORTHFIELD, Minn., January 6, 2027 – Northfield Home Repair, a family-owned home maintenance company, grew its customer base 60% in 2026 to more than 1,500 households and completed over 2,400 jobs, up from 1,450 in 2025. The company plans to hire eight technicians in 2027 to meet demand.
Growth: Repeat customers made up 48% of bookings, and the company expanded service to two neighboring towns in June.
Community: Its free home safety check for residents over 70 installed grab bars and smoke detectors in 310 homes, in partnership with the county senior services office.
“We learned that the small jobs build the trust. A $90 grab-bar install is how most of our biggest customers found us,” said Dana Ruiz, owner of Northfield Home Repair. “Next year is about hiring people we’d send to our own parents’ homes.”
Looking ahead: The company will open a training program for new technicians in March 2027 and extend the senior safety check to two more towns.
Notice what it does: the headline has a number and a future plan, every paragraph has one fact, the quote has a point of view, and there is no list of “highlights” padding.
When to send a year-in-review release
Recaps compete with holiday news and year-end lists, so timing matters.
| Window | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Early December (about Dec 1 to 11, 2026) | Fits “year in review” coverage; reporters are still at their desks | Your year isn’t finished; use “through November” |
| Mid-December (about Dec 14 to 18) | Still workable for trade and local outlets | Inboxes are crowded with holiday pitches |
| Christmas to New Year (Dec 21, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027) | Little competition | Many journalists are off; release can get lost |
| Early January (about Jan 5 to 15, 2027) | Full-year numbers; fits “what’s ahead in 2027” coverage | Competes with new-year announcements |
In this cycle Christmas Day falls on Friday, December 25, 2026, and New Year’s Day on Friday, January 1, 2027. A Tuesday to Thursday morning send, local time for your target outlets, is a sensible default. If your goal is local media, call or email the business editor a few days ahead to ask whether they are planning year-end coverage.
Distribution and pitching tips
- Pitch the right people. Cision’s 2025 State of the Media report, based on a survey of more than 3,000 journalists, found that 86% would immediately reject a pitch that isn’t aligned with their beat or audience. Send your recap to business, local and trade reporters, not to everyone.
- Press releases still matter. The same report says 72% of journalists cite press releases as the most useful resource PR teams can offer, and that multimedia makes them more effective. Include one strong photo and, if you have one, a simple chart.
- Personalize the email. Two lines on why this matters to that reporter’s readers, then the release pasted below (not only as an attachment).
- Repurpose it. Turn the release into a LinkedIn post, a newsletter story, a page on your site and a short video of the founder reading the quote.
- Check it before sending. A quick pass through a free tool like our press release checker can catch missing elements such as the dateline, contact details or an overlong headline.
Mistakes to avoid
- The “thank you” letter. A release that mostly thanks customers is a newsletter, not news.
- Too many numbers. Ten metrics in a row blur together. Keep three to five.
- Naming clients without permission. Get written approval before naming customers, partners or employees, and before using their quotes or logos.
- Unverifiable superlatives. “Best”, “leading” and “fastest-growing” invite questions you may not be able to answer.
- No future angle. The past is context. Plans for next year are often the actual story.
- Sending on December 24. Almost nobody is reading.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a year-in-review press release include?
A headline with your strongest result, a lead paragraph with the main number and comparison, two or three short proof paragraphs, a quote with a point of view, your plans for next year, a boilerplate and media contact details.
How long should an annual recap press release be?
About 400 to 600 words. Link to a longer year-in-review page on your website if you want to share more detail.
When is the best time to send a year-end press release?
The first two weeks of December or the first two weeks of January. Avoid the week of Christmas and New Year, when many newsrooms are short-staffed.
Can a small business without big numbers send one?
Yes, if there is a genuine story: a first, a community impact figure, new jobs or a clear plan for next year. If not, publish the recap on your own blog and newsletter instead of pitching it.
Do I have to share revenue figures?
No. Percent growth, customer counts, jobs created or units sold can tell the story without disclosing revenue. Whatever you share should be accurate and something you can support.
Should I use a quote from the founder?
Yes. One quote from the founder or CEO that shares an insight, lesson or plan makes the release feel human and gives reporters something they can use.
Start your draft with the numbers
Before you write a word, open a spreadsheet and list every metric you could share, with the 2025 comparison and the source. Circle the best three, decide your 2027 angle, and the release almost writes itself. Draft it in early December, check the final figures, and send it in one of the two good windows.
