Do I Really Need a Media Kit?
I am often asked do I really need a media kit. Will anyone actually read it? The answer is YES! Keep reading and you will know exactly what a media kit is, why you need one and what you need to include to have the media kit that showcases your best work.
What is a Media Kit?
Media kits are a vital tool that must be part of any marketing and media plan.
A media kit is a compilation of information about you, your business, your products/services, and more. It is everything the media will need to know about you in an easy to read format either as a downloadable PDF or gathered in an engaging way on a page on your website.
TIP – if you use the web page option your media kit becomes searchable content – incorporate your keywords into your content and your media kit is building your SEO rankings and working overtime for you. Click to Tweet
I like to keep my media kits simple, easy to read, easy to update, and mobile responsive, with an option to print – media professionals are concerned with content over design. Do make it engaging and creative, but don’t make the reader drop a days’ pay on toner cartridges if they choose to print it. Remember, media professionals may be freelancers, work from home or the road.
Media kits should include as many things as possible from the list below, if you do not have all of the items listed don’t worry, add them in when you get them, the idea is to gather everything the journalist will need in one place and make their job easier:
- Biography
- Company Biography
- Description of products, services or book
- Prior media, including links
- Awards and Certifications
- Images, Headshots, Videos
- List of Q&A for media (5-10)
- Testimonials / Quotes
- Press Release
- Speaker One Sheet
- Book excerpt, Book Fact Sheet, and Book Cover image (for author media kits)
- Catalog or order sheets, fabric swatches, product information and downloadable product images, color codes, sizes, etc. (for product media kits)
- Contact information including social media sites, including links
A Well Designed Media Kit Opens Doors
Media professionals are some of the busiest people you will encounter and often work on multiple deadlines simultaneously; they do not have time to gather your materials. Be one step ahead and provide everything they will need, part of being a good resource is being prepared. Know their work, and how you can help their audience. This is precisely what a media kit does, bonus… it makes your role easier too because you are ready to jump on last-minute media opportunities.
Double Check EVERYTHING
Every time you share your media kit, treat it like a job interview. Confirm that the information is current, that there aren’t any typos or formatting issues, that website links work and that contact information is up-to-date and correct. Most importantly, only pitch journalists and opportunities that are a good fit for your area of expertise.
If you want to see a few media kits to get started, Google media kits in your industry and you can get a few ideas of how you can create yours. Or take a look at one we collaboratively created with our client John DeMato.
What’s in your media kit? Share below.
How would you go about having your media kit online if you want to include high res images in your media kit, but your business sells prints of artwork? I don’t see how I could put high res images of digital artwork online unless it’s protected by a password because people could just steal them.
The media likely would not enter a password. You could watermark the images and include copyright information on the page so it was clear that your images are not to be shared without permission. When you go online there is always the chance that your original content will be used without your permission, but you also open yourself up to a much larger audience. I would also recommend contacting an attorney that specializes in copyright so you have the proper language in place and know your rights. Hope this helps. Thanks