Whether you’re running an established business or a startup, you need a media kit. You need a media kit to reach CEOs with news of your business-to-business service, you need one if your lab has research to share, and you need one if you want music reviewers to write up your band’s next concert. Across industries and types of organizations, a well-organized media kit can help you build relationships with reporters and gain worthwhile, accurate media hits.
A media kit, or a press kit, is a set of promotional materials distributed to the media. You can think of it as a resume for your business. As with a resume, you want to include key information in a clear format, and use that information to send a strong message. Like a resume, a media kit may be your first chance to make an impression on someone, in this case a member of the media. And that impression is crucial if you hope to connect with that reporter and build an ongoing relationship.
These days, you need an online media kit, although you should have a few paper copies on hand in case someone requests one. Always bring paper copies to events where you will be presenting, as well.
In the past, all media kits were physical files or folders. Now, the most important version of your press kit will be digital. Photo by Kasaa
Key things to include in a media kit:
- Logo
- Company boilerplate or mission statement and brief history
- Bios of key figures in the company
- Overview of products or services – if possible, link to an example of your work
- Key statistics about your company and customers
- Photos, included throughout
- FAQs
- Endorsements
- Recent press releases and press coverage – online, this may take the form of a link to the press page
- Contact info
Let’s take a look at Fast Company’s media kit for reference. As a publication, Fast Company’s kit gives the most space to ad rate and editorial information for businesses and contributors. Most businesses won’t need this feature, just as Fast Company didn’t need to include everything in the above list. But other businesses can learn from Fast Company’s layout and use of statistics.
Page three of the kit, titled “Buzz,” is a list of awards and accolades the magazine has won. The next two pages use statistics and graphics to break down Fast Company’s readership by age, affluence, influence and gender. These pages include information about the size of Fast Company’s social media following and how many views the website receives per month.
If your business has analytics that give you access to similar statistics, consider which ones will help tell your story in a press kit. If you are just starting out and don’t yet have enough customers to see meaningful trends, include information about your target audience.
Look back at the first page of Fast Company’s media kit. It includes the company’s mission, and clearly lays out the five core themes that categorize the magazine’s print and online content. Aim to present your company’s core messaging this directly in your press kit. When a reporter picks it up, they should quickly have access to the most important facts about your company, and understand the character that your business wants to portray. Your media kit is a part of your branding, so make sure it fits cohesively with all the other materials you create for your business.
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Once you have a strong media kit, learn more about reaching out to reporters.
