What is a media kit, and why do you need one?
If you want to see your business or organization in the paper, on the news or even posted about on social media, you will need a media kit.
This simple tool is designed to make the work of journalists and other press members (as well as bloggers and influencers) as easy as possible by putting all the information they need to write about you at their fingertips. Most of the content will be things you already know or have laying around, and all you need to do is consolidate the information into one easily accessible place — shouldn’t be that hard, right?!
If you don’t know where to start obtaining earned or paid media attention for your business, it’s time to prioritize creating a media kit.
Well, what is it?
A media kit, or press kit, is a set of promotional materials that provides information about your business, initiatives or event to bloggers, journalists or anyone else that wants to spread the word!
What are the benefits of having a media kit?
Besides making life easier for members of the press, a media kit also has significant advantages for you.
Save time. Instead of answering multiple emails, you can easily direct press inquiries to wherever your media kit is stored. Bonus points if it’s kept in a publicly accessible place, like on a static webpage linked in your website’s footer. More on how to make your media kit accessible later. 😉
Brand experience and consistency. You likely already have an understanding of why brand consistency is important. By preparing materials like a backgrounder and including information on your logo, brand colours, etc., you’ll be able to ensure consistency wherever your brand appears. This isn’t just helpful for the press, it may also come in handy should you ever enter a collaboration or partnership with another business, agency or consultant (like us!).
Key messages and accuracy of information. Imagine a member of the press or blogger needs to write a profile on your business. They need to know basic things about you, as well as details about your latest initiative. They could just google this information, or they could come straight to you. When you proactively provide everything they need, not only is their job easier and faster, but you ensure that information is as accurate as possible. A well-composed media kit will give the press the language to best amplify your message. That’s a win-win!
Prepare for last-minute press opportunities. Sometimes press deadlines are short and time is of the essence. Do the work now so you don’t miss out on free promotion!
What is in a media kit?
Your media kit may include:
A bio of you or the organization
A backgrounder on the event or initiative
Contact information (if not you, who is your media contact person?)
A quote about your event or initiative
Social handles
Company logos, taglines, fonts and colours
A mission statement
Distributable graphics (think photos that represent your business, product or event, or pre-made social media graphics for easy sharing)
Case studies
Testimonials
Public business statistics
Where should I keep my media kit?
When deciding what your media kit contains and where it can be found, remember its key function is to be easy for media to access and use! It might live as a responsive page on your website, a downloadable PDF or presentation deck, or a non-editable Google Drive or Dropbox folder. Whatever it is, make sure it can’t be edited or changed without permission and that it’s organized, up-to-date and well-labelled.
If creating a media kit sounds like too daunting a job, don’t panic! Your friendly neighbourhood experts are here to help. We know everything there is about talking to the media (it’s what we do), and we can create something easy for them to use and for you to maintain.
Get ready to get press, you’ve earned it.
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