Have you ever been on a bad date?
Maybe your date showed up late (the worst!).
Or they arrived at dinner looking like they had just rolled out of bed.
Or maybe you two had absolutely nothing in common and your date droned on about themselves the entire time and you could barely get a word in edgewise.
Talk about a nightmare situation!
The truth is — no matter how great of a match your date might be for you, if they make a horrible first impression, they’ll likely never recover.
And do you know what? The same thing is true when it comes to marketing your brand and approaching the media. First impressions are so important!
That’s exactly why it’s worth your while to compile an impressive media kit — the ultimate first impression.
Not sure what a media kit is? Don’t worry… I’m here to demystify this elusive term and show you why your brand needs one!
Let’s start with the basics…
So what is a media kit anyway?
A media kit is a set of promotional materials that provide a journalist with all of the information they would need to feature your brand in the media. This is also sometimes referred to as a press kit, so I’ll be using the terms interchangeably throughout this post.
When done right, a media kit can be a powerful marketing tool — it’s absolutely essential for increasing your brand’s exposure and taking your business to the next level. And in addition to pitching the media, it can also be used to get sponsorships, speaking gigs and podcast interviews.
You’ll find them in every format all over the internet. Some live permanently as a page on their brand’s website, and some are downloadable PDFs or slide decks that can be emailed upon request. But no matter what form your press kit takes, it must clearly communicate your messaging in a compelling way (more on that later!).
Media kits aren’t just for big companies, either. Whether you’re a solopreneur or the leader of a massive corporation, your brand can benefit from creating one.
But to be effective, your media kit needs to be readily accessible. That means you’ve got to have it prepared and polished before you’re ready to start pitching your brand to the media.
Now that you know the purpose of a press kit, it’s time to learn exactly what goes into one!
What’s in a media kit?
Press kits can take on all sorts of shapes and sizes, and you’ll need to assess the best way to concisely promote your brand. But to give you some ideas, some of the most compelling media kits include the following:
- About Us — This can be short or long, depending on your brand, offering, and specific media goals. Highlight the top selling points of your brand’s story to make a strong first impression on the reader.
- Mission — Capture the heart of your brand in a concise and inspiring statement.
- Founder Profile — Give the audience a glimpse at who’s behind the brand (and what qualifies them). In this section, you could include the founder’s name, their current role, their goals and aspirations, 2 or 3 relevant achievements, and a personal fact about them (if appropriate).
- Case Studies — If applicable, provide case studies so the journalist has real results at their fingertips. Providing a real-life example of how your brand solved a specific problem can be incredibly compelling.
- Testimonials — When it comes down to it, there’s nothing more powerful than social proof. As humans, our behavior is greatly influenced by the people around us. The more you can show the success you’ve brought to other people, the more credible you are in the eyes of your audience.
- Frequently Asked Questions — Go out of your way to address common objections or concerns. Your inbox (and your reader) will thank you!
Including each of these pieces is a great start, but do you want to know what’s going to set your brand’s media kit apart from the rest? Command messaging.
Your command message is the key point you always want to come back to in your media kit materials. There should be a consistent thread that ties back to and consistently communicates your most important message.
It’s imperative that a journalist reading your materials will understand who you are, what you are offering, why you do it and why the audience should care.
When you align your products or services with your mission and your audience, media outlets will want to feature you — because they can clearly see your value. And when you can clearly communicate why you are relevant to the current moment and/or a feature the journalist is working on, you will vastly increase your opportunities for coverage.
And there’s something else important to keep in mind as you prepare your press kit…
Above all, your press kit should make the journalist’s job easy.
Let’s channel Goldilocks here… you don’t want to give the reader way too much information, but you don’t want to leave them with tons of questions, either. You’ll want to include plenty of assets, like your brand or product images and an about page that includes your command message, that make it easy for the journalist to include you in the story they’re working on.
So my advice is to aim somewhere in the middle and provide the reader with material that’s informative and engaging, but not overwhelming — it needs to be just right!
Looking for a media kit example?
If you’re anything like me, it always helps to see the real thing out in the wild to get your gears turning. So I want to share with you my exact media kit from a previous launch for my book, Style and Substance.
Notice how the messaging throughout the copy ties my mission to my audience and product?
For even more examples, you can always peruse your favorite brands’ websites and find their press kits for inspiration. As you review their versions, take note of what jumps out at you — and what you may be able to replicate for your own brand.
If you keep all of this in mind as you create your media kit, you’re sure to pass the first impression test. Just remember — there’s no set formula or “correct” way to create your media kit. It needs to serve the purpose of getting you past the first date!
And getting you there is my specialty. I’ve been helping women build influence for their brands with the media for over two decades, and now, I’m here to help you!
Let’s get you ready for the spotlight with my signature 6-week 1:1 program, The Publicity Package.
It’s the key to positioning you to work with the media — so you can boost your credibility and start earning press coverage. Click here to learn more!
