Creating Your Press Kit
Communication Strategies
A press kit is a promotional resource companies use to communicate important facts to journalists, editors, influencers and buyers. You can distribute press kits to help support press releases in person, via email, or as a PDF on your website.
The contents of your press kit will differ depending on whether you’re using it to promote a specific product or service, event, or your business in general. However, all press kits should contain important details like contact information, team bios, and your website. Its main objective is to help you get press coverage for your business or brand and to increase your visibility.
Here are 9 steps to follow when creating your press kit:
1. Decide on the Purpose of Your Press Kit
The purpose of a press kit determines its content, format, and how you’ll distribute it to journalists. A press kit can be used to announce the opening of a new business or location, promote a product or service, or market events and promotions. Determine your press kit purpose and include information and images that further it.
Generally, the purpose of a press kit is one of the following:
• Introduce your new business – If you just opened your business or recently moved to a new community, use a media kit to introduce yourself to local press and consumers.
• Share a product or service – A media kit is a great way to introduce a new product or service or share details about what your business already provides. Use the majority of the media kit to describe the features and costs of your products and let customers know how to reach you.
• Promote an event – Hosting an event or starting a new promotion? Use a press kit to share the details with your community as part of your marketing strategy. A media kit is a great way to get your event on community calendars and on local news outlets. Depending on the purpose of your media kit, there are also two primary methods of distributing it: digitally or on paper. Traditional press kits, distributed in paper folders, are less common, but may still be used for in-person events. Instead, I recommend creating a digital press kit to post online and share via email because digital media kits are easy to access and less costly to produce and distribute.
2. Provide Contact Information
The most important feature of your press kit is the contact information. Journalists writing a story or otherwise covering your business may wish to contact you to gather more information. Include the name of your marketing manager, your website, email address, location, and telephone number to make it easy for journalists to get in touch.
3. Write Your Brand/Business Story
We will discuss this in detail later on in this course.
4. Create a Company Fact Section
The fact section should list 5 points about your company, product, service, or event. Make facts easily accessible by listing them on the front of your press kit just below the Business Story. Tailor facts about the purpose of your press kit to help journalists focus on the information you want to share.
Some of the points you may want to list in your fact sheet include:
• When your company was founded
• Where your company was founded
• Location of your headquarters
• Number of stores or office locations
• Total annual revenue
• Number of employees
• Type and number of products
• Type and volume of customers served
• Names of senior leadership
• Notable clients
• Media mentions
• Historical milestones
Press Kit Services & Products
5. Highlight Your Brand with Photos
Photos of your products, stores, website or locations make your press kit visually engaging and more informative. Use professional photos that feature the best elements of your business and the purpose of your media kit. If these photos are available for publication by the press, note this and provide high-resolution copies on your website’s press kit page.
6. Include Team Member Bios
Your press kit should include brief team member bios and, if possible, professional head shots. CEO, president, or founder bios are ideal additions to your press kit, but make sure they advance the purpose of the kit. Describe the individual’s career history and facts about their contribution to the company on the back of the press kit.
For example, if your media kit is focused on a new product line at your retail store, highlight team members who specialize in the products or were responsible for bringing them onboard. Media kits meant to promote an event can include key contacts for event details or employees responsible for organizing and setting up the event.
Press Kit Bios
7. Provide Your Company’s Media Assets
Online media kits should include downloadable logos for use by journalists and news agencies. Provide several high-resolution variations of marketing images and logos (e.g., .jpg and .png). Optimize your digital press kit by linking to media assets and including images and files on your website with branding guidelines for how and where to use them.
8. Link to Past Press Releases
Make the most of your media kit by linking it to your website’s marketing or press page. Organize press releases chronologically to illustrate your business’ events and milestones.
If your company has received positive press from an outside news source, be sure to include this in your media kit and on your website. Reporters will benefit from hearing how other journalists and media agencies have handled your business’ story, and including this information usually reflects positively on your company.
9. Optimize Your Press Kit with Additional Features
Press kits are meant to adapt to the needs of your business and the interests of your audience. Include helpful features like product guides, look books, or awards and recognition related to the purpose of the kit.
Here are some other things you may want to include in your press kit or on your website:
• A list of awards and recognition – If your business has achieved a variety of noteworthy awards, create a list and devote a section of your press release to it.
• Social media accounts – PDF or online media kits can include links to the company’s social media channels. If you only have a downloadable press kit, you can include these links on your press kit webpage.
• Testimonials from customers or clients – Testimonials aren’t just a sales tactic; they’re a powerful addition to a media kit, too. If you feature some testimonials, try to include names and photos of those who provided the testimonial and be sure to get their permission in advance.
• Product guide – For businesses that develop or sell a unique product, including a product guide is an excellent idea. Your product guide may include technical specifications, dimensions, capabilities, or other information relevant to people within your target audience.
• List of clients – If you are in a client-centric business, include a client list (unless your company has policies against it). This list of clients can help journalists and others know what kind of businesses best work with yours. Again, always get your client’s approval before including their name in your press kit or website.
• Interviews – Journalists may be interested in interviewing company leadership or founders. If there are existing video, audio, or print interviews, include these in the media kit. Doing so informs journalists about previous interviews and may inspire additional press coverage.
• Product sample – Including product samples is a strong addition to any media kit. Obviously, if have a physical product and a digital press kit, your options are limited. There are ways, however, to give reporters a feel for some products and services. Videos can help. Guest logins to a web app, for example, may be an option for some businesses.
• Advertising collateral – You can also link to PDFs or electronic versions of your company newsletter, flyer, landing pages, or other marketing materials.
Press Kit Testimonials
How a Press Kit Works
The purpose of a press kit is to create positive, focused press for your business. The primary audience of a press kit is journalists and media agencies, so provide them with information that makes it easier to provide media coverage for your business. Free publicity can result in more customers and clients for your business.
Today’s media kits are primarily digital. Digital press kits may come in the form of a downloadable PDF or a section of your website devoted to the media kit. Include your business overview, executive bios, and past press coverage to tell a story about your business, an event, or a specific product or service you offer.
Here are the elements that every press kit should include:
1. Introduction – Your intro should consist of the name of your business and an email address for contact purposes.
2. Brand Story – The story behind the business.
3. Description of your business – What does your business do? Answer the question in one clear and concise paragraph, aka mission statement.
4. Fact sheet – The fact sheet features bite-sized information and is highly appealing to journalists and general readers. Include 5 facts about your brand.
5. Logo and images – Your company’s visual identity is included in the press kit. Include your logo and lifestyle or product shots from your latest collections.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Press Kits Just for Journalists and Media Members?
No. Press kits are a convenient resource for anyone who wants to find out more about your company. Many companies choose to create a press list for investors, lenders, vendors, or any interested parties. The audience and purpose of your press kit dictate what you should include, but the standard ingredients remain the same.
Although media kits can be suitable for anyone interested in your business, they should be created with journalists in mind. This means that your press kit should answer relevant questions and deal with the facts in a brief and straightforward manner.
What’s the Best Way to Distribute My Press Kit?
Digital press kits are the best way to create and distribute business information because they’re convenient and cost-effective. We recommend adding a “Press Kit” footer link to your website that directs users to an online or PDF version of the document. You can also distribute your media kit to reporters and journalists on USB drives.
How Long Does It Take to Make a Press Kit?
Making a basic press kit should take a few hour if you have all of the material already written—bios, facts, etc. If you need to write everything from scratch, budget more time for the project. If you’re creating an elaborate media kit with custom graphics or photography, plan to spend several days on the project.
Conclusion
A press kit is the standard method of communicating business information to the media. Reporters use press kits to get relevant information quickly and easily, saving them time and effort. Creating a media kit requires collecting the right information and sharing it in an easily accessible place, and will result in more positive press for your business.