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The key elements of a press kit

by | Aug 27, 2015 | News Release Distribution, Public Relations, Social Media, Traditional Media

If you’re a business owner, you know getting media attention can be a struggle — once reporters bite, you’ve got to make it easy for them to give you coverage.

If you want to be featured in the press, you have to give media the tools. The press kit is designed to make life easy for anyone who is interested in promoting your company. Also known as the media kit, it is a concise document — typically housed on your website — which contains a clear outline of who you are, marketing materials, resources, and information about your brand.

When engaging in media outreach, you will be referring reporters, bloggers, or whoever is interested in promoting you to this document.

So what are the key elements of a professional press kit?

Your story: This is where you introduce your company and discuss why you got started, why do you do what you do, what purpose you serve, and what differentiates you from the rest. Describe your services or products. Keep it short and sweet and try your best to highlight whatever it is about your company that’s unique or interesting (read: newsworthy).

Fast facts: Provide a cheat sheet of quick facts so reporters don’t have to dig. How many customers have you served? How long have your doors been open? Where are you located? Where are your products made? What are your social media stats or blog numbers? Feel free to list some of your more notable clients too. These facts will not only reflect well on you, but will ensure that journalists are relaying accurate information to their readers.

High-res branding images: High-quality branding images will make it easy for content publishers to incorporate your logo. Offer one with a transparent background and ensure that it is 360 dpi so it is suitable for print as well. It’s also a good idea to include a download option for the raw version.

Who’s who: Talk about your team. Why are they experts? What experience do they bring to your business? How and why did they get involved? Putting faces to your brand keeps it personal.

Press samples: What media outlets have already featured your organization? Don’t dredge up every article that’s ever been written about you — put the spotlight on a few of the better-known publications and use pull quotes with links to the original pieces.

Contact info & social links: List the full name and email of whoever handles your media requests and provide links to your brand’s most active social networks.

If your company offers services, you can also incorporate packages and rates as well as testimonials — and it is always a good idea to list awards or FAQs.

There are no set ‘rules’ and every company’s press kit will be different; what you include and how you make it available (PDF or its own subdomain) is up to you.

The monetary and time investment in creating a press kit may be off-putting, but long term, it will add legitimacy to your business and increase your likelihood of actually landing in the press.

Hartley Butler George

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