At PR Guru we often get questions from business owners and DIY PRs about media kits – what they are and if they are worth producing.
We say, particularly for businesses with a product to sell, they’re a must.
A media kit is your ‘tool-kit’ of media-ready information that journalists can use in a story about your business, product, event or service.
It contains your press release, company and spokesperson biographies, product information and fact sheets, high quality photographs and usually a few great case studies (customer success stories) and sample product/s.
You can use this information when proactively pitching your story idea to the media, or when responding to an interview request.
After you have pulled this information together, you might consider packaging it up into a physical, hard-copy ‘kit’
Here are three reasons to create a physical media kit:
- To get a journalist’s attention – having a courier deliver something to a journalist is more likely to get noticed than an email which can be easily missed/deleted
- To let a journalist smell, touch, taste or experience your product
- To create an impression about your brand
But, beware of the detail! Physical kits can be expensive. So ask yourself:
- Do you have the budget to create a physical kit? Creating a physical kit means you’ll need to cover the costs of product samples, printing and/or design, the packaging materials, postage and/or courier delivery charges.
- How will it be presented? Will you use a stock-standard folder or create a hamper or something much more innovative?
- How will it be delivered? Will you post it or does it need a special courier? Remember first impressions count so be sure the presentation of your media kit and materials is impeccable. Don’t risk it being damaged in transit. Some companies have hired promotional staff to make personal deliveries to the media. If sending perishable items to the media, be sure they are properly handled and delivered promptly!
- Who will you send it to? Do your research and get a firm idea of the number of journalists you want to send the media kit to. This will help you determine your budget.
Lastly, regardless of the format of your media kit, the most important consideration should be your content. To appeal to a journalist you have to think like one. They’re after good stories – so make sure you offer one.
And of course, you’ll need a good list of media contacts. PR Guru has over 40 Australian media lists.
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Tags: DIY PR, marketing, media kit, media release, press release, what is a media kit, what to put in a media kit