Press Kit-Mess Kit Who Needs It?

Yesterday, we were talking about sponsorships and how to get them, the right way. I made mention of the Press/Media Kit, an item I thought most of you were familiar with. However, judging from my email this morning, there’s some confusion. So before we go on, lets talk about your Press/Media Kit. You can download my eBook, Sponsor Magic free and get more hints and tips for getting sponsors and keeping them.

Do I really need a Press/Media Kit?

The answer is a resounding …YES. If you’re online, monetizing or trying to monetize your site, attempting to find sponsors for your blog, site or for a particular event; if you’re wanting to get publicity for your site, blog, product or yourself, then YOU NEED a Press/Media Kit.

I’ve listed all my social connections on my blog and my advertising rates. Isn’t that enough?

Actually the answer is NO, period. Simply doing those things is not enough and frankly is detrimental as opposed to being helpful to you in reaching your goals. Your advertising rate card and traffic stats belong in another place. More on them later.

So, what IS this Press/Media Kit thing you’re talking about?

Entrepreneurs and bloggers seeking to earn their own publicity can get tripped up before they begin. Getting up to speed about how to write a press release and how to prepare a press kit can be a bit overwhelming for the uninitiated.

Relax. With focused effort and attention, it doesn’t have to be hard.

Start with the knowledge that “news“, no matter what it is otherwise, stands on its own merit.

Think about your nightly news broad cast or your daily news paper or website. The “news”  makes you think, sucker punches you in the gut, brings a tear or a smile,  or kicks you in the pants.  If you’re passing along information that doesn’t do any of these, maybe your information isn’t  going to make a story that’s worthy of media attention.  No amount of prettying up or packaging by anyone is going to make your story hit the front page or the nightly news. If, on the other hand, your “news” is timely, relevant, trending, hard hitting and overall newsworthy, the chances of your earning headlines are exponentially increased.

If you’re serious about earning great publicity over time, then get serious about giving the media and companies you want to work with an easy way to tell your story and an easy way to find out about you and your company and products. Its not enough to download a template, fill in the blanks and throw it up as a page on your site. However, there are some overall tips that everyone will find helpful.

Here are the basic items that EVERY Press/Media Kit should contain:

1. Your biography and/or your speaker sheet
2. Your digital photo and/or digital photos of your products
3. A short background page that explains the origins of your company, to whom you offer products or services, and the kinds of problems you solve for your customers
4. A fact sheet:  that explains when your company launched, the progress it has made to date, the scope and reach of your products and services,awards and recognition you’ve earned, and other relevant facts about the company or site
5. Press releases with the latest news first (reverse order here)
6. Links to press coverage earned to date
7. Testimonials from customers, business partners and so forth. (No notes from Aunt Betty here)
8. Your company logo/site masthead
9. Suggested interview questions
10. Contact information to make coordinating with you for interviews easy and further the conversation

Add ins like video and audio are great and make a wonderful addition to any Press/Media Kit, but not required. If you have them, use them.

I don’t have any press releases or any coverage to list. Is it ok to make this up?

Uhmmm, NO?  If you haven’t any current press releases or haven’t received any press, its ok to simply delete those two items from your press kit until you’ve  put together a press release or gotten press.

I have a picture of me and the kids at the beach  should I use that in my press/media kit?

While your picture of you and the kids at the beach last summer might be really cute, and I’d love to see it posted to your blog or your facebook album, you should NOT use it as your Press/Media kit photo.  A good photo for your Press/Media Kit should be professional photograph (head shot) to put your best face forward. Label your photo with your full name, title, and the date to make it easy for editors, producers and other media to identify you. Digital images of at least 300 dots per inch (DPI) are best. You can have a professional head shot done at most local Wal-Mart stores, Sears and JC Penny also have in house photographers where you can get really reasonable pricing on business photos. While CVS and Walgreens provide photos for passports at reasonable fees, most of the time, these shots just aren’t personable enough to use for this purpose.

Got More Questions?  Need help with your Media/Press Kit? Feel Free to use my contact form and I’ll get back in touch with you shortly!  And as always, the conversation is what matters…lets talk.

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