Media kits have been around for decades. Originating as beautiful, printed files of neatly typed press releases and photographs, these kits have evolved with the digital age, becoming dynamic and engaging pieces of content that brands use to inform and intrigue the media. As they evolve, however, it can be challenging to keep up with the trends to ensure that your media kit stacks up. Any public relations agency worth their weight will tell you that to be competitive, you need to ensure that your media kit is digitized, relevant and updated. To help you get started, here are the top 5 things you need to add to your kit this year.
Quality Photos (and Videos)
Perhaps the most important piece of the media kit are the visual aids. In most cases, if a journalist is writing a story about a company or a product, they can find the information they need on the website or in another article. Therefore, when reviewing a media kit, journalists are looking for collateral and extra details beyond face value that they could use in a story to make it more interesting. These days, beautiful photography and videos are the number one asset that they need to pitch a story.
If using a website as a media kit, ensure that your photos are downloadable as PNGs; if using a pdf kit, consider adding links to downloadable files. Making it as easy as possible for a writer to access and use the photos will give you higher chances that they actually write about you. Plus, formatting the images for easy social sharing will give you bonus points.
Short Bios & Snappy Information
It may be tempting to write your entire company history and include every boilerplate, bio and fact that you have. Trust us – resist the urge. Journalists today are extremely busy, and they’re looking for short, snappy information that will pique their readers’ interest. Identify a few memorable, engaging sentences about your brand and work that into the fold. As you’re writing, ask yourself if anything is repetitive, redundant or uninteresting. Edit your writing with a heavy hand, and cut anything that does not absolutely need to be included.
Links to Relevant Sites
Whether a website or PDF kit, it is essential to include links to all relevant sites for easy finding. If you include an article, link it. If you mention your Instagram feed, link it. Anything and everything that has its own home on the internet needs to be linked. As a journalist is going through your kit, having these links will keep them engaged and learning more about your brand, and gives them the extra information they need without bogging down your media kit.
Testimonials and Quotes
Sure, you love your company – but do others? Whether a customer review or an editor’s feedback, if you have a good testimonial or quote about your brand or product, throw it in. These testimonials will give your media kit some legs and boost your credibility in the eyes of a journalist.
Additionally, it’s always a good idea to include a few quotes from your company’s leadership. Think of things that you would include in a press release or in an interview, and include it. It could be something as simple as a comment about your excitement for a new launch, or something as complex as an answer to a highly-antcipated question. Whatever it is, ensure that it is well-written and would flow well in an article.
PR Contact Information
At the end of the day, your media kit won’t include everything about your brand. That’s why you have a public relations agency to handle media inquiries and set up interviews. To streamline that process, you’ll want to include your publicist’s contact information in every media kit so journalists can reach our directly for follow up questions or requests.
The modern media kit is constantly evolving, but partnering with a public relations agency will help stay in the loop. For more information about press kits, click here.
