3 Ways a Media Kit Can Enhance Your PR

If there was one piece of advice I could give you on your media kit it’s this: Don’t overthink it.?

Your media kit has one job, and that’s to make life easier for journalists and podcast producers who are considering interviewing you or booking you on their show.?

Even if you’ve put off proactive PR and don’t spend much time pitching yourself, it’s wise to have a media kit on hand for those times when someone reaches out to you with an opportunity or to make it easier for your team to submit your next award or speaking application.?

The point of a media kit is to showcase who you are and why members of the media should care in an efficient, comprehensive, and digestible way. A media kit should highlight your authority to speak on newsworthy topics and establish your credibility as a potential news source or partner. While media kits may range in length from one page to several, the goal is to offer journalists a simple fact sheet that helps them discern whether you’re worth talking to and if they do, what they may want to ask you about.

Own Your Story

Media kits help you reclaim your story, on your terms, while highlighting outlets where you may have appeared in the past, a few flattering photos of you in action, and importantly, the size of your social media following and email list. All the most important information about you and your business are highlighted within this 1-3 page document – in my experience, shorter is better. Media kits usually include your bio, your company’s bio, a headshot and a couple of other relevant images (such as you speaking to a group or from a stage), and statistics that show your audience reach, your areas of expertise, and previous press mentions.

Creating a media kit can help you hone in on how you want to present yourself to the world. It’s a great exercise for becoming more comfortable with sharing your story. The best part is – once it’s done, you have a complete guide to your future pitches.

Instead of digging through folders to find your best stats or needing to rewrite your “about me” section for every pitch, you have a document you can easily reference. This doesn’t mean you should send your media kit as an attachment, unsolicited, to random reporters. But it does mean that when you pitch, you have solid language you can draw from that should save you a tremendous amount of time.

Media Kit vs. Press Kit?

You may have heard media kits be referred to as press kits. The terms are used interchangeably in the industry, but, if you want to get into the nitty-gritty, a media kit refers to a document that highlights your general accomplishments and is “evergreen” – doesn’t become irrelevant quickly – whereas a press kit is more specific to what you want to promote at the specific time. Perhaps it’s a new product, a particular angle that makes you unique, or a recent award. Whatever the case, I recommend you always lead with why your personal story is newsworthy right now.

Boost Your Pitches With a Media Kit

While the best pitches are always customized to fit the needs and interests of the jouranlist you are targeting, you don’t need to completely reinvent the wheel each time. Your media kit should include the highlights to include in every pitch: who you are, why folks should care, and why you’re a credible source.?

Never, ever send out your media kit to a reporter, or God forbid, a giant list of reporters. The spray-and-pray approach is unethical and just doesn’t work for advancing your personal brand, just like it won’t for sending out a press release. Here are some ways you can use your media kit to improve your overall pitching strategy.?

1. Keep it short.?

Don’t be tempted to include that time you won a debate trophy in high school or your best pie award from a community bake sale. Know the outlet you are pitching, what the particular reporter you are targeting has covered in the past, and make sure you’re a good fit before reaching out. Then, send no more than three paragraphs about why you’d make a great source for a particular topic. Offer to send your media kit by way of follow-up. Never send attachments or even public file links unsolicited. It’ll only flag you for spam filters.?

2. Strike a balance between informative and visually appealing.

Media kits look different depending on the industry, and they should reflect the tone and style of your target audience. For example, if your ideal customer is Fortune 500 corporations, your media kit will look very different than if you want to reach Etsy shop owners of color who are between ages 22 and 35. Some media kits have more of the feel of a resume, while others are a lot more fun. Don’t try to design it yourself unless you are naturally inclined (Canva has some great template options), but it’s better to outsource it than have it resemble a term paper from 2012.

As a general rule, if you include any images in your media kit (which you should), make sure they are high-resolution. Many journalists often receive low-quality images that are unusable. Poor images or a badly designed media kit can be a distraction and may even be taken as a reflection of your quality of work and expertise.

3. Don’t send a media kit unsolicited.

I said this already, but seriously, don’t do this. It annoys reporters and makes you look bad. Start with a pitch of three to five sentences about why your story is especially important and relevant at that particular moment, and what fresh insight you could add to the conversation.?

Some reporters are bombarded with upwards of 100 or even 200 pitches in a day. Adding an attachment can clutter their inbox even more. In the worst-case scenario, some email servers may flag your attachment as spam and send the entire message to the junk folder. Start with a short pitch in your first email to increase your chances of attracting a reporter’s attention, and if they bite, you can follow up with your media kit.

When you send your media kit, always upload it as an attachment. Don’t link to it unless you are specifically asked. Many reporters are wary of clicking unknown links, as they should be in an age of rampant email scams.

More Bang For Your Media Kit

Make your media kit work for you. Stick it on your website under “Press and Speaking Inquiries” so that it’s easy for a browsing journalist or podcaster to connect with you. You can also add a link to it from your press mentions page, you can add a press inquiry button that links to your press kit.?

As mentioned, media kits are helpful when submitting your application to speak at a conference or to apply for an award. Again, rarely would you send this cold, unless it’s asked for as an upload through an online form. Rather, keep your approach similar to pitching to how you pitch reporters, including a tailored paragraph or two along with the media kit. Having a professional, succinct media kit shows that you are someone who is organized, confident, and a dream to work with.?

Ready to save time and start doing PR intentionally? Grab Full Swing PR’s 411 on Media Kits to create a media kit that will grab attention.?