How to Create Your Own Media Kit

The importance of a media kit in the Age of Digital cannot be underestimated or overlooked. Your personal brand is what you're known for, so why not create a media kit to tell a story about yourself, and to showcase your impact? They are no longer the exclusive tools of multi-national firms and traditional media, but are now also used far and wide by the community of small to medium sized businesses, as well as the ever-increasing pool of influencer marketers and bloggers.

Recently, I saw a great interview with Robert Herjavec of the hit show Shark Tank. He was talking about what he looks for in people he can potentially support and invest in. And he ended with this remark:

Before you sell me on your business, sell me on yourself.

A good media kit can do both of these quite effectively, and, satisfy even a savvy investor like Herjavec, a big advertiser looking to connect with a magazine's key demographic, or perhaps a government agency looking to hire a consultant. Whenever conference producers contact me about keynoting their events, I always have my media kit updated, just in case I have to send it out. In fact, I was inspired to get one last year by Huffington Post columnist, travel expert and Instagram superstar Steph Be.

A few pages (above) from Steph Be's media kit, which projects a travel adventure image that has helped grow her blog subscriptions to more than 100,000

Steph is well-traveled, cultured, respected and highly business-minded. I was impressed with her kit because of its simplicity. It truly soars, both conceptually and stylistically, and clearly conveys to the reader what her ambitions are, and what expertise she would bring to the table, so to speak. I asked her to give my readers some tips. Here is what she told me (below) in our most recent conversation:

What is a media kit:

A media kit is professional tool used to introduce a company, product, or brand. It provides basic information to answer any burning questions -- saving both parties time! As a social media influencer or business owner, a media kit is used to show the other party the value you will add through your relationship and services.

Why should businesses and individuals have a media kit?

For three simple, important and powerful reasons: you save time with frequently asked questions; you make an instant and strong first impression, which is always key; and you visually illustrate specifically what you can offer. It is a visual world, so make the best of what you can show about yourself. Everyone has skills and assets that can be packaged and explained in a substantive way. Just make sure its executed in a manner that will pay huge dividends for your brand.

What are the essential elements of a media kit?

Good question. There is no set formula. However, there are things I look for, and advise my clients to consider. I would list the essential elements like this, in 12 bullet points:

• Aesthetic Cover Page 
• Brief introduction: Who are you? What do you offer? Themes?
• Timeline, which is optional, would answer: How fast are you growing? What are you launching?
• Partners: Who have you worked with?
• Press: Where have you been featured?
• Marketing Demographics: How many people follow you? Who are they (gender, age, country, language, estimated income etc -- as applied to your brand)?
• Traffic: Total Monthly Unique Visitors, Page Views, Subscribers, as applicable.
• Social Media Overview: Number of followers and analytics regarding your engagement.
• Service, Product Overview, and Advertising Rates, also optional
• Awards and Recognition
• References or Comments from Clients and Reputable Industry Professionals 
• Closing Thoughts and Contact Information

The actual content of a media kit varies per individual and business — it can be a single, one-page “brag sheet” or an extended portfolio. Whatever you do, make it stand out.

How would people create one? 

Again, be visual, use proper copywriting and convert it into a PDF. You can hire a digital marketing consultant to help you create the right media kit, or use programs such as InDesign, Keynote, or Word to make something from scratch. Whatever you do, do not compromise quality. In the end, quality is everything. A media kit is a portfolio, a resume, and press release in one spot. It will make or break whether you get a new client, sponsor, or advertiser. It is worth investing in.

(Writer's note: For inspiration and ideas beyond what Steph Be outlined above, you can also check media kits from Forbes, WWE Magazine, National Geographic Kids, TIME, VOGUE, Food Network Magazine, among many others. Do your research! Lots of great material out there.)

Here is a recent profile of me in the Huffington Post, and some of my recent work on LinkedIn and Smedio:

• 20/2 Clarity: Sean Gardner Dreams of Attaining Philanthropic Global Impact via Social Media 
• "The Keys to Success" - a Sneak Peek at my Davos Summit Presentation

• Success and Social Media: Heather Geronemus

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Sean Gardner is a global best-selling author, keynote speaker, digital consultant and business creative who is based in Seattle, WA. He is currently the social media producer for financial powerhouse TwinStar, and conducts occasional social media workshops (through governmental agencies) for senior citizens. You can Tweet, Friend, Pin, or Instagram him, and/or connect with him on Periscope and Google Plus.

Also...you can purchase Sean's international best-seller, The Road to Social Media Success, which the Huffington Post says should be#1 on every marketer's reading list in 2015. It has some of his interviews with experts, and his own observations on a wide range of topics.

So if you're trying to understand social, and its impact, this is the book for you. Inspire, inform and elevate social media. Always!