Press Kit vs Media Kit
Make sure you have the right information for the intended audience
By Leeann Froese
If you are a brand or person hoping to gain earned media and get your name in the press, you are going to want to put together a press information kit, or “press kit”, as a supporting tool.
In the past, these were called “media kits – a name derived from the fact that they serve as a source of information for members of the media. However, in today’s environment of digital creators, rate sheets combined with a creator’s information is now also called a media kit. While some of the information may overlap, they are very different things.
In 2013, I spoke on this to a room full of YVR bloggers and explained what a media kit is and why they need it, and at the same time, shared what a media kit means in the world of publicists.
At Town Hall Brands, we create both for clients. So, let’s compare the two so you can develop the information package you need.
Press Kit
What is it?
Press information kits help explain the main facts of your company with one stop.
The idea is that anyone who reads your press kit can immediately know the key people, facts, and important information about your business. They may not even need to talk to you as all the info is there.
This saves their time and yours and improves your earned media relations.
Who is it for?
Journalists, bloggers, content creators, and the media in general
What goes in it?
Fact sheet – who, what, when, and where
About – provide both a deeper history and a boiler plate
People bios
Notes on production or manufacturing or growing methods
Product information – description and any stats or pricing; where to find
Contact details, including name, email, phone, social profiles, website
An important consideration is that you need to ensure that the contents of your press kit are not salesy, as this is only likely to put off the media.
Instead, make sure you supply them with the information to tell your story. If you include your key facts and messages within, their story about you will be the one you want told.
Images
It is super important to have a library of photos – with a link to easily download them – as part of your press kit. Your photo library should include images like:
People
Place
Products
Lifestyle shots
We recommend Dropbox or a Google Drive for this.
Media Kit
What is it?
• Media kits help show how successful you (or your brand) are, in terms of engagement and achievements.
• The goal is to showcase your brand to help an advertising or other partner decide whether you’re an aligned fit to work together.
Who is it for?
Businesses and people who want to collaborate with you
What goes in it?
· Your Info
o Name
o Bio
o Where you are located
o Stance on what you post about
o How to get in touch with you – be findable!
o Let folks know who you align with
· Statistics
o Visitors, page views, and demographics (where your audience lives, their gender, age, income etc.)
o Tourism boards and companies ask for dated screen catches of this data
o Use a trusted stat tracking platform – such as Google Analytics
o Statistics and metrics matter – especially when it comes to giveaways and contests that are cross promoting
o Share your followers on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, TikTok etc.
· Partnerships
o Who have you worked with before? List any brands or companies who have previously partnered with you.
o BE UP FRONT about if you were paid or not. If you say, “worked with,” brands want to know what the exchange was.
· Services and the costs
o Ads, sponsored posts, gifted product, videos, giveaways, dedicated emails
· Toot your own Horn
o Testimonials, awards, case studies
o What are others saying about you?
o Have you been interviewed in traditional media?
Go Pro or Go Home
A few tips to ensure that your media kit is a professional reflection of you and/or your brand:
Spelling, grammar, layout and tone all matter.
Branding – ensure that you have consistent colours and fonts across your website, blog, social pages, and kit.
You might think, “I am not a professional”, however, if you want to monetize you have to think like the business you want to attract.
Bringing it all together
Now bring it all together, no matter what tool you need.
Where people get stuck on their kits is how to bring it all together and lay it out, or to get help with the writing, or sometimes both. That’s where we can help.