A press kit, also known as a media kit, is one of the most essential elements to have prepared before kicking off your press strategy. Without a solid press kit, it will be harder to secure coverage, work with a PR partner, and maintain consistent branding across third-party websites. In this blog post, we will discuss what should be included in your press kit and where you should host it. We'll also touch on the importance of keeping your press kit updated and why this is beneficial for both your business and the media.
What is a press kit?
A press kit is a collection of information about your company that provides helpful and detailed information to the media. A press kit can also be referenced by partners and affiliates for use on co-branded content or marketing material. A press kit’s information includes everything from your company's history to recent news and press releases to high-resolution images. A well-crafted press kit eliminates the guesswork for journalists who may require historical context or additional public details about your company to craft their pieces.
What should my press kit include?
Press kits don’t have to be entirely fancy. You may opt to keep all of these materials linked in a Google doc that you have linked in the footer of your website or you may build out an entire press page that enables users to download content directly from that page. Whichever option you choose, it should be relatively easy to find and accessible to media. Keep in mind that journalists are often working on tight deadlines, so the easier you can make it for them to find what they need, the better.
No matter the format you choose, a strong press kit should include the following items:
Company Details: this should include information about your company, including a short bio, long bio, boilerplate, and historical information about how your company was founded and any milestone events that add more context to your growth.
You may also choose to include a fact sheet that should contain evidence-based data about your industry, product, service or company.
High-Resolution Images: these images should contain your logo with a transparent background. It is also suggested that you include both light and dark versions of your logo. You should also include images of your product, services, office and team. This additional information can be used to help make for a richer story with updated visuals.
Executive Bios & Headshots: include short and long bios on your executive leadership team. Ideal formats are single-page documents with the headshot included for reference. You will also want to include links to a folder with headshots only. Be sure to label each headshot photo correctly so there’s no mistaking your team
Customer Testimonials: while optional, including case studies is helpful in illustrating how users think about your product. Depending on the journalist’s story, this may be the one element that supports the story’s credibility and indicates that you are making an impact in the market.
FAQs: just like your customers, journalists may also have questions about our product, how you address data and privacy, or your business operating procedures. FAQs are also an opportunity to get ahead of hard questions and give you the space to develop strategic responses to prevent misinformation.
Recent News and Press Releases: include all other stories or mentions that have covered your company. It’s important for journalists to understand what already exists so they can develop an original piece about your company.
Why is it important to keep my press kit updated?
Just like your website and other marketing materials, your press kit should always be up-to-date with the latest information about your company. If a reporter is looking for information that's no longer accurate, they may move on to another story or worse, publish information that’s not true. In addition, keeping your press kit updated shows that you're active and engaged in promoting your business, which can increase your likelihood of coverage.
Creating a press kit initially may seem daunting, but it's an important part of promoting your business and getting media coverage. Your press kit will get easier to update once you’ve laid out the groundwork with the basics laid out above. If your press kit is ready or you’d like a partner to help support developing one, reach out to us via our getting started form.