Aug
Creating a Press Kit
So you’ve started attracting media attention, but they want you to give them something they can take with them and refer to later. What do you do? At Three Girls, we create virtual press kits for our clients, hosted on our Ultimate Press Picks site. These kits are a one-stop-shop for the media, offering everything they need to know in a format they’re familiar with. But what if you can’t afford to hire a firm to create a press kit? Here are three tips I found at the National Federation of Independent Business online:
1. Write clearly…A compelling headline can draw your reader in, while a few short, concise paragraphs can let them know if they’re interested in learning more. If they are, direct them to your Web site where they can read more [This is one case where less is more – the goal is to be short and to the point, but informative as well].
2. Include company information…Every single component of your media kit should include a media contact, a phone number and e-mail address. Since small businesses don’t always have publicists, make sure to include the title of the media contact so members of the media know to whom they’ll be talking [Make sure you include your website as well].
3. Be helpful…Members of the press are busy people, too, so whatever you can do to fit your business in a story for them, the less work they’ll have to do tracking down more sources…Also, think about your business structure for ways to promote your business. If you recently doubled your revenue in the last year or added employees, ask the publication to consider you for an article on business growth or hiring new recruits. You may not get the plug you originally wanted, but you will get exposure [You can even include Story Ideas that offer a variety of suggestions for angles the media can take].
In addition to these three tips, I would recommend including basic information, such as how much your product(s) or service(s) cost. At Three Girls, we always include high-resolution images in the virtual press kit so the media has access to everything they’ll need whenever they’re working on their story – day or night.
