How To
Five Tips for Promoting Yourself or Your Business with a Media Kit
Update: In November 2018, Full Sail’s Internet Marketing programs were updated and are now Digital Marketing Bachelor’s, Digital Marketing Master’s, and Digital Marketing Certificate.
The definition of a media kit has evolved over the years – from a big, physical package with photos, press releases, and FAQs – to an online pressroom (the online version of that big, physical package), to a simple one-sheet or digital About Us page used by smaller businesses and entrepreneurs. Simply put, a media kit is a promotional tool for a brand – and all brands need promotion.
“I honestly think that I could justify a media kit for anyone,” says Katy Widrick, a Central Florida television producer and fitness blogger. People who want to be on-air talent or experts who can be sourced by blogs and major media, people looking for speaking engagement, writers promoting books or films, or small businesses seeking media coverage all use media kits, she says.
Freelancers can also clearly benefit from a media kit, says Widrick.
“I think web developers could use a media kit to show off their work and give testimonials. Basically, anyone who wants to become a go-to expert or source could use one.”
Whether your media kit is in the form of a physical sheet or an online About page, here are 5 tips to make sure you’re putting your best brand forward:
Maintain a Consistent Brand Voice
Your design, message, and tone must reflect your brand. “You want your audience to know that they are still communicating with your brand and continue to feel the emotional connection,” says Amy Burrows, a Course Director for Full Sail’s Internet Marketing degrees.
Or if someone is just encountering your brand, you want to immediately express and explain who you are. Often in more formal communication tools – press releases, say – the brand voice gets lost. However, it doesn’t have to, says Burrows. “MailChimp does a good job of communicating their brand voice. They’re a very fun brand, and even in their formal communication, you still get that fun vibe from them.”
Make it Personal
It doesn’t matter what you’re selling, people like to see the face (or faces) behind the name. Include a photo and brief bio of yourself if you’re a solo entrepreneur. If you’re part of a larger company, consider adding the photos and bios of key employees to your About page, says Burrows. When it comes to contact information, an email with a real name in it is also better than info@yourbrand, says Burrows. “You want them to know it’s a human they’re going to reach,” she points out.
Brag About Your Brand
What’s impressive about your brand? Your sales, number of fans, client list, analytics? Don’t overwhelm, but definitely sell yourself in your media kit, Widrick says. Testimonials, news coverage, and partner logos are good choices for About pages, says Burrows. An About page is also a good place for your back story – the story of how your company started. “Develop it for your own audience and needs,” says Widrick.
Make it Sharable
You never know what people might share. Therefore, make as much content sharable as possible, says Burrows. “You want your audience to be able quickly, with one click, share it with their audience. If you make it harder – it won’t be communicated.” If you have a physical media kit, you can put it on sites like SlideShare.net or have it as a download on your site. Also, make an effort to create content people would want to share, says Burrows. “PR efforts are all about forming mutually beneficial relationships with your audience for the long term,” she points out.
Check Out Your Competitors and Role Models
Look at what your competitors are doing with content marketing and promotion. Are they getting views from videos or infographics? Do they have a unique brand voice? Are they getting media attention from their partnerships and projects? Brainstorm ways to make your message unique. Also check out the brands you look up to. “Ford and Starbucks actually have good media rooms. So you can look at the big players even though you’re not competing with them or you’re not selling cars,” says Burrows. Look at how they do it, says Burrows, and figure out how to slowly build up your media to get to that point.
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