The other day I was meeting with my friend discussing upcoming media/product coverage opportunities and she said
that a few editors requested a media kit. It's funny how those two little innocent words,
"media kit" usually strike a note of anxiety in most start-up or small
business owners. I think the reason is because many don't understand
what
a media kit is or what it should offer.
Media kits are designed to give
a clear picture of the benefits of advertising with you. It paints a picture of
what the prospective customer will receive and how the customer will expand
his/her customer base due to exposure to your subscribers or site visitors.
A media kit usually contains the following:
- Stats page
- Press release or advertisement copy
- Business card
- Company profile
- Photos or samples
- Testimonials from customers
- Cover letter
- All enclosed in a folder (unless it's an online media kit)
Let's take a look at each component and how they help to build an impressive
image of your company or product.
Stats Page
Consider
the questions you have when buying any item.
You would be curious as to the basic who, what, where, when, why and
how about the product. Include information on the
target audience the product reaches. Finally, you'd want to know the
cost of the products or if there are different packages.
Laying out all this information in an easy-to-read style will allow your
prospects to view, at a glance, the pertinent information they need to make a
decision.
Press Release
A press release or advertisement copy (called a tear sheet) is generally
included in order to show the customer that you are actively promoting your
publication or site. Make sure your release or review is recent. It won't make much of an
impression to send outdated material.
Business Card
Yes, your contact information may be on your site, or you might have
provided it to the customer via email or phone. However, including a business
card is a simple courtesy that prevents the customer from having to look for
your information. For online media kits simply provide a link to your contact
information. The key is to make contacting you and placing orders simple.
Company Profile
This document should include a brief company history along with other more
recent news about your business. If you are seeking investments, be sure to include Growth ratios, estimated sales figures,
percentages of circulation increase over the last several months, etc. can all
be included to show the advertisers that your business is a good investment. The profile should be approximately 2 pages in
length.
Photos or Samples
Everyone likes to see what they are purchasing. Providing a sample of your product, or a few photos (screen shots) of your Web site displaying banner
ads, etc. is a good visual motivator. It also allows the target to
experience your product first hand.
Testimonials From Customers
Showing the end results from other's advertising experiences will make quite
an impact on your customers. When they see that current customers are getting
excellent results from their ads, you demonstrate the effectiveness of your
offer. If you don't have any testimonials, ask your current clients for some.
Suggest that they include the length of time they've advertised with you and
what their average results have been.
Cover Letter
If you'll be mailing paper media kits, be sure to include a cover letter.
Thank the prospect for their interest and make specific references as to how
your publication/site has provided success for others in related industries.
All Enclosed In A Folder
A professional presentation is vital. Unfortunately, I've seen far too many
"cheap" looking media kits. They were simply printed on standard
copier paper (or worse yet… were photo copies of originals), stapled or paper
clipped together and shoved into an envelope. That approach won't convince
anyone to purchase from you.
Print all your materials as originals onto laser (or better quality) paper.
Place them neatly in a heavyweight, pocketed folder.
For online kits, create a downloadable pdf document in Adobe. This will allow
your visitors to quickly get your information in a convenient form that is
readable by both Mac and PC.
Remember… these prospects don't know you. They are trying to make a
decision, and the only thing they have to base that decision on is what you
offer them. Make sure professionalism is a primary consideration in everything
you do.
Once your complete media kit is professionally prepared, it will offer your
potential clients all the information they need to see why your product or client is worth it!