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Why Create a Media Kit?
As PR expert Casey Colesworthy explains, a media kit is one of the fundamental tools for any business starting their PR efforts. It provides journalists, editors, and media contacts with essential information about your business in an easily digestible format. A wellprepared media kit can make the difference between getting media coverage and being overlooked.
Essential Components
1. Fact Sheet
According to Casey: "You want your fact sheet to be one page, potentially double sided. You want it to have your company overview, maybe your mission, your headquarters, your website, your contact information. You want it just have the basic information."
Key elements to include:
Company overview
Mission statement
Headquarters location
Website URL
Contact information
Product/service listings
Company headquarters
Notable achievements
Important note from Casey: "If you have had media coverage, please do not put it on your fact sheet. You will send this fact sheet to media because it will just give a journalist or a reporter and editor a basic overview of who you are."
2. High Quality Images
Product photos
Facility images
Headshots of key personnel
Company logo in various formats
Brand assets (if applicable)
3. Professional Bios
Casey emphasizes: "I think bios are really, really important because, again, you're going to want to share that with the journalist or the editor or whoever you're talking to, just to give them a sense of who you are, what your background is, what you do, why you started the business."
Bio elements to include:
- Professional background
- Relevant expertise
- Company founding story
- Notable achievements
- Education
- Industry involvement
- Professional certifications
Format and Delivery
- File Formats
- Fact sheet: PDF format
- Images: High resolution files in common formats (JPEG, PNG)
- Downloadable assets on website
- Easily accessible digital format
- Website Integration
"If you put it on your website, you want it to be downloadable. And then, typically, businesses, companies, will have, like, a news page, and that's where people can doubt media can go to download photos."
Recommended structure:
- Dedicated news/media page
- Downloadable assets section
- Clear organization of materials
- Easy navigation
- Updated contact information
Best Practices
Keep It Current
- Regular updates to information
- Remove outdated content
- Update statistics and numbers
- Refresh images periodically
Make It Accessible
- Easy to download
- Clear file naming
- Organized structure
- Mobile friendly format
Maintain Professionalism
- Consistent branding
- Error-free content
- Professional design
- Clear contact information
Strategic Considerations
Humanize Your Story
From the discussion: "Try to humanize the story as much as possible. Journalists are writing for the masses, for an audience... So it's important for whenever you approach them to kind of think like, why does this apply to their audience? Why would their readers care about this?"
Include elements that:
Connect with your audience
Demonstrate community impact
Show realworld applications
Highlight customer success stories
Support with Data
Casey notes the importance of including research and statistics: "I love bringing in any type of research or statistics that you can share with the journalist in your pitch. They love that. They want that because then they can use it in their story."
Consider including:
- Industry statistics
- Market research
- Customer testimonials
- Impact metrics
- Growth numbers
When to Update Your Media Kit
Update your media kit when:
- Major company changes occur
- New products/services launch
- Leadership changes
- Significant achievements occur
- Company rebranding
- Annual updates to statistics
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Information Overload
- Stick to essential information
- Keep fact sheet to one page
- Present information clearly
Outdated Information
- Regular review and updates
- Remove obsolete content
- Keep contact information current
Poor Organization
- Clear structure
- Logical flow
- Easy navigation
Getting Started
Gather Materials
- Collect company information
- Prepare high quality images
- Write professional bios
- Compile relevant statistics
Create Structure
- Organize information
- Design layout
- Prepare downloadable formats
Review and Refine
- Check for accuracy
- Ensure completeness
- Get feedback
- Make improvements
Remember: Your media kit is often the first impression journalists and media contacts have of your business. Make it count by keeping it professional, current, and easily accessible.
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