How to Make a Press Kit and Increase Your Media Coverage

By Danica Djokic

June 19, 2023

The consumerist society we live in has no time for subpar advertising. Businesses need to stand out from each other to remain competitive and spread the word about their brand and products. 

Having an informative and easy-to-navigate press kit is a way of compiling all the relevant facts, figures, and photos about your business so that journalists can cover your product easily. We’ll explain how to make a press kit and make the hectic daily tasks of journalists more manageable. Give our guide a read and see if you can get some ideas for boosting your business this way. 

The Evolution of the Press Kit

Good press coverage starts with providing the correct information in a timely manner. A press or media kit is a document that showcases all the assets of your business and products: essential information and figures, relevant photos and videos, logos, and other data necessary for journalists to learn about your brand. A well-designed electronic press kit or  EPK with product samples is a keystone of successful advertising. 

Components of a press kit haven’t changed much, but the format has evolved over the years. In the beginning, companies distributed them in the form of a floppy disk with promotional materials and brand information, packed alongside a newspaper or magazine. Press kits soon became available as PDF files attached to emails, but as you can imagine – PDF documents are not exactly journalist-friendly. They tend to be clunky, aren’t indexed by search engines, and you can’t update them with new information quickly. 

That’s why switching to modern electronic press kit formats was a huge step forward. EPK can be stored on your online newsroom or company’s website so that it can be easily reachable. Many companies have them available on CDs, DVDs, or USB flash drives. Instead of digging for information, journalists can craft a story with a quick glance at your EPK. So, why not use cutting-edge technology to make your business shine? 

Press Kit Know-How

A neat and digestible press pack that contains all the information relevant to your business is essential for boosting sales and brand awareness. Here’s how to make a press kit that will help you showcase your product and mission to the journalists and, therefore, to a broader audience.

Find your inspiration

Whether you already have an idea or wish to start from a blank canvas, the internet has you covered. Numerous websites offer professionally designed artistic templates available for editing; Canva, Envato Elements, and Creative Market are just some of the big names that provide users with customizable and downloadable press kit templates that can pique everyone’s interests. 

All you have to do is search by platform, aesthetic, color, task, or mood to get the free sample document. Then just download it, and open it in your editor of choice. Make sure to change the font, size, or sub out the imagery for a handcrafted feel. There you can also take a look at some of the most representative examples of EPK files and see if you can get some inspiration. Some websites even offer the option of creating your own logo. Once you pick your style, you’ll be up and running in no time. 

What does a press kit include

Now that you’ve got the ball rolling, it’s time to update and personalize all the sections within the EPK template. Here’s how:

• Make sure to input your contact information, website, email address, location, and telephone number; most journalists will probably want to reach out to you to get more details or clarification about some of the sections. A good idea will be to include the contact of your marketing manager, if you have one so that they can provide all the necessary data upon request. We recommend posting social handles in this section so that you can be tagged in the story once it goes live.
• Digital press kits should include a brief company overview that will showcase your mission and achievements. Post a 50-to-100-word description on the top of the front page that will explain your business’ background, products or services, mission, and goals. Some of the helpful information you might want to add are the founding date, target market, locations of your branches, and company size/number of employees.
• Company facts are a must; including at least ten bullet points in your press packs will make it easier for journalists to tailor their stories. Making a basic press kit requires only the most important information and figures about the company, telling statistics such as revenue growth or the number of customers you serve. You can talk about products, employees, clients, milestones, and sales that best represent your brand. 
• What is a company without its workforce? We’re pretty sure that the journalists who research your brand would appreciate and welcome a more personalized approach to a media kit. That’s why you should include team member bios with the individual’s career history and achievements. Start with the CEO, president, executive managers, and then move on to the others involved in the product making and selling. To customize the press kit template, add professional headshots.
• Finally, don’t forget to check your grammar and spelling before you post anything. Adding appropriate spelling and capitalization of your company’s name would also be a valuable asset to your EPK. Make sure to specify how you want it to be printed to avoid misspelling and confusion.

Product Information

That’s why we’re all here, right? The focal point of your media kit should be the products and services that you offer to potential customers. Since you need journalists to land free promotions, you can make their job easier by including clear and simplified descriptions of what you’re selling. List all the features that set your product apart and display all of the pricing tiers. 

When you create a press kit for your enterprise or startup, listing all the valid prices won’t be enough. The ever-changing nature of the market requires constant checking and updating of the fees, features, promotions, and sales. If you’re sending physical press kits, pack product samples with them to make an impression, especially if you’re selling cosmetics. 

Branding and Media Assets

Content publishers will appreciate it if your press pack contains high-resolution and downloadable logos and marketing images of your brand, along with branding guidelines. A good idea would be to have those with a transparent background and different shapes and sizes so that they can be used right away, without much ado. 

Another thing that a well-designed press kit should provide is links to media assets such as positive media mentions, high-resolution photos of the products, professional videos, testimonials, interviews, and other sources. They should be downloadable or grouped in a file-sharing service for hassle-free use. Make sure you neatly label them and mark folders. Let’s not forget the most critical asset – past press releases, as they can give insight into the background and context of your business.

Miscellaneous 

Every PR campaign is different; creating a press kit can go in different directions depending on the product and service type, business goals, and market characteristics. If you adapt it to your audience’s interests, you can get a more specific response and target potential leads better. For example, an EPK for bands should contain additional materials such as discography, tour dates, and recordings of the band performing. An artist’s EPK has to include past exhibitions, images of previous artworks and installations, and art samples. 

Another good idea would be a list of noteworthy awards and recognitions that can showcase your brand properly. Having nonprofit and volunteer involvement on your press kit page would set your business apart by showing that profit is not your only goal and your company is also socially responsible. Finally, some brands like to encompass their mission statements and quotes in articles and reviews. Remember to put in only the essential extras as journalists are usually in a rush and just skim through the content searching for important information.

How to Promote Your Press Kit

Now that you’re all set and have all your promotional material packed in the media kit, the next step would be to make sure it is easy to find on your website. One option is to distribute your press kit. In a world of digital technology, there are many electronic services that make their distribution easier and give old-fashioned  a boost. If you prefer traditional ways, here are some tips to get more press coverage; 

• Send your digital media kit to influencers and bloggers to share and discuss with their audiences;
• Distribute it to the newsroom channels, but make sure to send it directly to journalists too, as newsrooms might not cover the story. 

• Promote your press kit on social networks you have access to, with one or more photos attached and a brief and catchy description.
• Consider investing in targeted ads on social media to reach specific news networks. 
• Publish your press kit on a webpage under the “press” tab in the navigation menu, as this allows interested journalists to find the information on their own.

Putting together a press kit is a daunting but rewarding task. You need to have eye-catching content, engaging photos and videos, relevant information briefly packed in a well-rounded package, and a detailed product description. Having a media kit is just the first step that’ll make it easier for journalists to understand and pass on your story. However, it’s up to you to amp up the press coverage for your business by reaching out and distributing it wisely.