How to create a press kit for your eCommerce business
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Do you know how to create a press kit?
Would you like your business to be featured – or even mentioned – in your local, or national media? Just imagine the bump in attention and sales that could generate! If you want to help this type of exposure along, you should put together what’s known as a “press kit”, or “media kit”. Why? Well, to help reporters do their job on your behalf, of course!
What is a press kit?
Back in the day, say 10 years ago, a press kit was literally a package of information, usually contained in a folder, which was sent out to reporters to try and generate interest in a company. These info kits were an easy way to share a comprehensive look at a business, but they were notoriously cumbersome and often much of the information wound up in the reporter’s “circular file”.
Today, a media kit is a digital information package that tells the story of your business; perhaps a web page that contains resources and information for reporters and publishers. Of course, it can also be a digital file that can be emailed to a media representative, or copied to a digital storage device to hand off to an interested reporter.
What’s most important to remember about your press kit is this: using one makes it really easy for reporters to quickly learn about your business, product, and brand, and to access photos and marketing materials they can use in their content. Basically, you’re doing much of their job for them, which should automatically put them on your side.
7 Elements of a press kit
As with so many things, there are many opinions about what you should include in your press kit. After all, you want others to know as much as possible about your business, especially if they’ve expressed an interest. Yet, you also want to avoid overwhelming them with too much information. So, here are some basics that MUST be included in your media kit:
Introduction – It’s always good to be polite, and it should go without saying that the first thing you should do is introduce yourself and your business in your press kit. Think of this as an opportunity to explain who you are, what you do, and what purpose your business serves. You can also share a bit about how your business came to be, and what you hope to achieve through your business. If you have a Mission Statement, include it, along with your Business Logo and Tag Line (if you have one).
Product/Service Information – Explain exactly what it is that you offer, and why you think your approach benefits your customers. This is a great place to set yourself apart from the competition, which can be reinforced with customer testimonials and/or product reviews. If appropriate, make sure to include fact sheets on the products or services you offer.
FAQs – Just as a website page for Frequently Asked Questions is important, offering those questions and answers in your press kit is critical to its success. Ultimately, the goal of creating a press kit is to answer the questions a reporter may have before they even ask them of you. You can easily do this by including your FAQs in your media kit.
Press Releases – Good PR will often be the key to generating attention in the first place, so make sure you include recent releases of significant events. You can also include copies of any other media attention you’ve received, including links to other articles or stories about your business. If one media source found you and your business interesting, there’s a good chance others will as well.
Digital Media – Have you been interviewed in print or on TV? Include that! Do you have a recorded speech that was well-received? Include that! Do you have a recording of a successful webinar? Include that! Just as letting your customers get to know you is important to your success, the same is true of the media. Let them see who you are and that you have something of value to say, and they’re much more likely to follow up with a story about you.
Big Name Stuff – Which is to say: awards or recognition for excellence; community service awards; a list of notable clients. Since many of your potential clients may not recognize who you are, or what your business offers, being recognized by others in your community will often be the validation they need to begin doing business with you. Take advantage of that recognition and use it to your benefit.
Contact Information – Of course! Make sure to include your name, address, phone number, and email address. Include a link to your website – especially to the media page of your site. You may even want to include some of this information as a footer on every page of your press kit. Do everything you can think of to make it as easy as possible for media people to book you for their own purposes – which will coincide with yours!
How to create a press kit
Once you have all of the above elements in place, it’s time to actually create your press kit. You can use an online design tool like Canva or a service like Brandfolder. Or you can hire a designer or Upwork or Fiverr to design it for you.
Now that you have your media kit, there are a few ways you can go about sharing it. You can create a Media page on your website that includes the information. You can create a PDF to send to the media upon request. You can include your media kit along with samples sent to retailers and/or affiliates.
Most important – once you create your press kit – make sure you use it to promote your business!
Do you have a press kit for your business? What tools did you use to design it? Where have you received the best response to sending out your media kit? Leave a comment below and share your experience!
And if you need our help in creating one then let’s chat! You can reach us at info@swimweekcalendar.com