What is a Press Kit?
A press kit is also known as a media kit. It consists of all promotional material about a company, a person, or a company. The press kit or media kit is given to media or press people in order to establish public relations with them or to carry out a promotional campaign. Because of this reason press kit is widely known as a media kit.
The press kit is used by a company to promote its promotional campaigns or a product and to make an effective impression on the people of the media as media has the power to build or ruin the image of companies. Therefore, companies make extra efforts to create a positive image by sending a press kit and media people publish information provided in the press kit to a much wider audience.
In addition to this, by distributing press kit, companies make sure that people of media recognize their brand and products. This helps companies to build their reputation in the market and to promote products.
In the digital world. press kits can also be in digital or electronic form. An electronic press kit is distributed through the website of the business and is commonly referred to as Electronic Press Kit (EPK). The promotional material used in an electronic press kit is in the form of a Portable Data Format Commonly known as PDF. Electronic press kit (EPK) was introduced by Andre Gray who invented Online Music Sales Certificates.
In addition to this, media kits nowadays also used as an advertising tool. Companies give press kits to people who have great fan followings along with samples of the products of the company. There are two reasons behind doing this, one is to make those people aware of their brand and also to reach their followers.
In this way, by spending a little, companies to promote their products to a large audience. In the present time of Instagram and Facebook, there are many people who have become popular by share content on these platforms and have a huge fan following.
These people are commonly known as “Influencers”. Companies target these people, send them press kit, and request them to talk about their products in the content shared by them. This is one of the cheapest methods of adverting your products.
Press kits are usually created by companies ahead of their product launch or conference and given to all important people free of cost.
How to create a Press Kit?
There are various things which be included in a pressing bit on the basis of the people you are targeting and on the basis of what is your purpose of sending out press kits. Creating a press kit doesn’t mean that you should include every single promotional material produced by your company. the material used in the press kit should contain material which is current, related to the product you want to promote, and which adds to the credibility of the company and also prepare your press kit according to the audience you are targeting.
In this section, you will learn about the things that you can include in your press kit. However, it is not necessary for you to include everything that I mentioned here in your press kit. You can choose the things that you want to include in your press kit.
1. A letter introducing your company
The first and most important content of the press kit is the introduction letter. The introduction letter should be written in such a way that it grabs the attention of your reader and makes them look forward to what else comes in the press kit. The letter should mention the content of the press kit. Details about the product launched and the company and your contact information so that they can reach you easily.
A pro tip about writing an introductory letter is that the letter should be written in such a way so that the reader should feel that the letter is personally referring to them. Send them a hand-written stating a few good things about them and tell them why you chose to send them the press kit.
2. Information about the company
The next important thing that you should include in your press kit is a document containing information about your company. Writing this document is a tricky job. There are chances that this document can be boring for your reader to read and they might skip reading it altogether.
Therefore, present information in such a way that it looks visually good and easy to read. This document should contain information like the history of your company, information about the chief officers and owners. You can add bio sheets of their profiles.
3. A Brochure
A brochure is an informative document that companies use to advertise their products. The brochure contains information like ingredients, usage methods, price, etc. about a single product of the company. Brochures are in the form of folded pocket folders.
People can easily keep them and can use them in the future to read about the information about the products provided by your company. You can send brochures of other products along with the press kit. The receiver of your press kit will not only learn about the product that you are advertising but also about all other products offered by your company.
4. Case Studies
Including case studies is the best way to make the receiver know about your product and also to tell them about the effectiveness and success of your product. make sure that such content is not mentioned as a way of self-promotion.
Press kit is for media people and they can use these stories to print or talk on their platforms. The effectiveness of these case studies will reduce if you try to promote yourself as well as the reader will start doubting the authenticity of the information that you have provided.
If possible get before and after pictures from your customers and include them in your press kit only after getting their permission.
5. Media Assets
The purpose of sending press kits is to get mentioned on media platforms. Therefore, you should prepare your material in such a way that it is ready to be published on media without editing.
Include the high-resolution pictures of your product from different angles. If you have a video of your product. include it in a separate folder so that it is not missed by a media person. Videos and photographs are easy to include in electronic press kits.
However, in the latest Google phone campaign. Google company sent a press kit that consists of a screen fitted in the box which starts playing as soon as the receiver opens the box. Isn’t it a brilliant idea for advertising?
The key to success for advertising using a press kit is by using your creative idea. your creativity helps you to grab the attention of media people.
6. Samples of the product:
Do you know what can save your press kit going straight to the trash box? Samples of your products. people love free things and there are chances that they will talk about your company and your products if they can try them. This will help them to give honest reviews of the product. Make sure that your product is working fine before sending it.
otherwise, you will defeat the whole purpose of promotion. However, if you are preparing a press kit for a product which is big in size and require demonstration for people to learn about its working then you can include a separate note for the readers stating when and where they can come to get the demonstration of the product that you are offering.
If you use Instagram then you must have seen influencers promoting the products which are sent to them by the companies in the hope of getting mentioned.
7. Product Information
Along with the sample of the product, you should also include a document consist of detailed information about your product. you can mention what results users should expect, directions to use it, Details about the ingredient of the product or technical specification if you are sending an electronic gadget.
Make sure that all information provided by you is written clearly so that the media person doesn’t have to struggle to read it and also make sure to mention the right price of the product and the details of the packages if your rendering services.
8. Logo of your company
The logo should be sent in different forms and different formats because different companies have different requirements. Make sure that your logo looks good without any editing.
Sending These assets reduces the work of media people as they don’t have to put extra effort to search for the small things to make publish about it.
9. Press Publications and press releases
It is a smart move to include all information about the past press releases and media coverage. Media people want to talk about other media people are talking about.
Take the print out of the mentions, articles, and stories and include them in your press kit.
10. Frequently asked questions:
it is common for people to have questions in mind and you should be ready for it. do research and prepare a list of questions that are frequently asked by people about your product. provide answers to all of these questions in detail and include a copy of a document in the press kit.
However, in an electronic press kit, you can include the link of the web page where people can go and read if they have any questions.
11. Contact Details:
At last, don’t forget to mention your contact details if a media person wants to communicate with you. include your email address, contact number and physical address of your office.
12. Others things to include:
In addition to all the above-mentioned things, there are other things that you can include in your press kit. For example, recent awards, involvement with a non-profit organization, white paper, factual background information, photos, mission or objectives, significant statistic information about the certain audience, information about upcoming events, giveaway information, etc.
Importance of a Press Kit
In the time of tough competition, where there are hundreds of options for a single product and similar alternatives are introduced in the market as soon as your product is launched, having strong public relations with media people will provide you an edge over your competitors. Because people buy what they see.
When they see that the public figures that they admire or magazine that they trust for the authenticity of the data are promoting your product rather than you self-promoting your own product, it makes them give try to that product.
Moreover, distributing press kit is far inexpensive than running full-time advertising on television. You can save the money that you spend on expensive advertisements and you will get reviews about your product from expert people. You can use that information to improve your product.
Where to use a Press Kit?
Press kits are used to promote new products and to establish public relations. Companies sent out a press kit when they launch a new product or for the upcoming conference or event. in the past time, the material of press kits was designed for newspapers and magazines.
But in the present time, the readers of printed media are declining and digital media is booming. Therefore, companies now target digital media platforms to promote their products. For example, a popular YouTuber named Jack reviews newly launched mobile ways in a very creative way where he literally checks the claims made by the company. People trust his reviews and buy product referred by him.
My point of mentioning this example is that nowadays, the target for distributing press kit is changed and now companies target websites with heavy traffic and influencers and YouTubers with a large number of followers.
