Hey YesSupply community! Welcome back to Part 2 of the Be Your Own Publicist series. For those who may not know me, my name is Adjoa and I’m a publicist that specializes in building relationships for clients in the sports industries that will help build their digital footprint and increase exposure in their communities. As a digital brand builder and PR expert, I believe in telling stories and creating experiences to connect people to brands. As a regular contributor to the community, I will be frequently giving you tips and tricks on how YOU – yes you, can be your very own publicist and get your brand or business in the press. In this article, I break down the importance of having a professional press kit for your brand’s success.

How to Create Your Own Professional Press Kit

Q. What is a press kit?

A press kit is like a resume for your brand or business. It is a collection of information and articles put together to address questions from the media, investors or potential clients. The goal of the press kit is the same as all other marketing that a business does.

Q. Why are press kits important?

Well, the press kit is ever-evolving and while some brands still produce printed press materials, most businesses and brands have gotten savvier. Press kits have been morphed into elaborately designed folders of digital information that are shared via email, a download link or publicly on a company website. In addition to saving money on printing and mailing costs, the modern press kit gives media instant access to photos and videos featuring your business or brand.

There are many items that can go into a press kit, depending on the situation, the audience or the use. When putting together a professional press kit for your brand, focus on the key elements. You want your press kit to be a one-stop-shop for any journalist looking to write about your business or brand.

Here are some ideas of what to include in your professional press kit:

An introductory letter

Say “hey!” Sometimes referred to as the pitch letter – this first impression item is where you will grab or lose the reader’s interest. Tell them upfront why they should even care about what you’re telling them. Be sure to include a table of contents or a brief description of the items enclosed in the actual press kit.

Business overview

What does your business or brand do? When did it start? The overview is the place to sum up your business so that even someone who hasn’t heard of you before will understand what your operation is all about.

Biographies

Talk about the brand’s founders, CEO and other key executives. You always want to include in your biography why you started your business, your mission, and any details that you think is important for someone to know. Allow your reader to get to know you a little bit more, don’t be afraid to tell them your story. Oh, and don’t be shy to use this opportunity to toot your own horn a little bit!

Ex.

“Adjoa Atuahene is a communications professional from Toronto, Ontario with over 5 years of expertise in Public Relations & Branding. With hard work and determination, she has created innovative campaigns and branding strategies for various entertainment, fashion, sports and non-profit brands.

She has been privileged to have worked in multiple industries from fashion and beauty to sports, and can be found where aesthetics and athletics meet. Adjoa has had the opportunity to work for major platforms in Canada and the United States like BET Awards and OVO Sound record label founded by Multi-Platinum selling, Grammy Award winning recording artist Drake, for sporting teams and events like the NBA’s Toronto Raptors, NBL Canada, TORONTO 2015 Pan American/Parapan American Games, and fashion/beauty agencies like Faulhaber Communications which has allowed her access to Mercedes–Benz Fashion Week and World MasterCard Fashion Week.”

A media alert with (event) details

This document gets down to the nitty gritty and it includes the who, what, where, when and why for the event you’re hosting. It’s used when trying to secure media to attend and cover an event.

Press

You should always include at least your one or two most recent press releases, and also should include any coverage or mentions in the press your brand has received, such as reprints of magazines spreads, clips from a newsreel, or even screenshots from social media. So yes, tweets from your most loyal customers of your brand DO count as press. #Winning

Multimedia materials

Include your most top notch pictures and videos here! These can be photos of your products, beautiful head shots of your team, video of a virtual tour of your workspace or a map of your location.

Contact Information

This seems like a no-brainer, right? You’d be surprised how often people overlook this section telling media how to contact you for more information. You should list phone numbers and email addresses for your brands main point of contact, PR rep or a designated staff member who handles media requests.

Majority of press kits are found online these days, which makes them super easy to distribute to journalists, simple to update and cheaper to produce – a win, win situation! If your brand or business has the budget, consider building a dedicated site that can be the destination for all of your latest press information. Another option is to upload your press kit to a file sharing service like Google Drive or Dropbox to host all of your press information.

The key to getting noticed is to package your materials in a creative and unique way and make sure the materials are presented professionally. Busy editors sort through piles of press kits each day. Programs like Canva are perfect for those who may not be the most design savvy but need a quick and easy-to-use fix. Remember, just because you think something is newsworthy doesn’t mean a journalist will agree. Use this opportunity to show off your creative super powers that you’ve been blessed with!

Knowing when and where to send your kit is crucial. You should spend some time researching media outlets to know which ones are most likely to be interested, and cover your brand. Including a personalized intro letter in your email helps make a connection with the person you’re trying to reach out to.

Last but not least, make sure to follow up. MAJOR KEY. It is so important to make sure your intended recipient actually received your press kit. Use this opportunity to build genuine relationships with editors, you never know, it might lead to coffee (or champagne). By doing this, it will essentially improve your chances of being published by your intended audience now and in the future.