Press Kit: The Complete Guide
Last update: 27 April 2023 at 12:35 pm
3.00/5For companies that want to promote their brand and products, getting media attention, designing a press kit can be a winning strategy.
Nevertheless, it is necessary to invest enough time in the creation of such a file. It is important to include as much relevant information about your company as possible, in order to attract the interest of journalists and guarantee better media coverage.
In this article, we explain what a press kit is, why and how to make one, and what its components are.
In addition, we can also advise you on the best press relations agencies.
What Is a Press Kit?
A press kit is a document that outlines in greater detail the information provided in a press release or press conference.
It usually contains key information about a:
- company (name, field of intervention, objectives, etc.) ;
- product (features, benefits, etc.);
- campaign (cause, objectives, etc.).
However, it is important to keep in mind that the press kit will not only repeat information already disclosed.
It will not only go into more depth, but also provide additional information that has not been previously disclosed.
Thus, while the press release is very condensed and can only contain a limited amount of information, the press kit allows it to go further and gives more space to the companies.
In the same way, while a press conference will be oriented on one main piece of information, the press kit allows to cover several topics related to the news of a company, and this in a single document.
Read our complete guide to public relations to learn more.
What Are the Objectives of a Press Kit?
The main objective of a press kit is to state all the key information about a company:
- Its history ;
- Its objectives ;
- Its products and services;
- Customer testimonials;
- Etc.
Unlike other marketing methods, such as publishing content online, the press kit will need to be more specific in its content.
This means that the information given should be customized to the needs of the journalists: some aspects of your company are more likely to interest them than others.
This document also acts as a promoter for your brand and its activities. When you are just starting your business or when you are launching a new product or service, you need to generate visibility and excitement.
A press article dedicated to you could generate significant publicity for your company. For this, sending a press release to journalists, coupled with the creation of a complete press kit, can be a winning strategy.
A public relations agency can help you.
Moreover, having an up-to-date press kit also saves time. In case a journalist would like to write an article about your company, you could very quickly provide them with information about you.
Why Make a Press Kit?
With the Internet, all information about a group, a product, or a campaign is available online and easily accessible.
But has the press kit lost all its interest?
With the development of digital technology, is it really still worth investing in a press kit?
The answer is yes. Let’s see why making a press kit still has an interest.
To Control the Brand Image
The press kit offers you the advantage of presenting your company as you wish. You control the image you want to give.
Indeed, when the information presented is incomplete, whether on a website or a press release, the media, and the general public can interpret it in the wrong way.
A press kit, on the other hand, is a tool that allows you to develop your messages in-depth, by being precise and presenting all the information that concerns you.
This in-depth aspect allows you to protect your brand image by being complete and transparent in the information you transmit. The objective is to avoid any quid pro quo regarding your brand.
In addition, the press kit can contain photos and videos provided in addition to support your texts. These multimedia are sent in order to be used in the articles that journalists will write.
This strategy allows companies to control the images that will be presented to the public.
To Build Loyalty and Attract More Customers
To build customer confidence, it is essential to keep them informed about your brand. This means creating and making available a press kit on your website to show transparency.
Similarly, to let potential customers know what your brand does, how it works, what its values are or even the experience you have in your field, the press kit can be a great source of information.
To Save Time
When the press wants to highlight you, having a press kit will allow you to quickly provide journalists with all the information they might need.
This can be for a variety of reasons:
- You have achieved good financial results,
- You are launching a new product,
- Your company has just closed a fund-raising,
- Etc.
Whatever the subject, having a press kit will save you time. And above all, avoid the pressure of creating the content that you will have to provide during the coverage that the press will give you.
Be prepared. Always have an up-to-date press kit. This is necessary in case a reporter shows up at your door to write a story about you.
In Summary
It is true that the advent of the Internet has made information much more available than ever before. Journalists can now find out for themselves by searching for the information they need directly on the web.
However, this does not mean that the creation of a press kit should be neglected. Indeed, having such a document will serve your professionalism and your brand image.
It shows that you take into consideration the needs of journalists. By providing them with a file made from A to Z, you make their job easier. You save them from having to do research to find the information they need.
How to Build a Press Kit?
There are several steps to follow in order to write a good press kit. And if you need assistance, we can introduce you to the best public relations agencies.
Define the Objectives of the Press Kit
Before writing your press kit, it is important to start by defining the objectives you are trying to achieve. These objectives will help you choose the content that will be presented in your kit.
Here are some examples of objectives you can set for yourself:
- Build awareness of your brand and its products.
- Present your new company.
- Promote a new product, a new service or an event.
- Launch a marketing campaign.
Write a Powerful Title
The title is one of the most important elements of the press kit. Indeed, it can directly arouse the journalist’s interest and curiosity, or on the contrary discourage him from reading the document.
The title must therefore be clear, presenting the content succinctly, without revealing everything.
With this in mind, the title should be :
- Short.
- Catchy.
- Poignant, moving, upsetting or touching.
- Clear and explicit.
- Honest and consistent with the reality of the story.
Design a Cover Page That Encourages Reading
The effort and time that a company has invested in a press kit can be seen and felt through the cover page.
It must therefore be neat and include certain essential elements, namely
- The title of the file.
- The company’s logo.
- The name of the company, the campaign or the event.
- The date (in the case of an event).
- An image explaining your event or project.
- Tones and fonts that match the company’s spirit.
Create a Header for the Pages of the File
The cover page, as well as the pages of your press kit, must correspond to the design codes, colors, as well as the usual fonts used by your company.
In addition, the document’s sheets should have a specific header.
This includes:
- Company name;
- Quick contact number;
- Company email address;
- The postal address of the company’s headquarters;
- Website or blog URL.
Create a Summary
To make the reader want to read the file, it must be ordered and follow a precise plan. The mention of a summary is not mandatory in a press kit. However, it is strongly recommended so that the reader can immediately identify the different parts of the document.
It also allows the journalist to orient himself and to consult directly the parts he wants to read.
Write a Clear and Explicit Introduction
The introduction, which is the summary of your press kit, must be given special attention. It must clearly state the subject that will be developed in the body of the dossier.
In this part of your document, you can briefly present your project, your event, or your company. Then, indicate the flow and the plan of your document.
Finally, mention some of the strengths of your case.
Note that the introduction should be oriented according to the objectives established before the writing.
Telling the Company’s Story
Storytelling is known to be one of the best marketing weapons you can use.
Tell your story:
- When and where your business was founded,
- when it opened,
- the initiator of the idea or project,
- or the event that started it.
Presenting the birth of a company through the vision of its founder allows you to draw attention to the human aspect of this company and thus induce empathy in the reader.
The whole objective is to show transparency, and to show that it is real people who are behind the company that is presented.
Presenting the Company
In the presentation of the company, it is important to mention all the key information and data:
- Location of the company’s headquarters.
- Number of stores or offices.
- Type of products or services sold.
- Number of employees.
- Names of top management (president, general manager, secretary general, head of different departments).
- Number of customers.
- Names of some notable customers.
- Objectives of an event organized by the company.
- Sponsors and partners of the event
This section should not be too dense. It should, at most, be 2 pages long.
The objective is not to fill the file with text, but to provide key data so that journalists can quickly copy them for use in the articles they write.
Adding Key Statistics
Statistics are important because they help prove the relevance and professionalism of your company. Also, for better visibility of this section, place it in the center or towards the top of the document.
It is also advisable to accompany the figures with graphics.
For example, the increase in the number of website visits over the years can be represented in the form of a graph.
In addition, the nature of statistical data can be multiple:
- Number of followers on different social networks.
- Number of visitors per month and per year of the company’s website.
- Number of visits to the blog each month.
- Evolution of sales.
- Evolution of the number of customers.
- Etc.
Present Your Product
Describe the product in a simple and eloquent way, specifying :
- Its price,
- its usefulness,
- and how it works.
If your company sells services, it is essential to present the rates, the packages and the services included in each case.
It is possible that over time and with the evolution of the brand, the prices of products or services change. It is therefore mandatory to regularly review the information in the press kit and update it when necessary.
Include Team Member Biographies
To add value to the brand, it is important to present the skills and abilities of the people in charge of the brand. To do this, it is necessary to write brief biographies and professional portraits of the company’s founder, president, or even director.
Describe clearly the contributions made by these personalities in the evolution of the company, in the creation of a new product, or in the organization of an event.
Prepare the Contact Page
To make it easy for journalists to contact you if they decide to write an article about your company, it is essential to display all your contact information:
- Phone number.
- Email address.
- Postal address.
- Web page.
- Social media accounts.
When a reporter is writing an article about your company, or one of your products, they may need additional information. That’s why they may need to contact you.
In addition to presenting all the contact information of the company, it is essential to give the contact of a manager who can arrange interviews or provide additional information.
Inserting Appropriate Images to Illustrate the Press Kit
For a persuasive press kit, it is essential to include professional photos that show the company’s team, products and services. Your photos should be sharp and well-lit, as they will serve to enhance your company’s brand image.
They will also give your press kit more personality.
How to Design a Press Kit?
Many press kits are designed without ever being able to catch the attention of journalists. To attract media interest, your press kit must stand out from the crowd, not only in its word choice and writing style but also in its overall appearance.
Thus, to optimize your press kit, it is essential to personalize it as much as possible. The choice of layout must be original.
Also, think about the following elements :
- colors used,
- contrasts,
- fonts,
- images,
- type of paper used.
Read our article on graphic design to learn more.
In Summary
In the end, the question to always keep in mind when putting together your press kit is:
“Is my press kit making life easier for the journalist who will want to write an article about my company?“
By keeping this in mind, you will be able to know what elements and information to include in your kit to increase your chances of appearing in the press.
What Makes a Good Press Kit?
A good press kit makes journalists want to keep looking through it and keep it. To do this, it must first be pleasant to read, with a clear plan and a well-structured summary. This will allow the reader to go directly to the points that interest them more than others.
A good press kit should be between 5 and 10 pages. Also keep in mind that the quality of the document does not depend on the quantity of words or images it presents, but is primarily the result of the :
- layout of the document,
- the quality of its texts,
- relevance of the information provided.
To make the document explicit, specify “press kit” on the cover page and put your company’s name and logo on it.
Conclusion
It is essential for a company to keep its press kit up to date. Indeed, if the company knows many changes, delivers new products, and obtains new results, it is necessary that it undertakes to update its press kit.
Thus, your press kit must be regularly reviewed and updated to ensure that the information contained in it is correct.
Moreover, if there is one thing to remember when designing a press kit, it is that it must be as complete as possible. The reason is simple: to facilitate the work of journalists.
Indeed, journalists are so busy that they have little time to produce content. The more complete your dossier is, the easier it will be for the journalists you are trying to reach to write it, and the more likely you will be to receive press coverage.
If you want to go further, our complete guide to public relations is available online.
