Press Kits How To Create A Powerful— And Essential—Part Of Your

Marketing Arsenal

Lisa Horn, CAS Hello! I’m Lisa Horn, CAS,!a.k.a. @ThePublicityGal, !and I put my 18 years of !promotional products industry experience to work consulting with a number of suppliers, distributors and service providers on their publicity, content marketing, catalog, social media and strategic communication efforts.

Takeaways: What You’ll Learn In today’s session, we will: • Examine why media relations is important • Understand the role press kits play at media outlets •  Learn the 10 ingredients every press kit should

include • Cover tips for working with the media

Get Social: Live Sharing Tweet away! Please use #PPAIExpo and/or @thepublicitygal so everyone can track !the conversation.

Why Media Relations? Unlike other types of marketing & advertising, media relations offers several unique benefits: •  Implied third-party

endorsement •  Trust factor; it’s what !

others say about you • Boost to overall image !

and reputation

Why Media Relations? • Builds links to your website and

content for your press page • Gives social proof that !

you are expert enough !to be considered a !source • Gives content for social !

media

Why Media Relations? • Conversation starter with

clients and prospects, turning !a cold call into a warm call • Can lead to guest blogging

and/or speaking opportunities, increasing your impact and influence even more

The Press Kit The press kit (media kit) is a formal introduction of you and your company. Used by entrepreneurs, small biz and large corporations, the press kit tells your story through a collection of company information and articles to the media, investors, clients, prospects and others.

Like other marketing tactics, the goal is to get !your audience’s attention and create enough !interest so they contact you for more info.

The Press Kit Ingredients A comprehensive press kit should include: 1.  An introductory pitch letter—the executive

summary that tells the media what’s in it for them 2.  A company bio, including history 3.  Individual corporate bios of company leadership 4.  Product and service overview, including !

catalogs, sell sheets, reviews, samples, etc.

The Press Kit Ingredients 5.  Current press releases 6.  Recent press mentions and published articles 7.  Sample news story and/or list of story ideas 8.  Videos, podcasts, photos 9.  Frequently asked questions 10. Any other credentials that position you as !

an expert

The Press Kit Ingredients Bonus materials: Depending on your audience and the purpose of your press kit, you can include: •  Financial info (for investor audience) •  Industry info (for media outside promo products) •  Additional support materials: white papers, articles

by senior management, company newsletters •  Charitable endeavors

Simple Or Elaborate? How detailed and complex should your press kit be? It depends on: • What you want to communicate about your

company, product and brand • How frequently information changes • Who your audience is • How much budget you have

Printed Or Electronic? An electronic version of your press kit must live on your website for download. Print it if you: • Are doing a targeted mailing with a specific purpose • Have product samples, catalog or other bulky items

to include • Want to make an impression with creative !

design and packaging • Have a budget to allocate to print

Press Kit Visibility Your press kit has been created. Now what? •  Target media outlets to contact • Add a downloadable PDF on your website’s !

press page • Write about it on your blog • Post about it on social media •  Include it in your company newsletter

Contacting The Media When sending your press kit to the media: • Do your homework and understand the publication

you’re pitching—and tailor your press kit accordingly. • Provide comprehensive info, but don’t overwhelm. •  Take an audience centric approach and provide !

what they need. • When contacted, respond quickly; editors !

are ALWAYS on deadline.

Final Thoughts There’s no such thing as free !press. Earned media is truly !earned—in time and effort. Getting mentioned in the !press—from small niche !magazines to large newsstand !publications—is worth the !investment and should be an integral part of your comprehensive marketing plans.

Let’s Connect http://www.facebook.com/lisakhorn.biz

http://twitter.com/thepublicitygal

Questions