Alumni ABCs: The Media Kit 2.0 Resolution

Ah, the media kit … that necessary evil of marketing and promotion. If you’re like most of us, January is that time when we set our goals and plan our marketing strategy for the coming year. It’s also the perfect time to make sure that our media kit is doing all it can to promote us.

Even if you don’t have a formal portfolio that you call a media kit, odds are pretty good that you have …

  • The professional head shot;
  • Two bios (one short, one long);
  • An already-filled-in Q&A;
  • The sell sheet;
  • Testimonials page (or copies of articles); and
  • Photo(s) of the product … maybe even you using them.
That’s a media kit. It tells your would-be consumers and audience who you are and what you’re selling. Traditionally, everything was printed hard copy and sent via the US Postal Service. Very expensive and getting more so.

The good news is that the Worldwide Web has made it easier (and cheaper) to share that information for free. You don’t need a printing or mailing budget for your media kit anymore. There is still a place/need for old-school mailings, but there is less need to rely on them as your “hook.”

These days, we not only access the Internet from our desktops, many of us carry it with us on our phones! There isn’t a consumer who doesn’t know about the Worldwide Web or use it for some aspect of their daily life. Bottom line: they know how to find you online.

The key is making sure it is easy for them to find whether they’re visiting your website or blog. You may want something as formal as a Media Room (aka page) or part of an About page. The good news is you probably have all the content ready to be uploaded or set up with links from other spots. In one afternoon you can create a handy resource that can be found when people search your name, your product, or your area of expertise. You’ve got an easy way to link people to more about you when you send out email, too. 

Something you might not have handy is more interactive and/or visual content. Getting your audience’s attention in this 2.0 (read: 21st century) requires a more sophisticated hook. Let’s use the canned biography s an example. Your would-be audience wants to know more about you than the standard blurb. They want a chance to get to know you and decide whether/not they like you. Ditto for your product.

Today’s media kit requires that you include “interactive and/or visual content.” What does that mean?

In a word: video. This doesn’t have to be an Academy Award-worthy production. A Powerpoint slideshow, images of you reading or talking about your book … the sky is the limit. People want the chance to “meet” you  not just read about you. It is a chance for them to hear your voice and see the authentic you, not just the polished words that an editor could have written.

Bottom line: audiences (of all ages) are more likely to listen to you narrate information about your product than to read a detailed, traditional back story. More good news: you don’t need expensive equipment or experience as a film-maker. Remember – this is about the authentic you. The person whom you would greet at a book-signing or a seminar.

On YouTube (and other video-sharing websites) you’ll find plenty of examples of ways individuals and companies have illustrated, demonstrated, or talked about their product or brand. Look at a bunch of them … what are the qualities you like? what are the formats you don’t? Do you see ways you can adapt something to your own style or product?

As you think about the coming year and your marketing goals, take a look at your Media Kit. It is your audition to would-be consumers. Are you putting your best foot forward?

Other free resources for learning about Media Kits
5 Ways to Create a Media Kit by Joanna L. Krtoz (on Microsoft Small Business website)
Building Your Online Media Kit by Direct Contact PR
How to Build a Sales or Media Kit at e-How.com

Image Credits all go to OpenClipArt.org
Open Folder by Dagobert83
Band of Icons by AntiFlash
Movie Camera by SchoolFreeWare