The Essentials Every Press Kit Needs

Written by Katelynn Sortino, Prezly

Whether you call it a press kit, media kit, digital press kit, electronic press kit, EPK, or any other variation, the point remains the same: press kits are as important now as they have ever been. Think of them as a shiny, flashy resume for your agency, full of all the juiciest, most curated content.

Major brands and small businesses alike all benefit from having a dedicated press kit at their beck and call. But what is a press kit, why should you have one, and where should you keep it? Let’s break down the absolute essentials for any stellar press kit.

What’s a press kit, and why is it important?

A press kit is essentially a curated set of assets and resources selected to communicate your brand to anyone looking to tell your story. In the past, that was mostly journalists; today, everyone from your favorite puppy fashion influencer to the average consumer can benefit.

It’s a great way to take the legwork out of sharing your brand, your products, and your message. Instead of pitching your entire product or service to every single potential journalist, investor, partner, and customer individually, your press kit can do the heavy lifting for you.

Think of it as a toolkit that anyone can use to paint an accurate picture of your brand.

It’s the absolute best, fastest way to share all of your pertinent agency info with anyone who wants it. Does a journalist want to write a story about your latest launch? Send them a link! Is your grandmother trying (and failing) to explain what you do for a living to her weekly bridge club? Send them all a link!

Back in the day, press kits used to be sent manually via a CD or thumb drive and generally on a need-to-know basis, primarily for journalism coverage. Nowadays, however, they are typically hosted online or sent via email as a Dropbox link or PDF. This is great because very few journalists want 400 individual files sent to their Google Drive or cluttering up their desktop.

Hosting press kits on the company website is becoming industry standard. Online hosting gives you more freedom to keep your content fresh and relevant, so that you can get the most up-to-date information to the people that want it. If you decide to host your press kit within your wider newsroom, you’ll also have the opportunity to pair it with your top press release examples, helping to paint an even more holistic portrait of your brand.

Who should have a press kit?

While they used to be utilized mainly by businesses and major organizations, the humble press kit is now experiencing a renaissance thanks to the internet. Turns out, the web is good for more than just gifs of cats doing funny things. Who knew!

Anyone can have a press kit, from an Etsy crafter to a mommy blogger to a Fortune 500 company. They’re great for creatives too, like filmmakers and artists. Anyone hoping to obtain media coverage or communicate their brand or service can and should have a press kit.

In fact, rarely is a press kit a bad thing. Any time you can shape your brand in a meaningful way to gain fans and media coverage, you should.

Think of it as a toolkit that anyone can use to paint an accurate picture of your brand.

What essentials should be included in your press kit?

What an agency, company or individual chooses to include in their press kit will be highly specific to their industry. However, there are a few absolutely must-have, no questions asked, peak essentials that every kit should contain:

• Boilerplate – The most pertinent company details.
• Biographies – Showcase your fantastic staff and their accomplishments.
• Quotes & testimonials – Want to share real experiences from people using your brand or product? Include them!
• Logos – Including a variety of high-quality logos in various sizes ensures that journalists won’t grab an old, outdated logo off Google Images.
• High-resolution images – High-res photos are an absolute must. Any journalist who plans on doing any coverage for your brand needs, at a minimum, several high-quality images to choose from; that goes double for print publications.
• Contact information – If your reader found your content, odds are good that they’ll want to connect with you. Let them know how to get in touch.
• Socials – Let people know where to engage with your brand on social media.
• Product/service fact sheet – Give your readers the basics in an easily digestible, professional fact sheet.

What else can you include in your press kit?

If you want to include a media gallery full of cat gifs, you absolutely can and nobody will stop you. But for most people, cat gifs may not adequately communicate their professional business goals. Things you should include if they are relevant:

• Video and audio content – This is exceptionally useful for people like musicians, filmmakers, podcasters, and actors. You can include a reel of your past work, samples of your content, music videos, audio files, and more.
• Press coverage – Share exciting media mentions or showcases.
• Client list – A few high-profile clients can add credibility.
• Accreditations and awards – Show off those accomplishments!
• Links to newsrooms and case studies – Let your audience discover more about your company through pertinent links.
• Company history and timeline – Share more company background.

If it makes your brand look credible, professional, and worthy of notice, include it. Your press kit is not a time for humility, it’s a chance to highlight what differentiates you from the competition. Brag about yourself and your team! You’ve earned it, champ.

Conclusion

A press kit is crucial to advancing your brand’s message and telling your story the way you want to tell it. Compile all of the materials, resources, and assets that help your brand stand out, and make a truly remarkable press kit that works for you. Cat gifs are optional.

Learn more about photography tips to make your press kit pop, or check out these fantastic press kit examples for further inspiration!

About Katelynn

Katelynn Sortino is a storyteller at Prezly, where she gets the opportunity to write about all things communications, public relations, technology, and social media (her favorite topics). Originally from Alaska, she is currently living full-time in Morocco with her husband and tiny dog.