How to Write a Great Media Kit

How to Write a News Release

If you’re contacting the media without a media kit you’re in for a big disappointment because without a media kit your chances of appearing on a radio or TV show is practically zero.

Why?

Because, without such a must document-set, the Program Managers won’t take you seriously. They are very busy people and they'll think you are “wasting their precious time.” So be prepared before contacting them.

A media kit is nothing more than a bunch of documents gathered in a Two-Pocket Folder.

(Photo via Wikipedia, courtesy of Steve Vogel, Independent Printing Company, Inc.)

1) NEWS RELEASE. Should be newsworthy. Otherwise editors won’t pick it up. Provide the editors an irresistible reason to pick your story. Try to be topical and index your story to an important and current news story (to the extent possible). Use as many BULLETS as possible for easy scanning. See PRESS RELEASE for more tips on how to write a great news release in 4 easy steps.

2) BIOGRAPHY. A 1-page summary of your background. Include only the RELEVANT details from your past. If this is a biography of a musician who just released a new country music CD, you can safely skip that detail about selling cars and trucks or aluminum siding some 28 years ago.

3) HEADSHOT. A great 8.5” x 11” glossy photo, PROFESSIONALLY shot in a STUDIO. Do NOT send any old photo taken in your backyard with your digital camera! Be a professional if you want to be treated as a professional. Include a JPG digital version of your photo as well.

4) Suggested INTERVIEW QUESTIONS. Media personalities are very busy people and they usually do not have the time to either read your book or press release. The chances are the first time they’ll start to think about you is just minutes after you show up in the studio.

You can help them tremendously by providing in advance all the questions that you’d like them to ask you -- complete with the answers so that they will also know in advance what you will say and in which direction the interview will go. Ten questions and answers should be sufficient.

5) DISCUSSION POINTS related to an important news story of the day so that the interviewer can relate your subject to something topical. “Topicality” is a very important concept in media interviews since people are interested only in what's latest. By establish that link you’ll come across as relevant and that way you’ll sell more of whatever you’re trying to sell.

6) EXCERPTS from your book, if you’re out there selling a published book. A chapter, with important sections highlighted with a yellow marker, is a good way to present your material.

7) PRESS CLIPPINGS about the previous radio or TV shows that you’ve appeared on, or about the articles published about you and your work.

8) TESTIMONIALS from other newsmakers and media personalities who have known you. We are of course assuming that they will have nice things to say about you. Otherwise don’t bother to include it in your Media Kit.

9) CONTACT INFORMATION. Your web site URL, email, snail mail, social networking and phone numbers.