Create a Simple Press Kit

If you want to promote your business through social media, online blogs, or television – it's important to prepare a basic press kit about yourself or your company. You can use it not only as a way of grabbing attention but it will also be ready for when a reporter or blogger contacts you. In the kit, you will need:

• The story of your company; how you got started, significant events during your history, and info about the founders.

• A separate page that highlights your company’s unique attributes.

• Include your personal bio; list awards and accomplishments.

• Supply a few hi-res photos that can be used by the publication. Don't have any? Consider hiring a photography student from a local highschool or college to shoot some good images. You can save some money and they get a job to list on their resume. Be sure you have all rights to use all photos in any media. You can also get double-duty by utilizing them on your own website and social media.

• Consider including a story that is ready to go, with all facts and figures already included; another great usage for a talented student if you are not confident in your own writing skills. Make sure that it is "newsy" rather than sounding like an ad.

• Think about lead times and deadlines when submitting story ideas, allowing at least 2 weeks or more for anything online, and a month or more for newspapers TV and radio, and even several months for magazines – depending on the venue. In other words, don't submit a story about your Christmas party as Santa is arriving in his sleigh.

• Include social media links as well as phone and email contact info for yourself or whomever is the spokesperson for your company. Be sure to respond quickly to any queries.

You will find that writers, producers and even bloggers will truly appreciate your materials - and that they will tend to use you in stories much more often when you make their jobs a little bit easier.