Developing a Press Kit for Your Small Business

You can market your business to the media on a budget. Firms utilize a press kit to introduce themselves to the news media. A press kit provides reporters, investors, and analysts with vital information about a company's composition, recent news, and prospects for growth.

Regardless of whether your company assembles a kit or commissions another firm to do so, it is integral that the final product communicate your story clearly, concisely, and at a relevant time. The press kit does not need to appear glamorous or weighty.

A press kit includes the following:

A one-page list of the basic statistics. The list includes the firm's name, its largest subsidiaries, the founders, and the date that the firm was founded. It should also highlight the firm's primary business, revenues, or earnings information; poignant market data; the number of employees and locations; and a sample of key clients.
A logo or image. Full-color, glossy photos or sketches draw attention to your firm's information. Standard features include a color portrait of the company's President or Chief Executive Officer and an illustration of the flagship product. If your firm's service or product is complicated, incorporate graphics to illustrate.
A company history. Include a timeline of events if your firm is more than a few years old or has been reorganized. Key timeline events include when the firm received venture capital funding, when new products or services were unveiled, and when the firm was restructured in a significant way. Generally, restructurings include the replacement of one or more senior executives.
A press release. Clearly and concisely state why your company is important now. Consider centering on a recent event. It is not necessary to exceed one page. Check out for specific details to include in a press release.
Contact information. Provide a point of contact for inquiries by reporters. Points of contact may include the president of a small firm, a third party agency, or an in-house representative. The contact must be informed as to the company's history and current events and must be able to answer probing questions. This contact is your firm's diplomat to reporters and analysts and should follow a system for referring reporters to other firm employees. This contact should return calls from the media promptly because most media reporters and analysts adhere to stringent deadlines. Informative, courteous, prompt companies are the stronger candidates for a reporter's stories.

Provide a downloadable version of your press kit on your Web site. This way, reporters and analysts can access everything they need. This step alone can save your company the cost of printing thousands of expensive press kits.

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