Originally posted on Linkedin Pulse by Ilissa Miller
A press kit is a presentation of your company’s products and services in a hard-copy or electronic format. If you choose to create an electronic press kit, please keep all information including brochures and data sheets in a Word document format versus a hard-copy PDF – so it is easier for a journalist or analyst to capture the information they need for a story or news item directly from your materials. Many companies provide both a word and PDF version of documents to give the media a choice. The presentation of your electronic materials is equally important as printed materials. If a physical hand-off is required or expected we suggest that you provide materials on a branded USB drive so a journalist or analyst can easily identify which company’s materials are on the drive and can choose the format they prefer.
Brochures and Data Sheets
A company brochure or data sheet is acceptable to include in a press kit. However, inserting all company data sheets and brochures into a press kit is unnecessary unless this information is germane to new product/service/company announcements that will accommodate this material.
Press Releases
Press releases should be current, to the point, accurate and timely. Journalists specifically take the inverted pyramid approach, which means capturing the most important information from the top down on a press release. Here is a breakdown:
- A summary statement at the top of the release provides a quick and easy way to determine if the content is relevant for their readers. This is different than the first paragraph.
- Bold subheads and bullet points summarizing product features and benefits makes it easy for an journalist or analyst to scan the release quickly for the information they need
- Headlines should clearly indicate release content and kept at 100 characters
- The release should contain your media contact information so a journalist or analyst can follow-up.
If the release is an announcement in which a company representative is speaking during an event like a conference or tradeshow, it is a good idea to provide a headshot of the speaker (as a link, if electronic), a short biography of the individual and an easy-to-read information box on the speaker’s presentation including when (date and time), where (physical location), and what topic the speaker will address. Provide contact information within the box so a journalist or analyst can follow-up before or after the session.
Company Fact Sheet – Who We Are What We Do
This one-page document provides basic information about your company including:
- Company logo
- Corporate tagline
- List of products and services with a one-sentence description of each and may include pricing and availability if relevant
- An “About Us” paragraph (the ‘boiler plate’) should include information pertaining to your company addressing: who, what, where, how and why. This may include information such as a descriptor of who you are, what your business does, how long you have been in business, your market value and/or differentiators, number of employees, office locations, your industry segment (SaaS provider, IT company, Data Center, Telecommunications Network Provider) and your position within this segment, your target customer verticals or segments, what benefits you deliver to your customers, awards or accomplishments (raised capital, increased revenue to $65 million 2014, etc.)
- Current industry facts, quotes and trends from leading analysts and market research firms add value to any press release or announcement and provides additional credibility to the reader
- Contact information for personnel who can speak to the media
- Social media URLs, website URL
- C-level or other high-ranking executive bios
- Provides quotes from executives that pertain to a specific subject that have not been used previously
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