Let's Talk Media Kits
Over the weekend I went on Instagram live and answered some of your media kit questions. In case you missed it, I've listed the media kit faqs below.
Q: What is a media kit?
A: A media kit is essentially a social resume. A document you can share with potential partners which shares information about you and your brand.
Q: Should you have a media kit if you haven't worked with any brands yet?
A: This is a question we get at least twice a week. It's a good one. When you invest in a media kit is up to you. I personally recommend you wait to have a brand or two under your belt. However, I have had clients who haven't worked with any brands, and rather than leaving the partnership portion of their media kit empty, they create mock campaigns that show what they have the potential of delivering, were a partnership to form.
Q: Should you have a certain amount of followers before investing in a media kit?
A: Similar to the question prior to this one, that's also up to you. Recently there have been industry discussions regarding micro and macro influencers. These are influencers with smaller followings. Brands are finding that these influencers have just as much if not more success with brand partnerships. I would say that if you feel you are ready to get out there, just do it. The worst that can happen is that a brand will say no. You learn from that and you try again.
Q: When should you invest in a media kit?
A: I suppose this answer ties all of the questions above together. Plainly, you should invest in a media kit when you feel that you are ready to do so. Pitching to brands and pitching partnerships is a learning process. Sometimes brands will say no, or nothing at all. Other times they will say yes. If you are ready to deliver after a brand says yes, then you are ready for a media kit. The last thing you want to do is send out a ton of pitches, only to realize you don't have the time or the resources to deliver your end of the ask.
Q: Do you recommend Media Kits for artists or podcast hosts?
A: For artists, I would recommend a lookbook. It's similar to a media kit, but it's more visually driven as opposed to an influencer media kit which is both visual but also includes a lot of data. For a podcast host, I would absolutely recommend a media kit. You can feature information like your downloads, reviews, listens, etc. It can be both visually driven and share a significant amount of data.
Q: Is it okay to have more than one page?
A: I personally hate one-page media kits. I am rarely commissioned to make them. Oftentimes the reason why people choose one page is that of their budget. So you end up cramming a ton of information on one page which sometimes ends up looking like a disaster. For Podcast hosts and or artist, a one-page document may work. For influencers, it's very difficult to stylishly add all of the information you need to share with a brand on one page. I like to add personality to my kits. While that is achievable in one page, I fell it's very easy to overwhelm your viewer. The short answer: Personal preference.
Q: Do you have any tips on writing an 'about me'? Should it be written in the third person?
A: I feel like we're friends and I can keep it honest with you. I am the worst when it comes to writing about myself. It feels weird, you know? Just raving about yourself and sharing all of your accomplishments. I used to imagine reciting that paragraph to a press contact in the flesh. Completely weirded me out. However, after thinking about it, I figured out that you want something that really emulates who you are and shares the perfect amount of information. In her book "Influencer," Brittany Hennesy has a great portion where she discusses what your about me section should include. You should check it out.My about me is written in the third person format. I'm not quite sure why, if I'm honest. I suppose it makes me feel better if I'm raving about myself while pretending someone else is actually doing it. Personal preference.
Q: What should I include in my media kit?
A: In my opinion, a good media kit contains a strong about me, social stats, previous partnerships or mock campaigns, and an array of professional images.
Q: Should I include my rates in my media kit?
A: I always say ABSOLUTELY NOT. Here's what happens when you include your rates. You may be low-balling yourself. If your IG rate is $300 per post, and a brand was prepared to offer you $700, they aren't going to come back and say your ask is too low. They are going to happily accept your rate which is well below their budget. You can have a rate card that you can send separately if you really want one. Personally, I always ask the brand for their budget first.
Q: Should I include stats or ROI data from previous campaigns?
A: This is such a great question! I find that many of my media kit clients are returning and asking for an ROI page. For those that don't know, ROI stands for "Return on Investment." This allows potential partners to review data from your previous partnerships. This data may include social analytics like IG story clicks, youtube video views and a detailed breakdown of demographics. If you have a campaign that did super well and you're proud of it, show it off with some detailed data.
Q: How often should I update my media kit?
A: I recommend updating your media kit at least once a month if your data has changed. When you purchase a custom media kit from me, it includes a monthly data update. This is great for refreshing your social followings and brand partnerships.
Q: How should I include my social stats?
A: This is a matter of design preference. On my media kit, I have my social following listed. I then have a separate page just for my instagram stats because it is my strongest platform and so I can provide intricate data that may be important in the process of determining whether a brand and myself are a good fit.
Q: How many clients should I include in the press section of my media kit?
A: Depending on what format you choose to display your partnerships in, you can have a ton or very few. I don't have logos on my media kit because I feel it's too much. I prefer my media kit be clean and direct, so I have my partners listed in text format. If you choose to list your clients this way, this allows you to add more partnerships without overwhelming your viewer. If you are using logos, I suggest you choose the most recognizable names and partners. You can add a little note that states "and more" or "full partnership list available upon request."
Q: Where is a good place to find a free media kit?
A: Good luck. If you are well versed in inDesign or Adobe, even Power Point, you can try and find free templates. However like most things in business, free isn't always the best. If you can, invest in a paid template or pay someone to make you a custom template. Think of it this way: This is the document you are sending along with your pitch that is supposed to help convince a brand that you are worth the investment. If you whip up a windows 2000 template, you can expect a windows 2000 response. I always ask my clients this question; "How do you expect people to invest in you if you don't think your brand is worth the investment?"--I hope you found this information helpful. Feel free to send over an e-mail to mgmt@chasingdenisse.com so we can get started on your media kit magic!xoDenisse