How to create a Blog Media Kit

There has been quite a lot of talk recently about Media Kits and if bloggers really need one? In my opinion the answer is an obvious YES. I think of a Media Kit as the equivalent of a normal CV and as an info-graphic that you can share for your blog. It contains all the facts and figures about your website and all tells the reader what the blog is about and also can list any accomplishments that you may have achieved.

Having a great media kit can put you ahead of others who don’t have one so it is an important file to spend time working on. Done well it can set up apart and show off your personality, style and what makes you unique.

Below I have listed what I have found to be the main things to include and I would say that in the beginning don’t worry about it being super techy and having a flash media kit – start simple and then you can build up on the basics! And don’t feel overwhelmed or that creating one is a daunting task – it is just a file telling companies about your blog.

Basic Blog Information

• Blog Name
• Blog URL
• Blog Logo & any stand out images from your website
• Tagline (if you have a tagline) and also a short introduciton to your blog

Your Information

• Full name
• Your contact details  and be sure to include your email address
• A shortened ‘About Me’ section
• An image of you if applicable (some people do blog anon) – Keep this up to date

Your Blog Statistics

• Your daily average and monthly page views
• Social Media Statistics / Subscribers – RSS and mailing list, Number of Followers on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Bloglovin’, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, Blab, Periscope etc. etc. Only include the platforms that you use and have engagement on.  For example, if you just joined Blab today then perhaps leave this platform out of your media kit. There is also no need (unless you want/need to) be on every single social media platform out there!
• Klout and Alexa score if you use these
• You can also include your most popular posts if you wish

Your Blog Readers

• Tell your audience who your readers are. E.g. reader demographic details, unique visitors, return vistors, bounce rate etc. these you can find on your Google Analytics account – if you don’t have this set up – I would advise you to set this up before you do anything else.
• If engagement is very high on your blog or on one of your platforms – highlight this as well. You may have a small audience but they interact with each post – sometimes it is not just about the big numbers.

Press / Achievements / Collaborations

• Have you won any Awards for your blog?
• Has your blog been printed or featured on either an online or print publication?
• Have you worked with any companies? Many believe that you should only show collaboration information if you have been paid for the work or worked closely with the company – but this is up to you.
• Testimonials – some people like to include testimonials from well known brands that you have worked for/with.
• You can also include what services you can provide – e.g. Sponsored posts, sidebar advertisements, giveaways, guest posts, product reviews, collaborations etc.
• Sometimes a rate card is also included. I do not include one as I want to talk to any brands and discuss this as in my opinion the same rates may not work for all collaborations etc.

Pull all of the above information togeather before you even think about designing your media kit. Having all the information in one place will make the rest of the process seem a little easier.

Keep these points in mind when you are thinking about the layout of your media kit;

• BRANDING – Keep it in tune with your blog – if you colour scheme/theme of your blog is pink then don’t use blue as the main colour on your media kit (a bit extreme but you know what I mean).
• Look professional – sometimes this will be the first time that you are making an impression on a PR Company / Brand etc.
• BUT don’t be afraid to show a little personality
• Be easy to read
• Be concise and to the point
• Try and keep it short – the average media kit is 2-3 pages long.
• Print it before sending it to anyone – you need to see the final look of what they will see. And if you use colour – print it in black and white as well. You do not know if they will print in colour so you need to make sure that it is still clear in black and white. And keep in mind people print on A4 pages normally – your Media Kit should look good printed on a standard A4 page.
• There are so many different versions of media kits and there is no ‘one correct’ version – it is about making it work for your blog and what information that you want to convey. Feel free to Google layouts and you may end up using a free template if that suits you.

What software / program to use?

• Canva is fantastic and there are so many options, it is very user friendly and you can insert boxes, shapes and so many fonts and styles. There are plently of free options on this site so have a good play around with it – be patient with it.
• Picmonkey is another great online tool that is mostly free. I personally use this tool to edit my photos and add watermarks before posting images on my blog.
• Microsoft Word – this is how I created mine. I am very familiar with Microsoft Office so I found this the easiest to manipulate and to create my media kit. Some people also have used Microsoft Excel!

If you want more information on how to actually physically create your media kit please leave a comment and I can do this up at the weekend and post early next week.

Every time that you are requested to send it to someone or if you are emailing a company to introduce yourself and decide to include a media kit then I think that it is best to have the most up to date information. However, others do think that you only need to update once a month so you would have an ‘April Media Kit’, ‘May Media Kit’ etc. It is your decision but I would say not to send a company an updated kit every week! 🙂

There are a couple of options of what people do when they have completed their media kit;

• PROOFREAD. PROOFREAD. PROOFREAD.
• File it and have it to hand if any company requests it
• Send it out to brands that you are looking to work with
• Update it on sites like ‘Ireland Blogger Agency‘ and work with them to work with brands
• Someone people like to add a link on their blog for anyone to download their current media kit at their own leisure

It really is up to you what you do with your media kit, I think that one of the most important things is that you have it completed. At least then if anyone asks you for it – you can instantly send it to them!

• Do not use ‘text speak’, in my opinion only clear grammatically correct English will do.
• Be prepared to spend time putting your kit togeather – pulling all your data togeather the first time will always be the hardest.
• Use good images – they need to be clear as your kit needs to look professional.
• Google Analytics is your friend! Use it to find your demographics and general website stats.
• When sending I have found that PDF format is normally accepted via email.
• Make it easily editable – you want to be able to update it frequently.
• If you do ask someone else to design it for you – make sure that you can update it afterwards. You do not want to have to pay someone every time that you want to update your Twitter followers.
• It may be obvious but don’t make up your data – it is very easy to see if you really do have 10 million Twitter followers!

Many companies will now ask to see your ‘most recent/up to date Media Kit’ – note the part about it being up to date! Most websites grow month on month so it is important (and I cannot stress this enough!)  that you can easily update it and have it current – you don’t want your statistics from a year ago holding you back if your site has grown significantly. It’s all about showing a professional appearance so that they will see you as a serious contender for the work that they have to offer.

A media kit is not just for bloggers – if you do micro-blogging or are a digital influencer then a media kit would also benefit you.

I hope that you have found this useful and this is just what I have found has worked for me. Remember you can always change the layout of your Media Kit and update it frequently! Are there any tips that you would have for creating a stand out media kit?