How To Make a Press Kit: Simple Press Kit Template

Imagine the largest publication in your industry, or even a local news affiliate, giving you free press. Now picture how much exposure and traffic that would bring to your business.

Good press coverage allows you to borrow the trust of those publications and give authority to your brand. 

“Press validates a brand and what customers have heard through word of mouth,” says Sara Spiegel, owner of public relations firm w/Sara PR. The result? More sales.

How can business owners make it easy for websites, magazines, and publishers to write about them? By sharing a strong company press kit. Here’s how to create your own press kit, with our free press kit template.

What is a press kit?

A press kit, also known as a digital media kit, is a document or page on your website that contains resources and information for reporters and publishers. The best press kits make it easy for reporters to learn about a product and brand, and to access photos and marketing materials they can use in a story. 

Press kits are a common and convenient format for creating and distributing content for promotional purposes. You can use them to announce product launches, mergers and acquisitions, company news, and special events.

Why create a press kit?

By providing an electronic press kit, you’re saying, “Hey, we love press. Here’s everything you need to put your story together, as well as how to reach us.” 

A good media kit doesn’t guarantee media coverage for your business; it just makes getting that free publicity a bit easier. When you’re networking and reaching out to publications, you’ll always have your media kit to refer to and share with reporters—and since you’ve done some of the work for them upfront, they may be more receptive to your pitch. 

An online press kit isn’t only for reporters or major publications. It gives anyone who wants to talk about or promote your business the tools they need to do it effectively. This includes podcasters, bloggers, influencers, or even a fan sharing your story in an online community.

What to include in a press kit

• Story and mission
• Business facts
• Visual assets
• Team member bios
• Press releases
• Press coverage
• Contact information
• Spelling and pronunciation
• Awards and recognition
• Charity and nonprofit work
• Quotes

What you put in your press kit will vary depending on your business and what you have to work with, but a good press kit may include:

Story and mission

This is your “why.” Share your story: How your business came to be. Tell reporters a little about yourself and why you’re doing what you’re doing.

“Clearly and succinctly lay out what makes your brand special in the category,” says Jessica Postiglione, CEO and founder of supplements company Bonny. “What are you doing that the competition isn’t? Are you offering the consumer greater value? Are you more sustainable? Are you creating a new category?”

In this press kit example from Annmarie Skin Care, the brand shares its story, mission statement, and unique process, which gives press an insight into what it is as a brand.

Business facts

Collect these often-shared data points in an easy-to-read fact sheet to prevent incorrect numbers from being shared. Consider including these key facts about your business: 

• How long have you been in business? 

• How many customers have you served? 

• How many units have you sold? 

• Where is your business located? 

• Where’s your product manufactured? 

Visual assets

Make it easy for content publishers to use your logo and other assets by providing high-resolution versions with transparent backgrounds, where possible. 

This press kit example from ecommerce brand The Mantry has images prepared for print (which requires higher quality photos) and digital, all of which are downloadable from the brand’s site.

Team member bios

You may want to highlight your business’s founder or other key team members in your press kit, especially if you have an interesting founder story. 

Press releases

If you have current or past press releases, include them. These could be new product announcements, updates about the company, or news about partnerships and collaborations.

Press coverage

If you’ve been featured in the press before, include links. This can include blog posts, interviews, magazine articles, and videos. If your business has been mentioned on a podcast, on the radio, or on a local news station, link to the clip or embed the media on your ecommerce press kit page.

Doing so gives people interested in talking about your business something to work from. 

“Only share your best press,” Sara Spiegel advises. “As the caliber rises, lose the stuff that’s not as valuable.”

Contact information

How should publications contact you? Many businesses prefer to have a dedicated press email address, such as [email protected]. A specific email address ensures press queries won’t get lost in a sea of customer service requests, so you can respond to them quickly.

This ecommerce press kit example from Dropps directs press inquiries to the brand’s dedicated media contact email, [email protected].

Spelling or pronunciation

If your business has unique spelling, capitalization, or pronunciation, you can use your media kit to specify how you wish your brand name to be printed and said. For example, if you are “CompanyName” and not “Company Name” or “Companyname,” make it clear.

Awards and certifications

Share any awards and recognition your business has received from trade or consumer groups. Also include any differentiating certifications, like B Corp certification. These can contribute legitimacy to your business and inspire more trust in your products.

Charity and nonprofit work

Include any charities you support or nonprofit work your business has been involved with. These can establish your company as a compassionate and socially conscious brand—qualities that are increasingly important to today’s consumers.

Quotes

Create a set of canned quotes that media can use in their publications. This can be both from your leadership team and your employees. This makes it easier for reporters to attribute direct quotes without having to reach out or coordinate an interview.

How to make a digital press kit

1. Choose your template
2. Write your company overview
3. List a few milestones
4. Gather your media assets
5. Add it to your website

Now that you know what goes into your press kit, let’s look at how you can create one for your business.

1. Choose your template

Before picking out any testimonials or About Us content, choose how you plan to make your media kit available for press inquiries. For instance, do you want journalists to contact your PR team for your media kit or access it on their own from your website? 

Format impacts how people will feature your brand. If you make it easy to access your press materials, you’ll likely get more and better press coverage. 

A downloadable PDF is a professional-looking way to introduce your brand. If you choose to go the PDF route, a media kit template is a great way to ensure your press kit includes all the necessary information. Media kit templates typically provide prompts and editable fields for you to add your company’s details.

2. Write your company overview

Describe your brand and its product in a few sentences. This can be a great place to talk about your company mission, vision, and goals. Consider including relevant details like:

• Founding date

• Location

• Size of company or number of employees

• Background information

• Press contact information

Keep all your company information up to date. It’s likely the first part of your press kit a journalist will see.

3. List a few milestones

Chronicle your company’s success from beginning to end, starting with the most recent successes. Mention milestones that best support your brand story. 

This part of your press kit could include details not covered in your overview. Journalists will want to learn about your company, so you may want to also cover:

• Fundraising stage and marquis investors

• Key features of your products

• Your differentiators

• Your target audience

Help journalists visualize how your business impacts the market. Remember, they want to feature brands that align with their readers. If you clearly define your audience, it could motivate journalists with similar demographics to write more about your company.

4. Gather your media assets

Your press kit should include assets that help journalists create a story about your business. These include:

• Company logo

• Team photos or headshots

• Testimonials

• Fact sheets

• Case studies

• Videos

• Press releases

• Publication logos

• Media mentions

• Product photos

Make your media assets easy to download. You can use a file sharing service like Dropbox or group assets together and let journalists download to their computer.

5. Add it to your website

Whether you’re creating a downloadable or interactive press kit, add it to your website. While you may not want or need a link in your main navigation, it’s a good idea to include a Press or Media link in the footer of your site. 

Most reporters and publishers will know to look for it there. Adding a press kit to your online store can also help with search engine optimization and drive traffic to your website.

Press kit examples: the best ecommerce media kits

• Holstee
• LuminAID
• Huit Denim

If you need additional inspiration, check out these ecommerce businesses doing press kits right:

Holstee

Mindfulness brand Holstee uses a text-based approach to its press kit. However, it helps key information pop with featured quotes. Holstee also lists all the relevant publications it’s been featured in, which establishes credibility. If you want to get in touch, you can find contact details and downloadable assets like photos of the founders, and product images at the bottom of the page.

LuminAID

Solar lighting brand LuminAID includes a series of photos, videos, and blog posts in its press kit. Journalists can read the story behind the brand, download LuminAID’s press kit, or get in touch with its public relations team for more information.

Huit Denim

Premium denim company Huit keeps things simple with the press section of its website. It provides a press email right at the top of the page, followed by select features, a three-sentence boilerplate (brand language that can be repeated elsewhere), and a paragraph-long bio of the company’s founders.

Getting press for your ecommerce business

It’s your turn now. When you’re considering putting together an online media kit for your store, think about the websites and publications you want to be on and what you can put together that will make it easier to get covered there. 

Remember that you still need to network and put yourself out there if you want to get press coverage for your business. A media kit only makes it easier for reporters to talk about you consistently and accurately. You still need to do the work to make it happen.