What Is a Media Kit? What to Include and Why

Sooner or later, someone you're pitching will ask, "Have you got a media kit?" It might be a journalist, an event organiser or a brand you'd like to work with. If you're not sure what they mean, you're not alone, because the term gets used in a few slightly different ways.

Here's how I'd explain it, based on Wikipedia's entry on press kits and a handful of creator guides that I compared. It's a general overview, not a template you have to follow to the letter.

What a media kit is

Wikipedia describes a press kit, often called a media kit in business settings, as a pre-packaged set of promotional materials given to the media that provides information about a person, company, organisation or cause. Traditionally it was a physical packet of documents and photos. Today the term is used for any promotional material sent to any media outlet, and many are simply PDFs or web pages.

Press kit or media kit: is there a difference?

Sources don't fully agree. Wikipedia treats them as largely the same thing, but adds that a PR media kit differs from an advertising media kit, which a publication uses to attract advertisers. Some creator guides separate the two, saying a press kit is aimed at journalists covering a specific event, while a media kit is a general document for any brand.

Type	Who it's for	What it's for
PR media kit	Journalists and editors	Background and assets for covering your news
Advertising media kit	Businesses wanting to reach a publication's audience	Showing who the publication reaches
Creator media kit	Brands and partners	Showing who you reach and what you offer
Electronic press kit (EPK)	Media, venues, promoters	A digital version, often a web page or PDF

What usually goes in a media kit

Wikipedia is clear that there's no universal list. Its common components give you a solid starting point:

• A backgrounder with the history of the person or organisation.
• A fact sheet of features, statistics or benefits.
• Short biographies of key people.
• Examples of past press coverage.
• High-resolution photos, such as logos, products or headshots.
• A press release on the current news.
• Media contact details.

The creator guides I looked at add audience details such as age, locations and interests taken from platform analytics, content examples, past collaborations or testimonials, and the services on offer. Most of them recommend keeping it to one to three pages.

What a media kit looks like for a small business

The creator guides I found were mostly written for influencers, so I'd adapt the same structure for a business. A company overview, a short description of who your customers are, a few examples of work or coverage, your logo and photos, and a clear contact line cover most of it. Include only information you can stand behind and keep it current.

Media kits for musicians and other performers

Wikipedia notes that band press kits add items such as a biography, recordings, video, photos, reviews, notable achievements, contacts and sometimes a discography. Electronic versions might add audio clips, tour dates and links to social media. The idea is the same: give the reader everything they need in one place.

How to share a media kit

Keep it easy to open. A single PDF or a simple web page is usually enough, and a link is safer than a large attachment. Guidance on pitching tells you to link to your kit rather than attach files, which I cover in my guide on how to write a pitch email.

Keeping a media kit accurate and up to date

A media kit that's out of date can do more harm than none at all. If a biography still mentions an old job title or a statistics line is years old, the reader will notice. Set yourself a reminder to review the kit whenever something significant changes, such as a new product, a new role or a piece of coverage worth adding.

• Check the contact details first. They're the most important line in the document.
• Replace old photos and logos with current versions.
• Add new press coverage as it appears.
• Only include audience information you can back up from your own analytics.
• Remove anything you wouldn't want quoted back to you.

Common media kit mistakes

From the guides I compared, a few problems come up again and again:

• Making it too long, when most guides suggest one to three pages.
• Leaving out contact details, or hiding them at the bottom.
• Using low-resolution images that can't be published.
• Filling it with claims instead of facts a reader can check.
• Sending it as a huge attachment instead of a link.

The common thread is making life easy for the person on the other end. If they can find what they need in under a minute, you've done the job.

Using your media kit to reach more publications

A tidy media kit saves time every time you contact a new outlet, because the background, images and contact details are already done.

Once your media kit is ready, there's a walkthrough of planning an outreach campaign for contributed articles that shows how to use it.

Frequently asked questions

What is a media kit in simple terms?

It's a ready-made set of information about a person, business or cause, such as a bio, facts, images and contact details, that you share with the media or potential partners.

Is a media kit the same as a press kit?

Wikipedia treats them as largely the same, although some creator guides use "press kit" for event-specific material and "media kit" for a general document.

How long should a media kit be?

Creator guides I read usually recommend one to three pages. There's no official length, so keep it as short as it can be while still useful.

What is an electronic press kit?

It's a digital version of a press kit, usually a website or email, or a PDF on a company's site.

Do I need photos in a media kit?

Wikipedia lists high-resolution photos of people, logos or products among the common components, since outlets often need images to publish a story.