Whether you’re new to the blogging scene or a seasoned pro, there’s two words that can really heighten ‘first impressions’ when it comes to pitching exciting collaborations with both new & established brands: a ‘Media Kit’.
Now before anyone waves their virtual placards in disagreement, by no means am I saying it’s ‘essential’ to have one, in fact there’s many bloggers out there that choose not to create a media kit, and that’s okay! There’s no ‘rule book’ when it comes to blogging, however (in my humble opinion) having a media kit on standby is super handy and helps to create a more structured & professional image when it comes to pitching great collaboration or sponsor ideas to marketers and brands alike.
Okay, so it may will take a chunk of time in carefully creating one, but it’s well worth the toil investment for impressing potential sponsors and advertisers. After all, there’s no shortage of beauty bloggers out there, but being able to professionally present your blog’s data confidently (and in a format that looks pretty funky) goes a long way to convincing potential collaborators that you’re a great catch to share an exciting project or opportunity with…
A media kit should be a positive, forward thinking document that gives brands & marketers a deeper insight into your blog. If you’re thinking ‘boring, stuffy old document containing reems of numbers’ then think again. It’s a great way to reach out to both new and existing companies by sharing relevant key facts and information about your blog, as well as highlighting why they should be working alongside you. Think about it as a fun ‘C.V’ for your blog!
Like anything in life, you can put as much effort or as little into your media kit as you like. Personally I like to aim for somewhere in the middle… something that’s not over-cooked but at the same time looks like a generous amount of thought and effort has been loving poured into it by keeping it short n sweet, but sprinkled with all the essentials a marketer requires to learn more about me as person, as well as the potential of my online haven.
I’ve also created a full size PDF sample of a great basic media kit which I can email on request. It just might give you a helping hand in terms of layout and what to include when creating your first one. If you’d like your own copy just contact me via the linked picture above or leave a request in the comments below and I’ll be happy to send it over.
For those of you who are eager to learn what I include in my media kit then grab your cuppa, get comfy and let’s get started…
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This is simply a few lines about you as a blogger. Things like where you’re located, how long you’ve been blogging, your goals, hobbies and ambitions. As hard as it may be (and if you’re anything like myself) try not to waffle for too long – cheery but snappy is the vibe we’re aiming for, not an entire life history.
Ps: This is also the perfect opportunity to include where your blog may have featured such as publications, magazines, larger blogs or if you’ve won any awards or made a shortlist. If it’s positive and a good reflection of your blog then be sure to include it!
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No pictures of cute pugs dressed in sunglasses, or standing a mile away from the lens. This should ALWAYS be a professional looking head-shot that should only include you from the shoulders up. If need be rope a friend or family member in to help you out with taking a few snap shots, if you haven’t got any professional head shots of your own already.
From my own experience with having worked alongside a few national magazines over the years, is what captures people’s attention. Next time you’re browsing over a shelf full of glossy mags you’ll notice one thing they all have in common = the front page model will always be looking directly at the camera. This is to capture eye contact with the reader. If it’s good enough for Vogue dahhling, then it’s good enough for you… just another little tip to help you engage.
Ps: Try to keep your all your profile pictures consistent with each other. Having the one profile picture that covers all your social media as well as your blog ‘About’ page & media kit will certainly give you brownie points for associative branding!
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Pretty much as above, only this time you’ll be showcasing your dazzling literary skills on how wonderful your blog is. However, be careful not to sound overly sales-pitchy – it’s an easy trap to fall into. You could talk about any series that you’ve enjoy running, share a bit about your readers, how often you blog & how you’ve observed it blossom from creation. As with the rest of the document, make sure your grammar is ‘on fleek’ and that you’ve said everything you want to in a personable but professional way.
Ps: After writing your both your bio & blog intro, give yourself a few days to mull over them. You’ll be amazed at how often new improved phrases and tweeks pop into your head ensuring it sounds as best as it can be. Like any literary project it’s best giving it time to mature. Let it breath and come back to it after 48 hours for a re-read so it’s still fresh in your head.
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This is the point where many take a slight meltdown, especially if you’re new to blogging or haven’t (yet) achieved the stats you’re holding out for. However don’t feel dismayed by comparing yourself to the bigger bloggers as they were once in your shoes too. Brands love working with a multitude of creative content writers, if you’re eager and impress them with your drive and charisma it will impress. Of course, everyone has to start somewhere. A great way to start building up a portfolio is to start off approaching small businesses locally. You’ll raise a perfectly shaped eyebrow at how many local companies out there that would be delighted to have coverage of their ranges… from hand made soaps & candles to organic lotions and potions.
If you’re new to blogging or simply feeling a little under-confident about your follower count then why not convert the data into a percentage reflection of growth trends such as: Blog subscribers grew by 300% in the last 30 days. However do keep in mind that marketers will expect the following on a media kit:
Monthly Page Views
Monthly Visitors
Monthly Unique Visitors
Reader Gender
Average Reader Age Group
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Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, BlogLovin, Linked In, YouTube… this list goes on. As a daily blogger who is a busy mum & wife with work commitments and trying to retain some sort of social life in-between everything, I try and be as realistic with myself as possible. I can’t be on everything at once so rather than spread myself out over a whole host of social media I tend to keep my focus on Twitter, Instagram & YouTube. Of course you can add as many social media details as you like but (yet again) if you’ve just signed up and are working hard on building a following it may be best to also report your social media growth trend in percentage – rather than the actual cold hard figure. It shows that even if you’re at the starting point, you’re still gaining momentum.
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Depending on how elaborate your media kit is I personally like to keep it to just the logo rather than a whole page worth of outlining details of every single sponsorship opportunity. I find logo’s so much neater and visually more attractive for keeping it simple, plus you can always put *Direct hyperlink to features available on request* – it’ll be less bumpf to filter through & if they really want to check out your past work they’ll get in touch to clarify.
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Sponsored Posts
Giveaways
Sidebar Advertising
Social Media Promotion
Product Reviews
You don’t need to include all of these options – just the ones that you feel work best for you & your readers. Starting off, many beauty bloggers tend to opt for product reviews. Remuneration is usually in the form of a keeping the product after the review. This is really helpful for building up confidence and readership whilst collaborating, particularly if you’re a newbie. However ALWAYS be clear and clarify the finer details such as the date your post should go live, any links that should be included or key facts that need clarified etc. Also, if you’re hosting a giveaway is it international or regional? What are the entry rules?.
If you need any guidance on setting up some guidelines then *click here* to check out my PR page as all my T&C’s are clearly stated which is also something you could bring attention to on your media kit by saying that they’re available on request.
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Not particularly essential but I like to include it as I feel it just draws the attention to posts that have captured a lot of reader interaction etc. I simply pick a small handful of top posts, insert a small picture of the main feature image along with the title of the post. Don’t forget you can hyperlink a PDF file when working on Adobe Acrobat so if you prefer to include the links go right ahead!
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If you’ve already worked with a variety of brands on sponsored posts or product reviews always ask for a testimonial after the post has went live. This is totally normal to request when agreeing to review an item for any PR or brand. Including positive testimonials in your media kit will certainly reassure future brands that others who have previously worked with you have been happy with your contribution. In Confetti & Curves media kit I’ve included three testimonials but always keep others on back up should the marketer wish to see more. Just like a C.V, it’s a referee who can stand by your work by giving the thumbs up that you’re a professional & positive influence to collaborate with.
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Just like your blog, your media kit Contact section can include a list of links wherever you can be found – but above all an email address for the brand or marketer to contact you on is vital. In Confetti & Curves media kit, I’ve also included a snappy little sentence inviting the person to get in touch to begin the opportunity…
“To begin collaborating with Confetti & Curves please contact Karen on (my email address)”
Before you send anything anywhere, it’s time to skim over a quick check list of what we need to do before sending the media kit out into the big wide world…
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No matter how many times my eyes carefully scan over a segment of writing there’s always that one illusive little grammatical error that slips the net. In fact, sometimes you can get so numb from proof reading the same piece over and over again it literally becomes unfathomable so always get a fresh pair of eyes to give it the once over. Remember, you’re trying to create a great impression of yourself and your blog, there’s no room for grammatical errors, misspelling and clumsy editing in a document that represents how awesome you are! Again, leave it sit for a few days and come back to it.
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Breaking your text up into bitesize chunks makes it more likely for the person to get to the end rather than be confronted with one whole page of moan-inducing literature. Screen shots and your best blogging pictures is what you should be aiming for, it’s also a chance to showcase your blossoming photography skills too!
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A Portable Document File (PDF) is simply a way of converting your word document into an electronic image that you can view, print or forward to someone else in the knowledge that it can’t be manipulated or edited.
Most Word Processing packages have a facility to convert to PDF however if you don’t there’s a few online PDF converters that are easy to use. In order to read a PDF you will need Adobe Acrobat, so make sure your computer is updated before you begin!
*Click Here for the Adobe Acrobat Website*
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Woo Hoo – you’re finished. Hopefully by this stage you’ll have created your swanky new media kit that’s not only going the rock the socks of any PR Guru, Marketer or Brand you come into contact with, but will also serve as a template to build upon for years to come. No doubt as time goes on you’ll add & update, particularly as your figures grow. Personally I like to revise mine every 3-4 months, just to make sure all the information is fresh and current… and of course there’s nothing quite as encouraging as updating your figures as your stats continue to grow!
Do you have a media kit? Or, is it something you’d consider creating for your blog? Whatever your thoughts I’d love to read them in the comments below so do stop by and say a quick hello. We always enjoy a good blog chatter here on Confetti & Curves 🙂
Cheerio chums…
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