Getting your business or product featured in a major publication is huge. Imagine the largest publication in your industry, or even a local news affiliate, giving you free press. Now imagine the kind of exposure and traffic that would bring to your business.
Good press coverage allows you to borrow the trust of those publications. It gives your online store social proof when you place their logos on your website. The result? More sales.
How can business owners make it easy for websites, magazines, and publishers to write a story about them? With an amazing company press kit.
Create your press kit 🎯
Free: Press Release Template
To help you get started, we put together this template to help you structure your story using a common press release format. You can replace each component with your own information and adapt it according to your needs.
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What is a press kit?
A press kit, also known as a digital press kit or digital media kit, is a page on your existing 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.
By providing a 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 press kit isn’t only for reporters or major publications. Anyone who wants to talk about or promote your business has the tools they need to do it effectively, whether that’s someone with a podcast, someone with a personal blog, or even just someone sharing your story in an online community.
Press validates a brand and what customers have heard through word of mouth
But even an amazing media kit doesn’t guarantee publicity for your business; it just makes getting that 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. When you do some of the work for reporters upfront, they’ll be more receptive to your pitch. Plus, hey—it looks professional.
What digital press kits are used for
Press kits are a common and convenient format for creating and distributing content for promotional purposes, especially in the ecommerce space. You can use them to promote:
- Product launches
- Mergers and acquisitions
- Company news
- Special events
Traditionally, a press kit referred to a set of documents, photos, and materials that were sent to media outlets for promotion. Today, technology has changed how press kits are used. Reporters can now come to you to find information about your company.
Simply create an easily accessible online press kit page on your website so reporters can find it. While you may not want or need a link in your main navigation, it’s a good idea to include a Press, Online Newsroom, or Media Kit link in the footer of your site. Most reporters and publishers will know to look for it there.
You can also put your press kit on flash drives or USB sticks and give these out at events so journalists can easily access all the files later on. This is an especially good way to distribute high-resolution images without having to download/upload large files.
Press kits are still relevant in 2022, and are a profitable investment for online brands. You can hire a marketing/PR agency to create a press kit for anywhere between $300 and $5,000, or you can create your own on your company website.
If your online press kit gets media coverage for your brand, it can quickly pay off with new customers and revenue from the added exposure.
15 things to add to your press kit
- Story and mission
- Company facts
- Branding
- People on your team
- Press releases
- Press coverage
- Separate media email address
- Brand spelling or pronunciation
- Interviews
- Awards and recognition
- Charity and nonprofit work
- Social media accounts and information
- Quotes
- FAQs
- Product samples
What you put in your press kit will vary depending on your business and what you have to work with. There are a few essentials that I recommend, as well as a few nice-to-haves if you want to create one of the best press kits out there.
Must-haves
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: 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 process, which gives press an insight into what it is as a brand.
Company facts
How many customers have you served? How long have you been in business? How many units have you sold? Where’s your business located? Where’s your product manufactured? Collect these data points in an easy-to-read fact sheet.
Branding
Make it easy for content publishers to use your logo or create graphics using your logo by providing high-resolution options in your digital media kit. Also provide high-quality, high-resolution versions with a transparent background to make your logo and graphics easy to use for nearly any purpose, including print. If applicable, include a download to the raw vector file.
Check out this amazing press kit example from ecommerce brand The Mantry. It has images prepped for print (which requires higher quality photos) and digital, all of which are downloadable from the brand’s site.
People on your team
If there’s anyone else working with you, share their story, their role, and how they got involved in your business. If you have an executive team, you’ll want to include their bios here.
Melt Organic weaves its founders’ stories into its overall brand story in the following press kit example:
Press releases
If you have current or past press releases, include them. These could be new product announcements, updates about the company, partnerships and collaborations, etc.
Press coverage
Show reporters other articles and publications that you or your business have been featured in or talked about. This can include blog posts, interviews, magazine articles, articles on other websites, etc. This gives people interested in talking about your business something to work from. “Only share your best press,” Spiegel advises. “As the caliber rises, lose the stuff that’s not as valuable.”
Covry’s press page, for example, highlights major publications that have featured it. These are easily recognizable and validate the brand.
Nice-to-haves
Separate press/media email
A separate email address specifically for reporters, journalists, bloggers, or publications to contact you. For example: press@business.com.
This ecommerce press kit example from Dropps invites press inquiries to reach out to their dedicated media contact email, PR@dropps.com.
Brand 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!
Interviews
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.
To stand out, you need to have really creative and eye-catching content. Video is more engaging than images. We partnered with an animation studio to create an explainer video for our brand, and it’s helped us get both press coverage and significant investor interest!
Awards and recognition
Share any awards or recognition your business has received from trade or consumer groups. These awards 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.
Social media accounts and information
If you have an engaged social media following, email list, or other well-established audience, highlight that here. Highlight your online following with both quantitative (number of followers, subscribers, group members, etc.) and qualitative (customer reviews, comments, etc.) information.
Quotes
Create a set of canned quotes that the 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.
FAQs
Again, eliminate the need for unnecessary back-and-forth with members of the press by listing commonly asked questions and answering them. This also keeps the information put out by the press consistent (and accurate).
Product samples
If applicable, include product samples, including images and videos, in your physical press kits. Samples can go a long way in making an impression and proving your product’s value proposition.
Free Worksheet: Brand Storytelling
Use this handy exercise as a guide to help you craft a compelling brand story and build a loyal audience through the power of storytelling.
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How to make a digital press kit
Now that you know what goes into your press kit, let’s look at how you can create one for your business.
1. Choose a format
Before picking out any testimonials or About Us content, choose how you plan to make your media kit available for press inquiries. Knowing your format helps you build a collection of assets that gets the kind of attention you want.
For instance, do you want journalists to contact your PR team for your media kit, or access it on their own? Will your kit have a list of downloadable assets to provide a richer, more interactive experience?
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.
Some examples include:
- Downloadable PDF file with press materials
- A sharable file in Google Drive
- Electronic media kit on your website
Regardless of your format, keep your branding consistent. Use the same colors, fonts, and styles you use across all print and online marketing materials.
If you’re still stuck on a format, try researching how other companies in your industry are presenting their press kits. You can also start with a press kit template created by a software or service. Examples include:
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 statement and its current goals.
You can also include:
- 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 with the most valuable information related to your company’s vision.
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:
- Company background
- Fundraising stage
- Key features of your products
- Competitive advantages
- Your target audience
Help journalists visualize how your business impacts the market. Remember, they want to feature brands that align with their readers. So 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
- Images and headshots
- Testimonials
- Fact sheets
- Case studies
- Videos
- Press releases
- Publication logos
- Media mentions
- Team or 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 a short founder’s bio
Personalize your company with short biographies for your founders and other key team members. Give journalists an idea of how it all started and what makes your team special.
6. Add to your website
Whether you’re creating a downloadable or interactive press kit, add it to your website. Most journalists will look for a Press, Media, or Newsroom page when searching for information. Adding a press kit to your online store also helps with search engine optimization and drives traffic to your website.
Overall, the goal of your media kit is to create a one-stop shop for journalists to get information about your business, products, and mission. If you make it easy for them to build their story, you’ll see more features and press coverage.
Free: Shopify Store Trust Checklist
Shopify’s research team conducted a series of in-depth interviews with North American shoppers to learn how customer trust is formed in online stores. This checklist is a summary of their findings, created to help business owners understand what essential aspects of their online store experience creates trust among customers, along with the trust-busting mistakes to avoid.
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Press kit examples: the best ecommerce media kits
If you need additional inspiration, check out these ecommerce businesses doing press kits right:
1. FiftyThree
FiftyThree uses an image-heavy approach to its media kit. It shares the brand’s awards and feature articles and includes photos of its founding team. Journalists can also download its electronic press kit or logos right from the page, or contact its PR team for more information.
2. Holstee
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 in viewers’ eyes. If you want to get in touch, you can find contact details and downloadables at the bottom of the page.
3. Pure Cycles
Pure Cycles shows off its brand with media snippets in its EPK, showcasing popular publications like Wired and Vanity Fair featuring its products. This is an easy way to encourage journalists to feature you in upcoming articles.
4. RT1home
Online boutique RT1home takes a minimalistic approach to its press kit. The brand highlights all its media mentions by showcasing the logo and a link to the feature article.
5. LuminAID
LuminAID includes a series of photos, videos, and blog posts in its electronic press kit. Journalists can read the story behind the brand, download LuminAID’s press kit, or get in touch with its PR team for more information.
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. If you need help, try using an app to generate a press kit for your Shopify store.
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.
Illustration by Luca D’Urbino
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Press kit FAQ
What’s included in a press kit?
What are press kits used for?
Are press kits still relevant?
How do you make a press kit?
- Choose a format.
- Write your company overview.
- List a few milestones.
- Gather your media assets.
- Add a founders’ bio.
- Add to your website.
