How to Make a Media Kit that ROCKS
Biz Mavens

How to Make a Media Kit that ROCKS

Make a Media Kit that Rocks | The Blog MavenWhat is the #1 thing that will make you stand out to potential blog sponsors and convince them that your blog is the right investment for their advertising dollars?

Two words: Media Kit.

Whether you’re new to blog sponsorships or a seasoned veteran, having a polished and professional media kit will give your sponsorship program an edge over bloggers with a similar audience, helping potential sponsors recognize the value of sponsoring your blog.

I’ll tell you straight: it does take a bit of time investment to put a great-looking media kit together, but once it’s done, you’ll have it for the rest of your blogging life.

So folks, this doesn’t have to be some terrifying project – it’s pretty simple, really. 10 steps and you’re done – so as soon as you’re finished reading, share this post with your friends and then get going.

Everything You Need to Know about Media Kits

Umm…What’s a media kit?

So glad you asked.  It’s a document you put together that gives prospective blog sponsors everything they need to know about sponsorship with YOU.

And I need one?

Of course you do.  A great sponsorship kit is an amazing tool for communicating with sponsors, but it also shows them that you know what you’re doing.  A media kit is your best foot forward, professionally speaking (especially if it’s designed well)- and it will also help weed out businesses who really wouldn’t be a good match for your blog.  So you can quit wasting your time writing lengthy emails to “just anybody” who’s interested in sponsorship and focus on sponsors that will go the distance with you.

What goes in a media kit?

You might think it’s just dry, boring facts like your Google Analytics stats and your pricing, but if you stop there, you’re selling yourself short.  A media kit is an opportunity to show off the best of your blog: your personality, your style, and what makes your blog unique.

A great media kit is the gateway to the best sponsorship program with the highest rewards.  Period.

So are you ready to get started?

Let’s do this.

Create a Media Kit in 10 (Easy) Steps

1. Gather Your Resources

This is the biggest hurdle to get over, but once you have everything you need in one place, it’ll give you momentum to finish the job.  Here’s what you need to gather:

Images

  • A photo of you
  • You blog’s logo, preferably at a printable resolution.  If you don’t have one, contact your blog designer to help make that happen.  No logo?  Use your blog header until you’re ready to hire someone to help you go Pro.
  • The most beautiful or interesting photos from your blog
  • A screen shot of your blog’s home page with your advertising space visible

Features (make a list)

  • Regular features on your blog that draw readers: post series, blog carnival/linky events, etc.
  • Subject areas you write about, including most well-read posts about the topics

Statistics

  • Page views per month (from Google Analytics)
  • Average page views (in the last three months)
  • Unique visitors per month
  • Traffic sources with number of incoming links per month
  • Reader demographics (you can get these from Quantcast, where you can sign up for free)
  • Subscribers: RSS, Mailing list, Facebook fans, Twitter followers, Pinterest followers, etc.
  • Any other statistics that are noteworthy

2. Write an Introduction

Since the introduction is the first thing people will see when they read your media kit, make it count.  There’s plenty of space for your statistics, but you need to make your introduction personal.  Tell a little bit about yourself – your family, hobbies, goals – whatever will help a prospective sponsor connect with you.

Put your photo here – not a long-range shot, but a face-to-face “greeting” that shows how friendly you are and invites potential sponsors to get to know you and your blog.

If your work has been featured in any magazines, books, well-known blogs or other publications, here’s where to tell about it.  It doesn’t have to be long; a simple “My work has been featured in _____” will do.

3. Describe Your Blog

What is the THEME of your blog?  You can have more than one, but give an in-a-nutshell account of what your blog is about.  Tell about any weekly events you host that draw regular readers to your blog.  If you have seasonal topics you write about, describe your yearly flow.  Write a few sentences to describe your readers, too: you (should) know their habits and personalities better than anyone, so let your sponsors know exactly who they’ll be advertising to on your blog.

This is the heart of your media kit: it helps your sponsors understand what you’re about, and it can help them – far better than statistics can – understand how well they (and their products) will fit into the life of your blog.

4. Present your blog statistics + reach

Here’s where you’ll use all those fun numbers.  At the very least, your potential sponsors have the right to know:

  • Unique Visitors per month
  • Pageviews per month
  • Subscribers (RSS and mailing list, if you have one)

It’s important to make sure that you stay current with your stats.  Put “current as of [date]” and then make sure that date is within the last three months.  It’s not helpful to give your numbers from last February, because (as you know) a lot can happen in the life of a blog over many months.  Keep it current.

Aside from the three items above, if there are any numbers you don’t feel are impressive, just leave them out.  Sorry, your 23 Twitter followers just won’t make the cut. 🙂

But what if I’m a beginning blogger?

If you don’t have lots of impressive numbers to show off, you may want to think about including your growth trends.  For example, I’ve only been writing on this blog for about two months, but last week my email subscription grew by 800%.

Not bad for a few posts between design clients. 🙂

5. Outline your sponsorship policies

This is the “terms” of your sponsorship, and it includes your prices, but what should be more important to your prospective sponsors is what they’ll be getting out of the deal.  Here are some things you need to consider, and outline them in plain speech for your sponsors:

  • What are your rates?  If you offer different sizes for your ads, list the price for each size.  The larger the ad space, the higher the price.
  • Do you offer your sponsors the opportunity for a giveaway?  If so, these almost always come with special terms – e.g., an extra fee, or a certain number of months of sponsorship before they’re eligible to offer a giveaway.
  • Do you conduct product reviews?  Sponsors are probably aware that the most powerful kind of advertising is an in-post link that flows naturally from the context of your writing.  So it’s okay to state that while you consider giveaways and reviews that fit with your topic and your readership, if they want the star sponsor treatment, samples must be provided by the sponsor.
  • Where will the ads appear?  Will people viewing your posts in their reader or via email be able to see the ads?  How do you decide on the placement of your ads, and who gets the top position?
  • Outline any payment policies, such as payment being required within a certain time frame prior to the month of sponsorship. Also give details of when the images are due to you and what file types you accept (just JPGs and GIFs, or do you allow animated buttons as well?).

These are all important factors to consider, but as you’re thinking about them, remember that if you want to find a sponsorship match made in heaven, you have to be a great sponsor host first.

6. Gather testimonials

You can talk all day long about how great your blog is – what an amazing opportunity sponsors have when they team up with you – yadda yadda yadda…  But getting other people to promote you?  Priceless.

It’s not that other people will say things you couldn’t say yourself, but it means more coming from others.  Having great testimonials alone on your side won’t convince sponsors to sign up with you, but if there’s a sponsor who’s “just not sure,” a great recommendation from your past sponsors will help seal the deal.

If you don’t already have testimonials in hand, it’s time to reach out and ask for some.  If it makes you feel uncomfortable, I’d normally say “get over it,” but this time I’ll give you a little script to follow. 🙂

Hi So-and-so,

I’m putting together a packet for potential sponsors for my blog, and I was wondering if you’d be willing to write a short testimonial about your experiences as a sponsor of [name of your blog].  It doesn’t have to be long – even a few words will go a long way to help other small business owners in their decision-making process.  And of course I’d include a link back to your blog.  I appreciate your time!

Best Wishes,

[your name here]

P.S. Hope you and your family are well! (or some other personal remark)

(By the way – Men, please don’t use this example as-is.  It’s terribly feminine.  Rework this to fit your style…or at least throw in a reference to football.)

It may seem intimidating to reach out and ask for testimonials, but I can tell you it does get easier with practice.  This goes with the territory of monetizing your blog – sometimes you have to step outside your comfort zone.  But put on your “business hat” and just do it.

7. Wrap it Up

It would be a shame to make it this far and not seal the deal.  Don’t forget the all-important call to action at the end.  Give your potential sponsors their next steps.  How should they get in touch with you? (email is fine.)  And don’t write “To find out more about sponsorship,” because that’s what they’ve just done in reading your media kit.  Rather,

To begin sponsorship with [your blog’s name], please contact [name of contact] at [email address].

So that’s it!

Almost.

The writing portion is done.  The only thing left is to tie it up in a bow.

8. Sprinkle Liberally with Photos

Nothing says “boring” like a huge pack of WORDS.  Add some class to your media kit by featuring photos or images from around your blog.  If you have a great-looking blog, put some example photos or screenshots in your media kit to give sponsors a feel for your site.  Make it visually appealing so sponsors can see the “home” their ad will live in.  And as a last resort, if you don’t have images readily available, it might be worth using a beautiful media kit template to make your layout pop with different fonts, colors, illustrations or other graphics.

The idea is to make sure your media kit looks professional, not like a 9th grade history paper.

9. Proofread.  Edit.  Repeat.

If you think you’re done, that just means you need to let your project rest for a few days.  Put it aside and come back to it with fresh eyes.  Read it out loud.  Make sure it’s perfect.  This document will represent you to all your potential sponsors, so make it count.

10. Convert to PDF

Please, PLEASE don’t send out your media kit as an MS Word document.

AGH!

If your word processing software is so old that it doesn’t convert documents to PDFs, you can download PDF 995 (it’s free), which will install a PDF converter as a printer on your computer.  But it also might be time to update your copy of Word.

And…Send it Out!

Your work here is done.  Have your shiny new media kit ready to send out to potential sponsors, and watch your blog sponsorship program take off!

“Ten Steps” probably never seemed like so much work.  But once you’ve created your media kit, you’ll be able to use it as a template for years to come.  Elements like blog stats and testimonials will be updated periodically, but at that point, it’s a simple exercise in “fill in the blanks.”

And when business owners contact you to ask about sponsorships, you’ll be proud to send them a well-done media kit that shows off the best of your blog.

So what are you waiting for?  Share this post with your fellow bloggers, leave me a comment (I love them), and go start making your very own media kit!

Make a Media Kit in 10 Easy Steps | The Blog Maven

Kelly Holmes

Go from burned-out blogger to Smart CEO.

I believe that when you stop hustling and start running a smarter business, you have the time (and energy!) to live more.


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Leave a Comment:

175 comments
Stefanie says

Wow am I glad I found you! I’ve learned so much in the last few days from reading your posts. We just started our blog less than a month ago and there is definitely a lot to learn. I didn’t even realize you could have sponsors (naive?). Thank you again for the valuable information. I am looking forward to all your upcoming posts.

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    jeni says

    Hi Stefanie, blog sponsorships are definitely a great way to make money blogging. If you want to follow someone who does sponsorships exceptionally well, take a look at Small Things – Ginny does an amazing job all around. I prefer sponsorships over regular ads because you can make sure they “fit” with the readership of your blog, and you develop relationships with the small business owners that sponsor you.

    Reply
Bailey says

Creating a media kit has been on my blogging to-do list for the past month or so, but honestly I wasn’t sure how to go about it. This will help immensely. Thanks Jeni!

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    jeni says

    Well, hopefully this will help you take the first steps. Once you get the first step of gathering your resources finished, it’s all downhill from there. 🙂

    Reply
Taryn Kae Wilson says

Hi Jeni,
I LOVE this post. Creating a media kit is something that has been on my mind for awhile. Thanks for the inspiration!

Love, Taryn

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    jeni says

    Glad to see you here, Taryn. Even if you’re not quite ready to do it yet, this post will always be here for you to refer to. After you’re finished bringing in the garden harvest, I mean. 🙂

    Reply
      Taryn Kae Wilson says

      I just pinned it so I can come back to it when I’m ready. 🙂

      Reply
Kim says

Oh, I need to do this!! Thanks for breaking it down and making it seem doable.

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Celeste S. says

My media kit needs some updating and this is just what I need to re-kickstart it. Gr8 article and a must pin 🙂

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    jeni says

    Glad it’s useful, Celeste. I’d love to see it when you’re finished. 🙂

    Reply
Kelly @ Semi Homemade Mom says

Wow, thank you so much for this amazing resource. I need to get on a media kit pronto and this was just what I needed!

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    jeni says

    Hi Kelly, if you follow the instructions and have any questions, please let me know so I can clarify for everyone here. Have fun with your media kit!

    Reply
Ann Marie @ white house black shutters says

I’ve seen good media kit examples, but I love that your post outlines the steps, and the order I should take them. Very, very thorough! Pinned, bookmarked, read, and passing it on to friends. Thank you for this great resource!

Also, what plugin you use to ask for the twitter username? I’ve never seen that on a site and like it!

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    jeni says

    Hi Ann Marie, the plugin is called CommentLuv. There’s a free version of it as well on the plugin repository, but I think only the premium has the Twitter link. I use it for spam blocking too, and it seems to work better than Akismet. Thanks for sharing the post – hopefully it’ll be a great resource for your blogging friends!

    Reply
Tiffani says

Love this post!!!! Thanks so much…. I have some sponsors but no media kit and I really need one. Now I know how!

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Cassondra @ Beyond The Cover says

Oh my goodness! This is amazing information. I do not have a media kit, but I think this is something I must work on…especially since I am trying to find sponsors.
Thank you!

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Lindsay Butler says

Do you have any samples you could share? I love all the information but I would LOVE LOVE LOVE a visual.

Thanks so much for putting this together, it is fantastic.

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    jeni says

    Hi Lindsay, I know Tsh over at Simple Mom has a media kit available for anyone to download on her site. You can find it on her advertising page. Hope this helps!

    Reply
Sarah says

Thanks so much for sharing the detailed steps for a media kit – this has been super helpful. All your advice is concise, practical and easy to follow so thank you.

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Christine @ African Babies Don't Cry says

Thanks so much for this informative post, its helped me out SO much. The only thing that could have made it better was an example media kit to look at… Im a visual person 🙂

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SchuCo Designs says

Great article! I am looking to put together a media kit and you mentioned some great advice!

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Kory says

Hi! I have a quick question. I’m looking to use quantcast for my wordpress blog, but where it says to add the html to each page, I am a little confused on where exactly to put it. Do you have any advice?

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    jeni says

    Hi Kory, I’m not familiar with where it goes on the Twenty Twelve theme, but check out this plugin and see if it helps. I’d love to hear how it goes!

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    Tattooed Mummy says

    Hi Kory – you can just use the template page in blogger, edit the html (adding the Quantcast bit before the /body as suggested) it works fine, I’ve just done mine.

    Reply
Bonnie @ the pin junkie says

Great information! I am working on using this information to create my own media kit. Should all the information fit on one page? If not, is there a limit to how many pages this should be when finished?

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    jeni says

    Hi Bonnie,

    I think it would be difficult to fit all this on a single page and have it still look professional. I’ve seen media kits that were only one page, and I’ve seen them 10 pages long. Even among big-name bloggers, the length varies widely. I think the important thing is to maintain the professional appeal of your blog while giving your potential sponsors as much information as you can – it’s really a “sales piece,” intended to convince them of why your blog is a good match for their sponsorship dollars. So…no rules, just whatever does the job for your blog. Hope this helps!

    Reply
      Tattooed Mummy says

      so glad this was asked – I’ve always been told to fit it to one page in the past but I agree it’s so hard! I may re do mine (which is dreadful anyway) so it covers 2 pages to fit everything in. Thanks

      Reply
Jill says

This is so helpful! I followed this step-by-step and my new media kit looks fantastic. THANK YOU!!!

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    jeni says

    That’s fantastic, Jill! I’m thinking about putting together a resource list so people can take a look at examples of media kits others have done (you know, for the hopeless “visual” types). 🙂 Would you be interested in submitting yours, if I do?

    Reply
      Jill says

      Oh sure! I’d be honored 🙂

      Reply
        jeni says

        Great. It will probably be sometime in Jan/Feb; I’ll put out an all-call on my mailing list and I’ll have the details there. Thanks!

        Reply
Darla from HeartWork Organizing says

Great Info! Sharing.

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Kesha of We Got Kidz says

This is a fantastic resource. I just put together my second media kit and I think this one may be a winner… http://www.wegotkidz.com/wgk-media-kit/ (Used your post as a bit of a guideline 😉 Thanks!

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Shanna says

Excellent Information. I really need to complete my Media Kit for my blog!

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Betsy @ Anna Nimmity says

Thanks for posting this great information. I’ve been wondering how to get started on this project. I found you on Pinterest.

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Holly Waterfall says

GREAT resource. Thank you so much for putting this together for us. I’ve actually just ignored the whole media kit issue because i didn’t really know what it was so I didn’t know how important it was. Boy was I wrong! Thanks.
I do have a question though – Let’s say you’re going to a conference and you will be talking to potential sponsors… do you just give them your card with your website information which will lead them to your media kit? Or do you print out your media kit? Or I guess you could always put some on cds (although I’m sure there’s a better/more upgraded option available)… what do you suggest?

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    jeni says

    Wow, what a great question, Holly! I think it would be a good idea to make a “quick” (one page) version of your media kit with a blurb at the bottom like, “More details and statistics are available at [your URL]” – that is, if you have lots more to show them. And then staple your business card to that and present them together. And of course, a stack of business cards without the media kit attached, as well. 🙂 If you’re super high tech and have a designer who can do this for you, you might put a QR code on the back of your business card (even small, in the corner) that points straight to your advertising page. But any way you slice it, take your media kit with you! Hope this helps.

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      Holly Waterfall says

      Thank you Jeni, That was really helpful! But now I have another question for ya. What if you really don’t have any other sponsors to give testimonials. Would it be better to leave that section out or would it be better to get testimonials from my readers on more of a content level on how I have helped them? (i’m a self-improvement/healthy living blogger)
      Thanks again!

      Reply
        jeni says

        I would just leave out the testimonials for now, but make a point to collect them as soon as you’re able. What’s in the media kit needs to relate directly to your blog-sponsor relations.

        Reply
Rich Uncle EL says

I appreciate the advice in this post, I am getting hit up for guest posting and a few sponsorship posts. I am more confident with responding now because of this advice.

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Kelly says

I just started a new blog but I am pinning this to refer back to later!

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julia says

Thank you so much! It’s a very helpful and comprehensive article!

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melissa {persnickety plates} says

Thank you so much for this! I just followed your steps to create my media kit =)

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Phil Naessens says

Hey!

Nice post! I made a video media kit for my radio shows/podcasts and I’d be honored if you took the time to have a look!

Hey!

Hope all is well……I finally made a media kit….when you get a chance please have a look and tell me what you think!

http://t.co/sDXptcK2Ph

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    jeni says

    Hi Phil, I love that you’re thinking outside the box with an A/V media kit, especially since you’re a radio show. I didn’t get to take a look at the page you’re showcasing it on (since your link was to YouTube), but I’d still have a one-page, professional looking PDF that people can print out and take with them. Often you’ll have a person in the advertising department whose job it is to explore leads for their company, and they’ll need to take something to their boss…even if it’s a document that says, “Check out my video media kit at [this URL]” I hadn’t seen this approach to a media kit before – great work!

    Reply
Trisha says

Thanks for this great post! I’ve been frantically scouring the internet for media kit advice. I just had a company (that I’d love to work with) contact me and ask me if there were partnership opportunities on my website and if I had a media kit. Now, I’m scrambling to get something together.

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Heather says

I’m learning so much from you today! Thank you so much for sharing your wealth of information.

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    jeni says

    You’re welcome, Heather. 🙂 Glad you’re finding it useful!

    Reply
Michelle says

I’ve been meaning to do this for a while! Now I really am going to get it done!

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Christy says

Thank you so much for explaining this! I was just asked for one for the first time and I was clueless. I feel much better after reading this!

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    jeni says

    I’m glad you found it useful, Christy. Putting together a media kit doesn’t have to be too painful. 🙂

    Reply
Lori @ A Bright and Beautiful Life says

Thanks tons and tons for all of this useful information. I have really appreciated all of the help I have received from you on other posts you have written. I hadn’t given a media kit much thought since I am new to blogging (6 months) but it sounds like I should start putting one together. I makes me so nervous though ~ I guess I need to work through that and just move forward.

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    jeni says

    Hi Lori, thanks for your note! Even if you’re a new blogger, I think that putting together a media kit can be a good exercise in discovering your unique brand. It can be hard to “sell yourself,” but a media kit can help you hone in on what your blog is really about and what makes you unique. And that way if you do have a sudden opportunity come up, all you have to do is update a few statistics. 🙂

    Reply
Becky @ A Calculated Whisk says

Hi Jeni,
Thanks for this great info! I just got an email requesting a media kit and already had this pinned : ). I use Blogger and right now all my ads are through Google AdSense. Do you know how/where I would add ads from specific sponsors, or can you point me to a resource?
Thanks again for your great site!

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kle says

Thank you for a great article, i’m trying to put together a decent media kit and i was struggling a bit. My website is new so i dont have impressive numbers to show. As you suggested, i will concentrate on how my blog is growing. I’ve been contacted by some companies and i felt that i was not professional enough without a media kit. I set up a “advertise with me” page but it is not enough. Need o go back to work i guess 🙂 Thank you!

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Krista says

I’m so glad I came across this. I’ve only been blogging for about 4 months but I’m ready to venture into the world of sponsors, but I wanted to have a kicka** media kit before I got started. This is so helpful, and basically everything I needed all in one place. Thank you so much for writing it!! (also that bit about the PDF because I totally would have sent it out in word 🙂

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Marty Walden says

Thanks so much for the breakdown. I’m headed to Haven next week and working to get mine ready!

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Cairns Kids says

Just what I needed! Thank you for sharing. Now our media kit will rock!

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Scarlet says

Great tips. Makes me want to go back and polish mine up!

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Erica Lynn @ Optimal Health Consultant says

Wow! Thanks for breaking this process down into easy steps which are not overwhelming. This has really helped me get started instead of just researching forever.

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Jacy says

Thank you SO much for this! I’ve included the link to your post into a resource roundup 🙂 Would love for you to see it. Keep up the great content!
Blessings,
Jacy
http://www.artbyjacy.com/2013/08/the-24-best-blogging-resources-link.html

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Chasing the Donkey says

Jeni, I cannot believe this was FREE info. I just spent hours doing my kit and all thanks to you – super, super great post. So easy to read and just everything I was wondering,

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Sab says

Thanks, such an awesome article. helped me a lot! Will totally share that!

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Karina Saad says

Thank you very much for sharing that information with all of us !!
It helped me a lot.

I’m currently working on my Mediakit. I’ll let you know how it goes !
Karina Saad
http://www.cocoaksd.com

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Riley says

Hey thanks Jeni 🙂

I definitely understand about gathering up all my blogs’ statistics + information, however I’m a bit unsure on presenting my media kit with that professional touch; what I mean is with images.

I know about floating images to the left/right and wrapping the text around the image.. But I’ve seen some impressive media kits with background images.. Any thoughts?

I would be using OpenOffice (open source/free Microsoft Word), and obviously exporting as a .PDF

Might be a good blog post for you giving an example of how to place images into the background and doing things like opacity/blur to keep the reader engaged, keep the text standing out, and making a professional looking media kit.

Let me know your thoughts please :D. Great post.

Riley !

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    jeni says

    Hi Riley,

    Thanks for your note! I understand the value in creating a professional layout – honestly, there’s only so far “free” tools will take you. I use Photoshop and/or Adobe Illustrator to do media kits, but a cheaper solution is probably to use PowerPoint or Keynote (if you’re on a Mac). Half the battle of presentation is having the eye for what’s going to look good, so most people who are really concerned about having a professional media kit hire out the layout to a designer, and then just check back quarterly with updated statistics for the designer to make tweaks to the existing content. It’s not the cheapest solution, but definitely gets you the nicest results.

    Warmly,
    Jeni

    Reply
      Riley says

      Thank you for your reply Jeni.

      When you mentioned photoshop/illustrator, that is my question. When using these programs, does one create an image which is the size of each page on the .pdf document, then simply type over top of it? (Or drag this image into a program such as Microsoft Word?).

      For example, create like a 1600×2400 image, leave space for typing in the middle? Or is there an option to export as a .pdf in Adobe, and one just has to know the size/resolution?

      Thank-you again Jeni,

      Riley !

      Reply
        jeni says

        If you’re using a design program like Photoshop, you can create the whole thing right there in the program. You’d start by choosing the dimensions (in inches, not pixels) of a sheet of paper and then use the design tools to create the layout. And then you can export it as a PDF. If you’re only working with word processing software, I’ve seen some nice ones done with just a white background but then importing a header image that stretches across the top. If you’re going to go that route, then using professional looking fonts helps, and you can’t go wrong with a good color palette. 🙂 My favorites are still those that are professionally designed – for inspiration, check out this one designed by my pal Emily: http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/media-kit I believe she used Adobe Illustrator for that one, though. Does this answer your question at all?

        Reply
          Riley says

          Definitely 🙂 — Thank-you for your in-depth reply.

          I was confused on if Photoshop could export .PDF’s (which Google was helpful to answer, Yes, it can).

          That is much appreciated with your multiple sentences. I referred back a few times to your blog post, and actually referred someone to read it as well!

          My media kit is actually very close to being done. I’ll send you an email upon complete, as I’m launching a V2 of my website!

          Sincerely, thank-you for your in-depth replies Jeni,

          Riley !

          Reply
Toia B. says

Thank you for this! I’ve been researching info on how to do a media kit for a few weeks now and I’m finding your layout and explanations to be one of the simplest. I’m in the middle of working on mine and I plan to finish it up by the weekend. This is right on time.

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    jeni says

    Thanks for your note, Toia. When you finish that media kit, I’d love for you to leave a link here so I can check it out and celebrate with you. 🙂

    Warmly,
    Jeni

    Reply
Vee says

This is one of the best Media kit resources I’ve seen. Thanks for putting it together 🙂

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Grace Tan says

Thanks, Jeni! I now have the confidence to put together a media kit that rocks (like this blogpost title says) 😉

Grace @ WorkingWithGrace

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Kirsten says

Awesome resource. Thank you for creating and sharing. I really appreciate the pdf download.

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Alexis says

This is great post and I sincerely appreciate you putting it together! I’m an idiot when it comes to things like this and when a legitimate company asked me to send them my media kit I was all like, “Um…what now?”

Thank you for showing me how not to look like a dufus in my media kit 🙂

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    jeni says

    Glad it’s helpful, Alexis. Good luck with your new opportunities!

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Renee says

Awesome article! Thanks so much for the info. I got all my questions answered!

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Ruthie & Rose says

This is awesome – what a fabulous resource! We are somewhat new to the blogging world (going on 7 months now) and we have had requests for our media kit and just were not sure where to start. Thanks for breaking it all down into easy steps. It doesn’t quite feel like the humongous mountain anymore! Many thanks – we can’t wait to get started!

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Cate Moore says

This is a great resource, Jeni. Thank you for your generosity in making it a free download! Much appreciated.

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    jeni says

    Glad you found it useful, Cate. Made any headway yet with your media kit?

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Jodee Weiland says

Jeni, thanks so much for this great post and the Media Kit download! You rock! I love all of your posts because they always help me improve my blog. I wish there were more hours in the day sometimes, so I don’t miss anything. I will share all of this! Thanks again!

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Lisa says

This article is amazing! I’ve been scouring the internet for tips on making a press kit, and this is by far the most coherent, cohesive, and helpful one I have seen. Thanks for writing this!

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Regina says

Hi Jeni,

I’m so excited that I finally finished and proofed my sponsorship media kit! The only issue I’m having is figuring out how to create an upload for it to my site. I’d like to create a link that will lead readers to the PDF format of the media kit. Any tips on how this can be done? Thank you. 🙂

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Regina says

Please disregard my last comment. I decided to use Dropbox has a hosting site for the PDF then copied the URL to my post on Blogger. Worked like a charm. 🙂

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Sarah says

Thanks for the info, you have defiantly helped!!

Love,
M+B
mollyandbeans.com

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Emma says

This post is really helpful, I’ve been putting of making a mediakit for the past few months, just because I had no idea where to start.
I just have one question, your pageviews per month. how far back should I go with these stats?

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    jeni says

    Hi Emma, it depends on how often you want to update your media kit. People who update their kit every month just take one month’s worth of stats and put it in the kit. People who update it quarterly, on the other hand, might average the last three months’ page views and give that average. Then they’d update that three months later. Does that answer your question?

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Deandre says

I was extremely pleased to discover this great site.
I want to to thank you for ones time due to this fantastic
read!! I definitely appreciated every part of it and I have you saved to
fav to check out new stuff in your blog.

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Steve says

Thanks for a very interesting article, we are now at the stage of needing to create a media kit but having difficulty in putting a price on advertising space. I like what you’ve done with the Small Things website.

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Carina says

Hi Jeni, Thanks for this amazing post and sharing your insights with us. Carina

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Diandra says

Thanks for posting this! I’m no where near ready to make a media kit but when I do, I know exactly where to come to help me out!

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Paul says

This is great! Thanks for sharing, Jeni. With a step-by-step plan, you certainly make this something that I can do! 🙂

I am going to share this!

Thanks again!

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Noa says

great post, thanks for the comprehensive info! My only question is: wouldn’t I need to somehow prove my stats to the potential sponsors? I mean, anyone can make a media kit and just place any number, so how would I actually prove that I have a large readership?

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    Jeni Elliott says

    Hi Noa,

    Yes, you’d need to prove the large readership – typically if a brand is interested in working with you, based on what they see in your media kit, they’ll ask for either a screen shot of your Analytics, or for access to your Analytics to verify. So it’s important when you’re reporting the numbers in your media kit to use Google Analytics as your metric, since that’s the industry standard. Hope this helps!

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Nagi@RecipeTin Eats says

Hi everyone, I put together a Media Kit template which I actually use for my own blog that I thought I’d share! It’s a photoshop file so you can customise it to your own blog. Hope you find it useful!
http://www.recipetineats.com/blogger-resources/free-media-kit-template/

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Tiffany says

Thank you so much for this post! It was extremely helpful to me. I love the checklist and will be sure to use it when I am putting together mine.

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Laura Irion // Avery Street Design says

Thank you for this! I all of a sudden have people emailing me asking about advertising and I have NO idea what to say or do, so it sounds like this would be a good place to start. Maybe you have answered this question already, but how do you know what to list for your rates? Is there a place to see what is normal? Again, thank you so much- this was very helpful!

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    Jeni Elliott says

    Hi Laura, all I can say regarding rates is that it varies widely – both from blogger to blogger AND from campaign to campaign. If you haven’t already checked it out, I think it would be worth investing in a copy of Bloggers and Brands, which is a great guide to getting started working with brands. And Shannon Acheson, the author, does offer consulting – I personally focus more on product development and boosting sales of your own products through your site, but Shannon would be a great resource to ask those detailed questions to regarding pricing, packaging, etc. Hope this helps!

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Karen Farber says

This is amazing! It is so helpful to read these kinds of articles, as I had no idea media kits were even a thing! Having one of these makes so much more sense than writing random emails for each company! Now I just need to decide when I’m ready to start reaching out to companies! *I just started my blog last month*

Thanks for the amazing information!

http://www.littleblackshell.com

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Donna says

Hands down this is the most helpful article on creating a media kit. I’ve been in charge of hiring people to create media kits and now find myself having to create one, thank you for your article.

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    Jeni Elliott says

    You’re welcome, Donna. Glad you’re finding it useful. 🙂

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Sandy says

Awesome tips! I’m in the process of creating my media kit and I’ll be using all the points on this pretty comprehensive page. Thanks for taking the time to put it together.

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Jess Paterson says

This is SO useful! Exactly what I’ve been looking for but didn’t want to ask blogging buddies as I knew it would be a detailed job to explain – which you’ve done brilliantly! Thanks!

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Kristine Manley says

I just happen to come across your website and I’m glad I did. This is some fabulous information. I want more!

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Brendon The Smiling Chef says

Hi Jeni, thanks very much for the amazing article. This advice is going to be very useful as I’m just in the process of putting media kit together and I didn’t know where to begin. Happy blogging, Brendon. If you have the time feel free to check out my recipe and food blog Brendon The Smiling Chef 🙂

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Laje Hezu says

Reviewing this blog post advises me of my aged area companion! Pretty sure he will certainly have a great read.

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Miguel says

Hi, Good article . I will apply these tips in my blog.
Thanks

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Zully Hernandez says

So it’s taken me a few times on this post and I’ve finally stopped procrastinating and finished my media kit. I’d love to know what you think of it Jeni – and btw thanks so much for this post!
http://foodiezoolee.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/MediaKit-FZ.pdf

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Jess says

What a brilliant post for a newbie blogger! Only 4 weeks in and I’m already being asked about sponsorship and need a media kit ASAP! Thank-you so much for providing such a clear, helpful explanation of what to do!

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    Jeni Elliott says

    You’re welcome, Jess. Glad you’re finding it helpful. Congrats on your new opportunities! Wishing you well with them 🙂

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Menorca says

Thanks for the info!I need to make a media kit and have no idea of designing.How to go about it? Do people use a specific software for making these kits-like Indesign,etc?

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    Jeni Elliott says

    Hi Menorca! My feeling is that a lot of bloggers take the DIY approach and make their own, at least until they have enough income to justify hiring a designer to do it. I’m actually just days away from launching a professional media kit template that you can use to design your own media kit using Photoshop (including tutorial videos!). If you’re interested in finding out more about that, let me know here and I’ll be sure to let you know once it goes live. Thanks for reaching out with your comment!

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      Menorca says

      Yes, please let me know! It would be brilliant! ! ! Thankyou so much.

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Darlene Demell says

HI Jeni
So glad I found your site and now I have finished (almost) my new media kit thanks to your instructions. The problem I am having now is converting it to pdf and no matter what I try it just won’t work. I will work at it again tomorrow. Hopefully I will get it.
Thanks for all the great tips and help you give in your posts. I really am enjoying them and learning a lot.

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    Jeni Elliott says

    Thanks for your note, Darlene! Hope you have some luck with converting it to a PDF. If you can’t figure out any other way, you might try this site I found: Online PDF Converter. Hope this helps!

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      Darlene Demell says

      Hi Jeni
      Well I can’t thank you enough for that site you found. After two days of trying to do a pdf I finally was able to get it done in about 5 minutes. Thank you so much for the help. Its finally done and I am a happy camper. 🙂

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Jay says

Having worked in the MEDIA industry in the past, no one knows media kits better than the industry that named them. This is a very good primer to those who have no clue to starting out. I have written several media kits in the past and this still taught me something. I especially like the way the author makes small jokes along the way. Though in all honesty I am a man and totally would have used that template without any modification (go, man!)

Thanks for writing this, I am sure it is very valuable to lots of people!

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Marta says

This is a brilliant and incredibly helpful post – thanks so much, I’ll be using it as a reference when creating my media kit! However, there’s one thing that confused me a bit – you mention that we should outline our rates and even payment policies, however, only some of the media kits from your post about “20 EXAMPLE BLOG MEDIA/PRESS KITS” provide this information. Would you say it’s not neccessery to mention it then? thank you!

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    Jeni Elliott says

    Hi Marta, some people do put their rates on their media kits, but others use a separate “rate sheet” that has that info. Since rates can vary widely, it might be a good idea for you to have a “starts at” price (like “starts at $50”) so you don’t pigeonhole yourself with a certain dollar amount. Hope this is helpful!

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      Marta says

      that’s a great tip – thanks a lot!

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Cindy Stovall says

Thank you for the great information! I’ve been doing an arts webcast/podcast for almost a year and now want to monetize. I had an idea of how to do this, but you not only confirmed my thoughts, you added great tips and an organized approach. Clearly, I’ll have to start a blog to accompany the show! Demographics are hard to ascertain though, in the broadcasting format….
http://lirpodcasts.com/filter/beauty-and-the-burg/

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    Jeni Elliott says

    Hi Cindy,

    A blog is probably the best way to organize your podcast’s episodes anyway, and add show notes for your listeners. If you can create a mailing list that people can get on via your blog, you’ll have a lot more access to your listeners so you can better assess who’s out there! And it’s easy, once you mention on an episode “Check out such-and-such page for the show notes, and leave a comment telling me X” to start a conversation there!”

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Charlotte Cobb says

Great post, I am a graphic design student in my last year and I have been helping some bloggers with their media kits, I have really enjoyed working with them and hope to help more lovely bloggers in the future!

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Katricia says

Wow!! I am so glad I found this post. I am going to review our media kit and take your suggestions and revamp. Thank you so much for these tips!

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Caitlin says

Thank you so much, this is incredibly helpful! now i see it broken down step by step it seems so much more achievable 🙂 thanks!

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Grace says

Hi. I am all new to this and I have read almost all of your post. I am hooking up with linkshare and I have one company that is asking me for my media kit so they can determine weather or not if we are compatible. Do I need to do this or not

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    Jeni Elliott says

    If you think it would be a good use of your time, Grace, then go for it! If you’re still in a growth phase and aren’t ready to work with brands yet, then maybe hold off until you have some stats you’re proud to show off. 🙂 I appreciate you reaching out!

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Thomas Gregory says

amazing these tips from media kit, I have not but I’m providing for my projects obrigdo for the tips!

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Hannah Iway says

Thanks for this tips! My blog is new but reading your article, it gives me another goal of blogging. By the time I have impressive no. of site visits, I will definitely create my own media kit. I focus for now on posting articles, get visitors, etc.

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Janice says

Just wanted to say your post was fabulous. Really clear and specific. I’ll definitely be using your tips. Appreciate that you added suggestions for those who do not have a lot of traffic with certain social platforms.

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Amy Barseghian says

Thank you so much for this! I use it and it has been SO helpful! 🙂

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Blogger for "The HotJem" says

Jeni thank you very much for this wealth of information. It will be very helpful with knowing what information to inlcude in our media kit.
THJ

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Claudia says

Hi! so I’m done with mine. Do you recommend uploading it to the blog as a permanent link so that possible sponsors can just access it or rather wait for them to reach you and then send it by email? also what is the best way to getting sponsors? My blog is new (3 months) but I am struggling finding them!

thanks for this great and helpful post!

Claudia

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    Jeni Elliott says

    Hi Claudia,

    Thanks for your note! A “work with me” page is great to have on your site, but I wouldn’t sit around and wait for brands to contact you. 😉 Shannon Acheson has a fantastic guide on working with brands called Bloggers and Brands – it goes step by step what you need to do to get started. Hope this helps!

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Cristal says

This provided some great information for newbies like me. I followed your steps and now I have a completed media kit! Thank you!!

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Michael Noker says

Thank you so much for this! I just hit 100 subscribers on YouTube and I’ve only written a little bit on my blog so far, but I’ve been reading a lot about this for future reference when I’m ready to start seeking out brand deals, and this is by far the best post I’ve found. So thank you so much for this resource!

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Mere says

Hello, thank you so much for this! I’m a newbie blogger and I just want to ask when should I start charging brands? 🙂 Also, do you think that product reviews should be free? Thanks so much!

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Dillon says

I am so new to the blogging world that I had no idea what a media kit was until read this post! Very informative, pinned for future reference. Mahalo!

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Amanda Ripsam says

I am so very glad I found your site I have started to make my media kit and my words are finally flowing together nicely. I’m all ready impressed with what I have come up with just by following your tips. Huge thank you. I have been blogging for 3 years with out a media kit and I haven’t attempted to do any sponsors but I do get products to review how you have your media kit format is so easy and helpful to understand.

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Brent Almond says

Great resource!

However, the comment under the sample message in #6 seemed unnecessary, out of place — and honestly — a little insulting. I didn’t find the sample “terribly feminine” — I found it friendly and personable. What made it feminine — asking about family? I’m the admin of a group of dad bloggers with around 1,200 members — many of them stay-at-home dads, and most of whom it would make perfect sense to mention family in such a message. And not all of them like football.

I know it’s a nitpick, but I believe it’s important to break the stigma that dads (and men in general) can’t be caretakers, or are only mindless sports fanatics.

Again, I really appreciate all of the thought and expertise that went into this post. Just asking you to reconsider that one bit of not-so-thoughtful language. Thanks!

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Monika says

Thanks Jeni! That’s exactly what I have been looking for. Seems like media kit is not the quickest thing to do 😉 luckily the weekend is coming:)

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Wendy says

This is great information! I’ve been wanting/needing to tackle a media kit, but honestly didn’t know where to start. I’m downloading your guide to get started. Thanks for sharing all of this!

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Britt says

This is really great! Exactly the clear and easy information I was looking for! Wish me luck, i’m starting my media kit with your list on hand!!

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Jack Duncan says

Jeni,
I love the tip in this post about including your growth trends, if you’re just starting out. That’s a really creative way for those just starting out blogging to still get some good numbers in their media kit.

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Jordan Kelsey says

This is so so helpful! I’ve never known whether or not to create a press pack but I guess it is never to early to start and get things rolling with PR companies and get your name out there!

Blog || Instagram

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Zoe says

Love this! I’m finally getting round to being a bit more organised about my blog + I think a proper media kit will definitely help!

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Travis Knoll says

You can do it that way if you’d like but for information you don’t want to make public such as full processes and pricing, you’d have to password protect it. In our case, many of our clients want to build a relationship and can control that more easily by having the person contact them first. It’s a personal preference.

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Adrienne says

Hi Jeni! This is an awesome article packed with easy to follow tips. We just created our media kit and I would love to hear your thoughts. https://atassist.com/media-package

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Natasha Daniels says

Awesome post! I have been meaning to do this for a while, but keep putting it off. I googled how to make a media kit and found your post. Perfect! I no longer feel clueless. Also, excited I found your site. Just subscribed to your newsletter. What a resource of information you have here 🙂

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Solidworks crack says

This was a great article. Many writers don’t think to create a media kit and it looks like it can be done with minimal financial effort. I think it’s a great way to get the writer’s name out there. Thank you for sharing!

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Jacklyn says

As a somewhat new blogger that has recently had a bit of a ‘take-off’ I found this VERY helpful!

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Bo says

Thank you so much for this article! It’s exactly what i wanted to know, i’m exited to start making this kit 😀

Love, Bo

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Cindy says

To even send a media kit a cover letter style introduction will be needed. Would you be able to provide a template?

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Mama Melyn says

This MEDIA KIT thing is new to me. I am blogging on and off since 2008 and just revamped my blog last month. I will read more about it. Thanks for this article.

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Maria says

Hey Jeni, I’ve been thinking of redesigning my media kit and this post is exactly what I was looking for!

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Anne - Just Only Home says

Thanks so much for the great information. I’ve heard of media kits and how important they are but they’ve been intimidating to me. I am still a very small blog but I am ready to start growing and I really appreciate the step by step and the links.

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Guest says

Just what i needed to know; clearly and well written. Thank you.

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Rahul Kumar says

Hi Recently, i was searching for the Media deck and how to pitch the same before some one. I found you article this is nice, however i was searching for the short way by which i can pitch my mailing inventory’s detail before someone.

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Lucas Vu says

Nice article, thank for share this.

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Ikram says

Many thanks for this helpful post.

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Lee Mac says

Many thanks for the post, i didn’t realise what a media kit was!! 🙂

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Yasar says

Wow~
Thank you so much for this DOABLE Guide.

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Tracey Tripp says

This is exactly what I have been looking for. It was an easy read and so informative. Thank you so much.

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Laurie Brooks says

I have had my blog for 7 months now, I have been told my blog is very impressive. I have made 0.00 yet. I post every other day and have about 160 posts so far. I have not made a media kit because I don’t have sales nor any advertising that has made money.

Trying to think of ideas for an ebook, however having difficulties with having a food blog. Not too many use recipe books when they can click on a website and get the recipe lol

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Jiji says

Thank you so much! This is so helpful. I’ve been researching for hours on how to create a media kit and this was a gem find. It’s comprehensive and I’m so glad I found it. I’m getting started on my media kit now. Do you have any tips/have you written any articles on the best way to reach out to companies and send them your media kit? This is my site http://www.cleverishmagazine.com/

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Aleka Shunk says

Thanks so much for this! The tips are great and simple enough to do! 🙂 I am still “sponsor-less” but at least I’ll be ready for them!!

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Valter Gonzaga says

Amazing! Thanks! Blessings! =)

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EJennifer says

Wow thank you ! I’ve learned so much in the last few days.
http://www.eyandco.com

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Yvonne says

I am just discussing media kits with a friend of mine which made me look up what Google says… this article of yours is fabulous.
Maybe you can help me with another question I have… I have been blogging for over 4 years now so have lots of clients to list but only want to list a few that will look impressive – the larger corporations etc. What is the best way of letting people know these are just a selection? Top 10 clients… but they might not be the top anymore… recent but maybe they were years ago…

Thanks her so much for any input.

xx Yvonne

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Rewari says

Thanks for the guide! Definitely useful for someone like me who has only been blogging for a month.

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nina says

I really loved that post since my sister and I are at the beginning of our blogger career and a big business reached out to us and asked for a media kit which we of course don’t have. Thank you for all the helpful information.

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