Understanding, Using & Maintaining Media Kits as a Blogger!

I'm back with a brand new tips and tricks post here on Little Beauty Bug. I know it's been a hot minute since I did one of these, but it seemed only appropriate that I kickstart these post with one of my favorite elements of blogging. Media Kits are all the hype right now with bloggers. When it comes to working with fellow bloggers, brands or companies it's important to share with those individuals exactly who you are as a blogger, what your blog is about including opportunities you offer to these individuals and brands as well as your basic statistics in relation to your blog. For those bloggers who are reading this and who don't have a Media Kit this post will be perfect for you. I'm going to explain exactly what a Media Kit is as well as provide you with examples of how I enjoy setting up media kits and tips and tricks to make your Media Kit the best it can be. As for those bloggers reading this who already have a Media Kit, this is the perfect opportunity for you to fine-tune your Media Kit to catch everyone's attention.

What is a Media Kit?

A Media Kit is a document you put together using a variety of programs available to you, like Word Processing, Photoshop, Canva, PicMonkey and more. Creating this document includes giving an overview of your blog, yourself and your statistics to prospective blogging partners. Think of it like this: would you get a job without handing in a resume (CV)? Chances are you wouldn't. Your Media Kit is exactly that, your resume (CV) for the blogging world!

Why Does Having a Media Kit Benefit Me as a Blogger?

There are so many reasons that having a Media Kit can benefit any blogger that it would almost be impossible for me to tell you all of them. Media Kits are the building blocks of having great blog success and growth. We all know the importance and love that PR companies have for working with Bloggers. How do you think this happens? Here are just a few of the important reasons why I have always used a Media Kit and why I will never stop using mine:

+ Show's prospective brands/companies that you can be taken seriously
+ Cut down on sending those lengthy e-mails to prospective brands or bloggers
+ Great tool to use and show other bloggers when looking to collaborate
+ Creative media where lots of information can be condensed into an easy flowing document
+ Condensed (1 - 3 pages) document including ALL of your important information
+ Provide great opportunity for blog or business growth and partnership

What Should I Include in my Media Kit?

So Krystal, I know why I should have a Media Kit now but what do I include and how do I make one? Well, I'm so glad that you asked this question because while it's important to have a Media Kit, just like your Resume (CV) it should be arranged in a way that is presentable to all those who will be viewing it. First of all, you can use many programs to create your Media Kit. For me, I love Photoshop so I always use that program to create and maintain my Media Kit. You can also use free resources like Canva, PicMonkey or Microsoft Word (Word Processing). All of these resources can be excellent for creating exactly what you want to do. Of course, each method will have different struggles and success, it's completely up to your to chose your building platform.

The next piece is figuring out what to include in your media kit and what to leave out. There is so much information that can be placed into a Media Kit that it's important to remember you want the more important information and the information that everyone wants to see. Depending on the length of your Media Kit - which is generally 1 to 3 pages - you will be able to add more things. For me, I like sticking to a 1-page Media Kit because I don't want to overwhelm prospective brands or bloggers with information that you don't want to see or read. However, I do see my Media Kit changing as my blog does, so this could increase to 2 pages quickly.

Here is a list of some things you can include in your Media Kits:

+ Blog header or logo
+ Photo of yourself or work from your blog
+ Small bio about yourself and your blog
+ Services that your offer
+ Statistics including your social media and blog stats
+ Previous experiences with bloggers and brands
+ Contact information
+ Call to Action

But WAIT! It's Always Important to Remember...

1) Media Kits can be full of text upon text upon text, if your Media Kit is going to be all text than its just as good as one of those lengthy e-mails - which we are trying to avoid. Make sure your Media Kit is unique by including images of your work to break things up.

2) Just like your resume (CV) you wouldn't pass in the same one to every place you wish to be employed. Change is good. Therefore make small additions or remove things from your Media Kit depending on who you are sending it to.

3) Always remember to update your Media Kit with the latest information. I try to update mine monthly but of course, you can update it more or less depending on how much you are using it and how many people request it.

Examples of Media Kits & Other Great Resources:

There is so much more information about Media Kits out there floating around the internet today. I know I covered a lot of information in this post, but I couldn't cover absolutely everything. I decided to expand my knowledge and yours while giving some love to other bloggers and online entertainers by building a Pinterest board dedicated to everything to do with Media Kits. Right now it's small, but be sure to head on over and see what's there as well as give the board a follow. You can also find my very own Media Kit pinned to the board. I'll be posting daily with examples of Media Kits and so many more great resources related to Media Kits.

FIND THE PINTEREST BOARD HERE!

*** Pinterest Board related to this post contains pin's and items that are not associated with Little Beauty Bug, aside from my Media Kit pinned to the board as an example.