A comprehensive tutorial on creating a media kit for your blog

The growing number of social platforms in the last two decades has enabled anyone who wants to try their luck at blogging, to do so without having to invest any money.  While it is extremely easy to sign up and create a blog, things tend to be a bit more difficult when it comes to working with brands.

This is where a media kit comes in, as it is the main thing that enables a blog to work with brands.  Below, you will find everything you need to know about media kits, from what they are and what they exactly do for you, all the way to how to build a proper one for your blog.

Before showing you how to build a media kit, let’s talk about what it is and why it is absolutely vital that you have one, provided that you are a blogger.

Media Kits 101

The simple explanation is that a media kit is a document that contains important information and statistics regarding your blog.  Upon creating one, a blogger can give it to potential brands that they would like to collaborate with.  Through this kit, marketers can get all the information that they will ever need in order to decide how the blog would fit into their campaign.  This way, brands will know what topics you normally write about, how many followers you have, and other details that help them earn a profit.

Furthermore, most bloggers also include a list of collaboration options and prices for various services that they offer, in the kit.  It is a must-have for any blogger.  If you intend to work with companies and brands in the future, then it is a good idea to have your media kit ready and to send it when you have the chance.  This will let potential collaborators know that you are a professional and that they can expect to receive quality content.

What to include in a media kit:

1. Short bio of both you, and the blog:  Marketers usually want to know as much relevant information as they can, about those who they are working with, so it is vital to include information like what kind of topics you write about, what kind of people follow your blog, and also any other information that would be relevant in the case of a potential collaboration.

Be professional when you write it, however, also try to be personable.  A brand is much more likely to be willing to work with you if they can connect to you.  Try to avoid writing your bio in a manner that will make them think that you are willing to do anything in order to sell them your services.  Marketers should also perceive you as a people person and a creator, not just a business person.

2. Graphics (Photos, logos, etc.):  In order to make your media kit more appealing, you can include various images that you have shared on your blog.  Treat it like a portfolio and add photos of your previous collaborations, graphics, and images that you have included in past articles.  Try to include elements that portray the identity of your blog, in one way or another.

Also, add a photo of yourself, as well as your blog’s logo.  Now, when it comes to choosing a personal photo, it is advised not to add a casual one.  Do not use any vacation or family photos.  Instead, insert a professional head shot, like you would in a CV.  This will show them that you understand the fact that your collaboration with them is business, not a casual project between bloggers.

3. Statistics:  Brands require proof of your success, in order to be able to collaborate with you.  This proof must come in the form of statistics.  These must tell the marketers everything that they need to know in order to determine if working with you would be profitable or not.  While most platforms offer more than a few statistics, the following must be included:

• Subscribers: this includes all subscribers that you have( RSS, social media, and so on);
• The numbers of monthly page views;
• The numbers of monthly unique visitors;

You can also share details regarding your readers, such as their age range, their gender breakdown, etc.

Keep in mind that it is a good idea to only include social media accounts that have high statistics.  If you have an account with 20 subscribers and the others have over 2000, you can probably leave the first one out of the media kit.

If your blog is still in its infancy and you don’t have thousands of followers yet, don’t worry.  You can always specify the growth of the subscribers over the course of the last few months.  Let the marketers know if the number of people that are following you has doubled or tripled in the last 4-8 weeks.  Most brands are just as willing to work with fast developing blogs, as they are to cooperate with ones that have a large audience.

4. Collaboration possibilities and prices:  In this section, you have to essentially put together a list of services and prices, designed to let the brand know what kind of advertising they get, and for what price.  The usual options are:

• Sponsored posts;
• Giveaways;
• Promotion on Social Media Networks;
• Reviews for their products;

Keep in mind that this is just an example.  You can offer any kind of collaboration possibilities you want.  Also, try to think of interesting ways to market a brand. If you included in the list and the company is interested, then you will surely make a good impression.  However, only write things that you know how to do.  Other than that, be creative.  Brands are constantly looking for new ways to get people interested in their products.

Before moving on to the next section, do not forget to list the prices for each of the services, in order to give the brands the possibility of choosing the ones that suit them.

5. Testimonials and details of your previous work:  This is where you should include a few general details about all your previous collaborations, like what you did and for what businesses.  If you don’t mind going into details, you can also describe the strategies that you have used in the past, with other companies.

This section will essentially show the brands that others who have worked with you have been pleased and will increase your credibility when it comes to collaborations.  Furthermore, it will show them that you have the experience needed to successfully complete the project.

6. How to get started:  Explain to the brands what they should do if they want to collaborate with you, and make sure to include your contact information so they can reach you easily!