| You've got it, you're going to put together a huge, | | | | can make a heck of a lot of money charging their |
| glossy press kit, fill it with bios, press releases, fact | | | | clients for high-priced press kits. |
| sheets, photos, graphs, statistics, brochures, covering | | | | Frills and fluff do not make a public relations campaign. |
| everything that ever happened in your life, with every | | | | Buy yourself some two-pocket folders at any |
| possible bit of information that you have on yourself | | | | stationery store. Buy a good median-priced folder; you |
| and your company, and you're going to send it to | | | | don't want the most expensive, but you don't want the |
| every media outlet you can think of. Interesting plan, if | | | | cheapest folder either. Inside the folder include copies |
| your aim is to throw money away and alienate the | | | | of any articles or interviews you have appeared in, a |
| media. | | | | fact sheet, a short bio about you and your company, a |
| To begin with, unless you have loads of disposable | | | | press release, and any visuals or photos that you |
| cash, you're going to go broke. More importantly, | | | | believe are important. No fluff, only include the pertinent |
| chances are, that it's going to be incredibly boring, not | | | | stuff. That is your press kit. First send a release, make |
| to mention annoying for the media to receive all that | | | | a follow-up call. If a producer or editor asks for a kit, |
| information - information they never requested. Press | | | | send one, but only to people who have requested it. |
| kits can be effective, but only if they're used sparingly | | | | Be selective. Be smart. |
| and shrewdly. Don't inundate the media with | | | | Also, modify your press kit to fit the media that you're |
| information, and if you've hired a firm, don't give them | | | | sending to. You may not want to send the same |
| carte blanche in the matter. | | | | press kit to Time magazine that you would to Runner's |
| Too many PR firms have a tendency to send out | | | | World or Forbes. Be discerning in who you send the |
| press kits en masse. It's a common practice, but a | | | | kits to and in the materials you include. It will pay off in |
| wasteful one. Also, keep in mind, public relations firms | | | | the long run. |