How To Create A Press Kit for Personal Branding
Email Marketing, the Best Promotional Material to Increase Exposure
Sep 5, 2009
Want to increase exposure for a small business? Need to get noticed but not sure how to go about it? The best promotional material can sometimes be the simplest. Learn how to create a press kit to further a personal brand or expand small business marketing plans.
In order to be well-known in a particular field, whether as an artist, entrepreneur or small business owner, there is nothing more important than personal branding. When the public thinks of a certain product or service, they often turn to the person or company that is synonymous with that brand. BE that brand.
How To Create a Press Kit
Stop wasting time with scattered marketing efforts and lethargic promotional materials and get simple: create a press kit based on a personal brand. It’s free and it’s effective.
- Write a Bio: Keep it less than one page, stay on topic and personalize it (still keeping it relevant to the personal brand).
- Professional Memberships: Make sure to include professional memberships, relevant volunteer work and group associations that strengthen the brand.
- Scrap the Resumé: Instead, write one or two paragraphs of any impressive work experience or volunteer positions, highlighting important career successes. This tactic is a bit less stuffy than a formal C.V.
- Press Appearances: List any TV appearances, radio interviews and print or on-line coverage. This is a surefire way to instill trust in a personal brand.
- Get Quotes: Testimonials, ideally from prominent names (but it could be anyone in a relevant field), can add a lot of weight to an unknown or upstart business.
- Photo: A professional photo from the shoulders up helps people identify the personal brand (this image acts as a logo). This should be realistic and not airbrushed.
- Press Release: Finally, think of “Why Now?” and then compose a press release that gives journalists a solution to a problem. (Dropping literacy rates? Here’s a new tutoring service. Celebrities too self absorbed? Introducing actor so-and-so, the genuine girl/boy next door.)
Dan Schawbel, author of the handy Me 2.0 personal branding book, also suggests a standard cover letter for the intro and adding public speaking engagements, both past or potential. He believes all material should be sent in one PDF file so people can print it out.
Business Promotional Materials
Now take all of the above promotional materials and package them for email and on-line. The press release is like a cover letter. Underneath, leave links on each of the bulleted items. This removes the worry of opening attachments with viruses and gets more eyes to the official website.
The website should also have the full press kit available for anyone searching the internet. It should be linked to from social networking sites like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.
Email Marketing
Once the promotional package is ready to go, the best way to distribute it is through email marketing. Compile a list of media who might be interested, send emails to friends and family who can forward the info to someone in the know (how many times is an “I-know-someone-who-knows-someone” contact better than any other connection?) and people or businesses that would be beneficial to form a relationship with.
One simple press kit can open many doors. Whether it’s an invitation to appear on a local television show or meeting with a potential client, it costs nothing but time. Now go get noticed!
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