Welcome to the new world of influencers! I’m sure you’ve seen hundreds (if not thousands) of posts where someone is partnered with a brand, and you sit there thinking “HOW can that be me!?” Whether you’re a blogger, YouTuber, photographer, writer, social media star or content creator, having a media kit is essential if you want to work with brands. We are our own agents, so we have to make sure we include everything in our media kits to save time and land the best deals.
Wait, what is a media kit?
In the social media world, a media kit is a marketing tool for influencers or professionals to showcase services, previous campaigns, etc. that is used to help land brand deals or partnerships with other businesses.
In short, your media kit should be everything an outsiders needs to know about your business-of-Influence, packaged up in a neat and tidy document, ready for presentation. This should be something you can proudly present to best represent you.
PRO TIP: Check out Jenna Kutcher’s Media Kit for inspiration from the Queen of Marketing herself.
What to include in your media kit:
1) Your Contact Info
Duh! Where do you want brands to reach out? Depending on the number of inquiries you get, you may opt to have a marketing-specific email address for brand collaborations instead of mixing the emails into your main inbox.
DO provide an email.
DON’T just say “Send me a DM on Instagram”. Level up your professionalism and provide an email address for brands instead of asking them to slide into your DMs.
2) Your Stats
Include statistics from all social media accounts that you use, or plan to use, for collaborations. If you are a blogger, be sure to include website traffic as well!
DO provide engagement statistics, not just followers. We live in the age of bots and fake followers, so “follower count” doesn’t quite cut it anymore. What really indicates the influence of an account is the engagement rate, not the follower count.
DON’T lie about your statistics. If you claim to have an Instagram Reach statistic of 100k if you don’t actually have that. Brands will be able to tell as soon as you post about their product or service if this is true or not.
3) Your Rates
This one is something some people choose to include and some don’t. However, when you’re first starting out in the paid-influencer world, I recommend adding some sort of price guide. This is also a great way to let brands know that you are charging for your services vs. accepting gift-as-payment deals.
DO try and do some research. There isn’t a lot out there when it comes to what Influencers charge, so sit down with yourself and figure out how long your posts take you to create and what they will require to make (will they require you to purchase something, hire a photographer, etc.?). From here, you’ll have a better idea of what to charge.
DON’T undercharge or overcharge. Be fair to yourself and to the brands. If you are first starting out, don’t charge top-tier prices. At the same time, don’t accept deals for less than you are worth. Know your worth and charge that!
4) Collaboration Options
Let brands know how they can collaborate with you. Blog posts, Instagram stories, giveaways, and product reviews are all great examples of collaboration that a brand might be interested. Which forms of collaboration are you interested in doing?
DO include collaboration options that genuinely excite you and that you are good at.
DON’T agree to a collaboration outlet that you aren’t comfortable with or don’t know how to do. Before you take a paid collaboration, make sure you are comfortable with the form of collaboration. For example, I wouldn’t agree to a vlog-style collaboration because that’s not my area of expertise. Consider taking on gift-as-payment collaborations for new collaboration outlets to get your feet wet and build your portfolio.
5) Images
Nothing takes a media kit to the next level like professional-quality images. Give the brand a taste of what you can do when it comes to image quality, creativity, and consistency.
DO take pictures in good lighting. If you are using an iPhone, check here for some tips on how to product killer content without a professional camera.
DON’T include selfies, stock photos, or fuzzy images. Brands are interested in paying you to showcase their product, so make sure your media kit reflects that.
6) A Bit About You
Time to let your personality shine! Brands want to get to know you to make sure you are a fit, so be as yourself as possible.
DO keep it real and keep it YOU. Are you known for your quick wit and humor? Add that in! Are you well spoken and regal? Let that shine.
DON’T force it. Chat about what you do and who you are as if you were talking to a friend. Keep it simple and don’t force anything.
7) Testimonials or Case Studies
Show off your capabilities! Whether it’s a gifted deal or a paid one, include it! Give your media kit a little meat and wow brands with what you can do.
DO keep track of every brand deal you do, ask for testimonials, and BE HONEST.
DON’T talk specifics unless a brand has given you permission to do so. You can say “took Brand A from X amount of Instagram reach to X amount of reach in X amount of time by doing this, this and this“, but don’t name drop unless the brand outright gave you permission.
Do you have any other ideas or questions as to what to include in your media kit? Drop them below!
