Preparing the Ultimate Online Media Kit

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by Kate Schultz

==> WHAT IS A MEDIA KIT? <==

A media kit is a sales tool for selling advertising in your ezine or on your website. It should include everything a potential advertiser might need to know to decide two things:

1. Whether to advertise in your ezine, and

2. How to place an order for advertising in your ezine. Use your media kit to get potential advertisers excited about advertising in your publication.

==> WHAT DOES A MEDIA KIT LOOK LIKE? <==

Your media kit can be as simple as a rate card or an extension of a printed press kit. I recommend developing a full-blown online media kit. Prepare a media kit in HTML to display on your website and another one in text format that can be accessible via email through an autoresponder.

==> WHY SHOULD I DEVELOP AN ONLINE MEDIA KIT? <==

1. To provide immediate access to advertising rates and demographic information for your potential advertisers.

2. To provide you with an effective filter for prospective advertisers guaranteeing that only seriously interested prospects contact you.

3. To eliminate expensive printing and distribution tasks often associated with traditional media kits. You can direct your clients or prospective advertisers to review your online media kit - which is always up-to-date - and you can include full color graphics, color charts and photos, just as you would present all of these support materials in your printed kit.

==> GIVE 'EM WHAT THEY WANT <==

There are really only two key objectives to be met for a successful online media kit:

1. Make it easy.

2. Make it fast. Your target audience is composed of busy media buyers, ezine publishers and Internet marketers. They want accurate information to make an informed purchasing decision NOW. Display your advertising information in an easy to read and easy to access format.

==> DEVELOP THE PERFECT ONLINE MEDIA KIT <==

1. Name of Publication
Start by identifying your publication by name.

2. Circulation
Include the most current circulation numbers. Update your circulation numbers weekly. Include any information or third party audit reports that can substantiate or verify your circulation numbers. Also include the length of time have you been publishing and subscription instructions for your publication.

3. Demographics
Include any information about your subscribers, including gender, age, geographic location, education or income levels. Use the results from surveys or polls to capture this information.

4. Publication Type
Identify whether your publication is a text email, newsletter or HTML document. Also include frequency of publication and subscription rates (free or paid subscription). Are your ezines archived on your site along with the advertisements from that issue? Advertisers like to know that their advertisements will show up on your indexed archive pages.

5. WWW Home Page
Include your URL so the advertisers can perform their due diligence and check out your website.

6. Publishing Company
List the name of the publisher, street address, city, state, zip code and phone number. If you publish other ezines, list them here.

7. Target Audience
Who reads your ezine? Do you have any comments from your readers to use as testimonials? In the absence of specific demographic information, show how your readers use the information you supply in your ezine.

8. Editorial Profile, Description and Calendar
Describe your purpose and publishing USP. If you have an editorial calendar prepared, include it, so that your advertisers can place their ads in a particular issue.

9. Display Your Trophies
Include press releases, awards, testimonials from current advertisers (get permission). Offer third-party credibility for the effectiveness of advertising in your ezine by getting success stories from your current advertisers and publishing them in your media kit.

10. Ad Deadlines
Include information about ad sales deadlines. If you publish every Friday, let your advertisers know they have until noon on Thursday to submit their ads for that week's publication. If you have sales reps, provide their names and contact information.

11. Payment and Ordering Options Clearly identify all of the ordering and payment options and any discounts available. Just as you would with your other products or services, offer many ways to order and accept a variety of payment options. Clearly identify when payment is due. If you require payment before publishing, let your advertisers know that.

==> MAKE IT EASY TO FIND <==

Start by having a link from the home page of your website to your advertising or media kit link. Include links to your media kit in every issue of your ezine. Make it easy for your potential advertisers to discover how to advertise with you.

==> MAKE IT EASY TO ORDER <==

Always provide a link from your media kit to your order form. If your potential advertiser wants to order, make it easy for him to place an order right NOW!

Buying advertising on the web is similar to buying other products or services. The customer, your potential advertiser, is more likely to buy from you if it is easy to place an order.

An online version of your media kit is a prime candidate for a service or product on the Internet. Providing efficient, effective sales information and ordering forms on your website or via email will reduce the amount of time you need to spend on selling advertisements and, at the same time, increase your revenues from sales.