Media Kit: What to Include, How to Make One, Cost, Examples

A media kit is one shareable package, usually a web page, PDF or folder, that gives journalists, advertisers or brand partners what they need to work with you: who you are, audience and performance numbers, visuals, pricing if you sell placements, and a contact. Foundr says you can build one in a few hours using free tools and templates. A media kit makes you easier to work with. It does not by itself earn coverage, sponsorship or search visibility.

What is in a media kit?

The contents depend on who will read it. Brandwatch's glossary describes a media kit as a curated document, digital or physical, that packages key statistics, audience demographics, content samples, past partnerships and contact information. Meltwater and Foundr frame it more around press: assets a reporter needs to write an accurate story. Put together, the common components look like this.

Foundr's list also includes taglines, branding do's and don'ts, and distributable graphics. Meltwater adds legal and regulatory information where your industry requires it.

What should I put on my media kit?

Start with the person who will open it. Brandwatch describes three types.

Two pieces of advice stand out. Foundr says to give the press one point of contact who checks email daily, not every executive's details, because many press inquiries are time-sensitive. Indiegraf says to keep branding consistent and text short, and to use visuals where you can.

How many pages should a media kit have?

None of the sources used here gives a fixed page count. Brandwatch says a concise, well-organized kit often outperforms a lengthy one because the reviewer is scanning, not studying. Foundr recommends essentials only and says a barebones version better serves the goal of making a reporter's job easier. A practical way to decide: include a section only if the reader you are targeting would otherwise have to email you for it. If you want a reference point, open the kits from outlets and brands in your niche and compare their length.

Is a media kit the same as a press kit?

The sources disagree, which is worth knowing before you pick a label. Foundr and Meltwater use the terms as synonyms. Brandwatch separates them: a press kit is the traditional format for journalists, with press releases, executive bios, company facts and print-ready photos, while a media kit is the broader, modern version that also targets bloggers, influencers, advertisers and brand partners and tends to include social metrics and audience analytics. Brandwatch's rule of thumb is that if the main reader is a journalist, call it a press kit, and if it is a brand manager or advertiser, call it a media kit. Brandwatch also says most organizations now keep one digital resource that serves both.

What is the difference between a media kit and a rate card?

A rate card is one part of a media kit. Brandwatch lists publication or advertising kits as including audience data, ad placement options and rate cards, and lists services and pricing as a media kit component. Indiegraf describes the kit as the package publishers share with advertisers to show value, advertising options and rates. If you do not sell placements or sponsored work, you may not need a rate card at all.

Is a media kit the same as a portfolio?

They overlap but are not identical. Brandwatch says an influencer media kit serves as a creator's portfolio for potential brand partners and compares a media kit to a professional resume. Content samples are one component of a kit, alongside audience data, performance metrics, pricing and contact details. A portfolio showing your work is a good section inside a media kit. It rarely covers the audience numbers and terms a partner needs to decide.

How can I create a media kit?

Meltwater's process is a sound baseline. We have adapted it into steps.

1. Name your reader. Journalist, advertiser or brand partner. That decides what leads.
2. List the content. Use the components table above and add anything your industry needs.
3. Gather it in one place. Meltwater suggests a tracking spreadsheet or project tool to record what has been collected and where it lives, with owners and deadlines for harder items such as case studies, photos and video.
4. Choose the format. Foundr says a kit can be a responsive web page, a downloadable PDF, a presentation deck, or a shared Google Drive or Dropbox folder. A DigitalOcean PR manager quoted by Foundr says a shareable, non-editable, well-labeled folder is fine for most companies at the start.
5. Make it easy to use. Meltwater says to put media contact details where they are immediately visible, keep other content a click or two away, make it mobile-friendly, and give photos in formats suitable for print and web, including plain-background headshots.
6. Make it findable. Meltwater says not to bury the link in small print with the terms and conditions, and to include it in PR team email signatures and in messages to journalists you already work with.
7. Keep it current. Foundr says to replace outdated follower and customer counts and add new testimonials and product information. Brandwatch says kits updated quarterly with fresh metrics tend to close partnerships faster than kits treated as a one-time project. That is Brandwatch's observation, not something we can verify.
8. Track use. Meltwater suggests web metrics for a web-based kit. Foundr suggests tracking link clicks or downloads when it is hosted on a page or third-party host.

Indiegraf adds a point for publishers: do not wait for a perfect kit. Its partnerships manager says a clear statement of what you offer, basic audience demographics and a snapshot of performance such as open rate or click-through traffic are enough to start.

Media kit template, Canva and PDF: which way should I build it?

Foundr recommends starting from a free template to save time and avoid design headaches. It lists Canva, Adobe Creative Cloud Express, Visme, Template.net and Lucidpress as places to find them, and says some include drag-and-drop builders. Indiegraf says a branded template signals that you are a serious organization.

Format is a separate decision from design tool. A PDF is easy to attach and keeps layout fixed. Meltwater notes a kit can be a downloadable bundle of images plus a PDF. A web page is easier to update and, per Meltwater, can be built to be search-friendly, since people may search for your media kit rather than navigate to it. Foundr says a kit should be digital-first and easy to share, with physical copies mainly useful if you work with printers or packaging designers. Google's own guidance says it recommends helpful, reliable, people-first content, so write a web kit for the reader and not for a ranking target.

Do I need a media kit website or page?

You do not need a separate site. Meltwater describes the modern version as an easily accessible section of your company website, sometimes bundled with a press center for releases and news. If you are a small team, a single page with a download button and a visible contact is a reasonable start. Our post on brand authority and page-one visibility covers how your own site fits into the wider picture.

How much does a media kit cost?

The sources used here do not give a price for a media kit, so we will not invent one. Here is what they do say. Indiegraf says you do not need a big budget so long as the key information is organized. Foundr says you do not need a PR specialist or graphic designer, that free tools and plug-and-play templates are enough, and that a kit takes only a few hours. Some template tools offer free options, and the real cost for most people is the time to gather statistics, photos and approvals. If you hire a designer, ask for a fixed quote that covers revisions and the editable source files, because you will need to update the kit.

Media kit examples: what do good ones look like?

The sources describe these kits. We have not reviewed them ourselves.

The pattern: simple navigation, visible contacts, and assets that can be used without asking permission. Foundr also points to The New York Times kit, which includes news ranking, global digital readership, reader demographics and audience buying power.

What should an influencer media kit include?

Brandwatch says influencer kits lead with audience demographics, engagement metrics, content samples and collaboration pricing, and that brands compare many creators at once, so consistent, comparable data helps. Add your social handles and a booking contact. Be aware Brandwatch sells influencer software, so its framing favors verified audience data over self-reported numbers. Use real figures either way. Our social media management tips can help you decide which platform metrics are worth showing.

What about a media kit for Facebook?

The sources used here do not include Facebook's own guidance or a Facebook-specific template. What they support is general: include your social handles and platform audience breakdown, and keep numbers current. Check the platform's current tools and terms directly before you rely on any screenshot or statistic from it.

Are media kits still relevant?

Yes, with a caveat about format. Indiegraf says media kits remain highly relevant in ad and sponsorship sales, since clear, transparent, easy-to-access information underpins a business relationship. Brandwatch notes that today's kits are overwhelmingly digital. Meltwater says a kit reduces the chance that reporters or influencers use outdated information or poor images because they had to search the web for assets. Foundr says writers without a kit may turn to Google to piece together information and assets. Those are the vendors' and publishers' views, and none of them promises a result from a kit.

Where does press release distribution fit?

A media kit is the reference material. A press release is a news announcement. They work together, but they are different jobs. Our own service terms say a wire submission is not a personal pitch to a reporter, and that a syndicated copy is not a reporter-written article. The kit helps a journalist who is already interested. A release gives a real announcement a public record.

If you have real news and want help with distribution, our press release distribution services page explains the routes. As of September 23, 2026, our pages list these one-time prices, which can change:

The announcement has to be real, supportable company news, and the publisher decides acceptance. Our pages say there is no publication, no distribution charge. We do not guarantee rankings, indexing, downstream pickup, backlinks, traffic, leads, sales or independent journalist coverage. Google's spam policies say paid or advertorial links that pass ranking credit can violate its rules, so we do not sell links as SEO authority. Our service pages describe press release writing and distribution, not media kit design.

If your goal is journalist attention more broadly, the National Eye Institute, part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, publishes a PDF called Tips for Working With the Media. It is written for eye health programs, so treat it as a sign that agencies publish media guidance, not as a media kit template.

Quick checklist before you share your kit

• One named reader, and sections chosen for that reader.
• Numbers you can show are current and that you are authorized to publish.
• A single media contact that someone checks daily.
• Logos and headshots in more than one format.
• A visible link on your site, and the link in email signatures.
• A date you will review and refresh it.

By the Marketing By Kevin Team