Questions to consider when updating your media kit. 

By Elaina Hundley

A strong media kit is key to successful ad sales. It should communicate everything a potential advertiser needs to know about a publication—from advertising opportunities and pricing details to audience demographics and readership statistics— in a clear and concise way. Although the media kit often conveys the first impression of your organization and publication, it isn’t the only impression a company should receive. No media kit exists in a vacuum. Rather, it should complement the work of a sales person who engages with each potential advertiser.

Is your media kit in need of a refresh? Here are three key questions to consider before updating:

1. Are the details up to date?

We’ll start with a simple one. Your first step when updating a media kit is to think about what information may have changed. There are always basic details that need to be updated year after year, including due dates and readership statistics (hopefully your circulation, subscribers and open rates continue to rise). Plus, you’ll need to add any new ad specifications and/or opportunities you have introduced. 

2. Are the aesthetics still relevant?

Things change quickly. The layout that was trending last year might be out of style already. Take a good hard look at the overall physical appearance of your media kit. Is it easy for new leads to access the essential info about the publication? And while you’re at it, consider if the aesthetic still feels fresh. A full re-brand or the launch of a new website will necessitate a larger overhaul, but sometimes there are more subtle changes you can make to keep things fresh. Ensure that the media kit still matches the branding, language and general vibe of the organization to which it belongs.

3. Does the media kit match the sales pitch?

This last question is probably the most essential and most nuanced one. When reviewing a media kit, it is always important to make sure that all of the opportunities are being presented in a way that is consistent with how the products are being sold. Has the philosophy changed? Has the sales person you’re working with taken a fresh approach to explaining the products to a prospect? Is this new way to think and talk about the products increasing sales? Make sure the media kit is modeled after the sales approach and not the other way around. Don’t get stuck selling things the same old way simply because you’re using the same old media kit.

At Blue House Sales Group, we are experts at media kit development. Whenever we onboard a new client, we start with a full evaluation of not just the opportunities and products being sold, but the current sales approach and media kit as well. Get in touch today if you’re ready to shake up your media kit with our expert advice.

Want to learn more? Get in touch today.