At some point in your blogging career, you will need a media kit and one sheet in your arsenal to pass along to potential sponsors and advertisers. I know a media kit sounds intimidating, but it really isn’t a big deal to create. In this post, I will go over some important elements that you should include in your media kit and one sheet, as well as visual examples. Let’s begin!
•MEDIA KIT•
A media kit is basically a document that includes information about your blog. Think of it as a resume for you and your blog. Always BE HONEST AND TRUE in your kit. I cannot stress this enough. Do not give inaccurate stats and do not commit to what you cannot fulfill.
The following are elements or sections that I recommend including in your media kit.
INTRODUCTION
Begin your media kit with a short introduction, similar to what you would have in a resume. Your introduction can include a little about yourself and blog, as well as why your services can help a potential brand or advertiser.
It is best not to use any fancy fonts or colors when creating your media kit. Think simple, clean, and easy to read.
EXPERIENCE
Make a list of your experience.
Be sure you include:
- blogging experience
- blogging events & conferences you have attended
- brand ambassador programs
- group leaderships
- past sponsorships
Do not sell yourself short! Include all of your experience regarding social media, blogging, and working with brands.
STATS
Brands and businesses will want to know your blog traffic statistics and social media following numbers. The more stats you can provide, the better.
Try to include:
- weekly or monthly unique visitors
- weekly or monthly page views
- RSS feed subscribers
- newsletter subscribers
- Google pagerank
- Twitter followers
- Facebook followers
- Facebook fans
- Google Connect followers
- demographics
You can also list other stats like Technorati & Alexa rank. If you are not proud of a particular stat, don’t feel forced to include it, but you may be asked for it later. Most brands are mostly interested in RSS feed subscribers & Twitter followers.
SERVICES
If your blog offers more than traditional advertising, write it out in this section. Examples may include reviews, giveaways, social media promotions, campaigns, sponsored posts, and social media consulting.
PRICING & PAYMENT OPTIONS
This is where you get to the nitty gritty of what you charge for your services and advertising. Be very specific and list ALL of your fees to avoid any confusion. If you want to include your free services (like reviews), that is okay, too. Make sure you also include the advertising space you offer with price, as well as what you charge for text links.
It is important to mention what payment methods you accept, along with your Paypal email address (if applicable) and/or what name to make paper checks payable to.
PAST WORK
Future advertisers and sponsors will want to see your work in action, so list out some (5-10) examples of your successful work with link to post (if applicable). You can list successful blog campaigns, tours, giveaways, etc. You should also include a list of brands you have worked with in the past with links to their respective posts.
REFERRALS & TESTIMONIALS
Having referrals and testimonials from past clients can go into this section. You can include referral contact information, but make sure you get permission from the client first.
GUIDELINES & DISCLOSURE
Protect yourself by having specific rules or guidelines regarding your blog.
Some examples include:
- whether or not you offer refunds
- what your blog is “rated” and/or if you allow adult content
- non-offensive material/ads regarding race, gender, etc.
You can also add your blog’s disclosure policy here. If you do not have a disclosure, visit www.disclosurepolicy.org to attain your own.
CONTACT INFORMATION
List your contact information here. Personally, I do not list my phone number, but instead make a note to please “email me to schedule a live conversation.” I also do not include a home address in my kit. You can decide what works best for you.
Contact information should include:
- email address
- facebook url
- twitter url
- linkedin url
- friendfeed url
- blog url
- phone number (optional)
- home or p.o. box address (optional)THANK YOU
To conclude your media kit, add a quick “thank you” for your consideration sentence or two with your name.
You can format your media kit exactly as I have done so above, or by visiting A SAMPLE MEDIA KIT HERE. Feel free to include more information or exclude sections that do not apply to you. There are no right or wrong methods to formatting your kit, but it is important that it is easy to follow and read.
•ONE SHEET•
A one sheet is basically your media kit simplified to one sheet. Since your media kit will be three to five pages long, you’ll need to consolidate it quite a bit.
Try to include the following information on your one sheet:
- introduction – you can use the same introduction in your media kit
- examples of past campaigns/sponsorships with link to posts – don’t go crazy, just list five or so
- stats – list all stats
- pricing & payment options – if your pricing list is extensive, offer a full list of rates when requesting a media kit
- contact info – just an email here will do
Obviously, if you add all of the information above and your document still spills over one page, you’ll need to trim it down. Most sponsors/advertisers are most interested in your stats and pricing, so make that a priority when creating your one sheet.
You can see an example of a ONE SHEET HERE.
Want to see more from our Blogging 101 series? Click here to see more! Have an idea for a future Blogging 101? Please email us at momspark@gmail.com.
About Mom Spark
Great post Amy!! This is some really usually useful information. Thanks
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Mom Spark Reply:
May 23rd, 2010 at 6:13 pm
@1stopmom, It is my pleasure!!
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Great post! I do have one question though. Although I’ve been blogging for years, I’ve never been interested in money making opportunities until recently. So I’m completely ignorant concerning appropriate pricing, etc. Also, if you’ve never done a campaign for your blog, what do you put under your experiences? This is where I always get stuck, and any help you can provide or any other sites you can direct me to with this information available would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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Mom Spark Reply:
May 23rd, 2010 at 6:17 pm
@Kellyology, If you haven’t done a campaign before, list other experience-writing experience, any reviews/giveaways experience, social media experience, etc. You certainly don’t have to include everything I have listed, just what is applicable to your own experience and talents.
As far as pricing goes, there are no set rules. You set your price. Experiment. Compare other advertising prices from other comparable blogs. Trial and error is usually the way most of us find our price.
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Great advice for the serious blogger wanting to make money from her blog.
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Great post Amy. I am thinking about taking my blog to a more professional level and this post was very helpful. Keep up the Blogging 101 Series – every post has been very helpful!
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This is excellent and concise. Thank you. I am going to draft a one sheet with your tips before I go to my first blogger conference.
Amazing!
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Bless you! I so needed this!
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Thank you a million times over (for this post). I have been looking for someone to explain a media kit in these terms (as well as providing a sample)…THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!
You’re the best!
Blogfully yours,
Barb
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Mom Spark Reply:
June 28th, 2010 at 7:44 pm
@barbarabaker, You are so welcome!!
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I’m just getting into the idea of getting: sponsors, advertising, paid reviews etc into my arsenal. What do you suggest of newbies who don’t have all of the information you listed? Should you skip those sections? Should you list none (I’m guessing no b/c that would look bad)? I want to have one at the ready, but am concerned I’m not desirable yet. Thanks for a great post.
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Mom Spark Reply:
August 16th, 2010 at 11:06 pm
@Fashionably Organized, Yes, I would skip those sections for now and you can always add to it later!
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I do have a question if anyone can anwer…What’s the best way to save this? I notice that on many blogs this isn’t readily available for just anyone to view. Thanks
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Mom Spark Reply:
August 16th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
@Milcah, You can print it out or bookmakr it.
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Milcah Reply:
August 17th, 2010 at 12:18 am
@Mom Spark,
Ok, thanks. I’ve almost got it together. Put it off too long already lol.
Milcah´s last [type] ..A Couple of Coupons to Give Away
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Thanks for putting this together!
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This is just what I needed!!!
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Thanks for this, Amy. I needed some direction.
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Mom Spark Reply:
January 9th, 2011 at 9:59 am
@Mary@Everyday Baby Steps, It’s my pleasure!
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Thanks for sharing this information, very helpful!!
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Mom Spark Reply:
December 8th, 2011 at 12:13 pm
@LisaLisa, It’s my pleasure!
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So pretty! <3
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