How can you create a winning sports event media kit?

1 Step 1: Define your goals and audience

Before you start creating your media kit, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and who you want to reach. What are the main objectives of your event? Who are the target media outlets and sponsors? How do you want them to perceive your event? What are the key messages and stories you want to convey? Answering these questions will help you tailor your media kit to your goals and audience.

2 Step 2: Gather your assets

Gathering the assets for your media kit is the next step. This may include a press release summarizing the main information and news angles of your event, a fact sheet providing the essential details and statistics, a backgrounder giving the history and context, a bio sheet introducing the key people and organizations involved, a logo sheet displaying the official logos and branding guidelines, a photo gallery showcasing the best images and videos of your event, a media contact sheet listing the names, titles, and contact details of your media relations team, as well as a sponsor sheet highlighting the benefits and opportunities for sponsors of your event.

3 Step 3: Design your layout

Once you have your assets ready, you need to design your media kit layout. You can use a template or create your own from scratch, depending on your budget and preferences. The layout should be consistent, professional, and attractive, reflecting the style and tone of your event. You should also use clear headings, subheadings, and bullet points to make your media kit easy to scan and read. Additionally, you should include your event logo, website, and social media handles on every page.

4 Step 4: Optimize your content

Once you have your layout completed, it's time to optimize the content of your media kit. This entails ensuring that the content is relevant, accurate, and engaging, while also following the best practices of media writing. To optimize your content, keep sentences and paragraphs short, use active voice and action verbs, include quotes and testimonials to add credibility and personality, back up claims with facts and figures, include keywords and phrases that match your audience's interests and search intent, craft a catchy headline and a strong lead for your press release, and provide a clear call to action for your sponsor sheet.

5 Step 5: Proofread and edit your media kit

Before you finalize your media kit, you need to proofread and edit it carefully. You want to avoid any spelling, grammar, punctuation, or formatting errors that could damage your credibility and reputation. You should also check for any inconsistencies, inaccuracies, or redundancies in your content. You can use online tools, such as Grammarly or Hemingway, to help you with this process. Alternatively, you can ask someone else to review your media kit and give you feedback.

6 Step 6: Distribute your media kit

The final step is to distribute your media kit to your target media outlets and sponsors. You can do this by sending an email with a link or attachment of your PDF media kit, mailing a printed copy with a personalized note, handing it out at a press conference or networking event, or sharing it on your website and social media platforms. Additionally, you should follow up with your recipients and track the results of your media kit distribution. Analytics tools, such as Google Analytics or Bitly, can measure traffic, clicks, and conversions of your media kit. Media monitoring tools, such as Mention or Google Alerts, can also be used to track the coverage and mentions of your event.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?