Putting Together Your Press Kit If you're looking for publicity, a stellar press kit isn't optional--it's a must.

We're not tooting our own horn or anything...but the press(yep, that's us) has a lot of power when it comes to positivebuzz about your business. A mention in a magazine, a small story inan e-zine or a good review on the radio can catapult your businessto the next level.

Want to get the members of the press to take notice? We went toDeborah Schwartz, founder of Bethesda, Maryland, communicationsfirm Media Relations Inc., to get the skinny on how anentrepreneur can put together a press kit and wow all those cheekyWoodward & Bernstein wannabes. Here are her tips (along withsome of our own observations) on how to wow 'em, without boringthem to tears.

• Target the right press person. Nothing is morefrustrating for a writer than getting a detailed press kit aboutfranchising when she covers the money markets. It'll only takea bit of research on the publication to find out who does what-doyour homework, and your press kit has a better chance of beingread.
• Get basic. Include short background info on the company:the who, what, when, where, why and how of your venture. Alsoinclude brief bios of all the founders-emphasis on brief. "Idon't think people care too much about all the different placesyou went to school, but more what your background is and how itfits in to what you're pitching," says Schwartz. So unlessyou're pitching to the alumni press, you'll probably wantto stay mum on your 12 post-graduate degrees.
• Be selective. When deciding what to include in your kit,be your own harshest critic. As great as your company is, youdon't want to overwhelm a reporter with too much clutter (i.e.,every clip that's ever been written about you). You'retrying to whet their appetite and get them to call you asking formore-why would they write about you if every publication in NorthAmerica has already done it?
• Make it current. If you plan to include a press releasein your kit, make it as topical as you can. "If you can relateit to something topical, something going on in the world, and youcan fit your [company] in there, that's going to be an easiersell than just trying to toot your horn about your[business]," says Schwartz. If you can tie your company intoindustry trends or current events, reporters will be more receptive(and more likely to pick up the story).
• Get visual. Schwartz notes that some of her mostsuccessful campaigns were the ones with a visual element. Promotingan orthodontist client to the press, for example, she includedcolored rubber bands (like the ones his young patients werewearing) in the press kit. For a story about a Santa Claus takingphotos with pets at the mall, Schwartz included a small dog biscuitin the kit. "You've got to be clever," she says."Do something that will get noticed."
• Do it online. Consider an online press kit as a cheap(and increasingly popular) alternative to paper press kits,particularly with the recent anthrax scare. To get reporters tocome to your site, e-mail them a simple press release with a linkto the online press room. Important note here though: Mostreporters don't want attachments. With the ever-present threatof viruses, they're not likely to open any attachments fromsources they don't know (and yup, that means you). If youreally want to send the info, cut and paste into the body of thee-mail.