3 Mistakes Dietitians make when creating an Effective Media Kit
One of the most underestimated tools for dietitians is their media kit. If you have no idea what a media kit is, let me explain; a media kit is like a visual resume for brands and the media to get to know about you and your brand. It’s basically your business card, CV, and portfolio of work all in one. The point of a media kit is often to pitch for paid opportunities or collaborations. For me personally, an effective media kit has made all the difference in my career and it can make all the difference for you as well… if you follow my guide for what NOT to do below! Below you will find the most common mistakes I see dietitians make when creating their media kits;
1. They don’t have one.
A lot of times I hear from dietitians that brands they want to partner with are asking about a media kit. They also often ask me if a media kit is the same tool as a portfolio; the answer is no. Media kits are like a summary of your portfolio or similar to your Instagram highlights reel. They’re meant to focus on your highlights and numbers, rather than showcase everything you’ve done. On the other hand, portfolios are an expanded version of your media kit and often includes samples of your work and a greater explanation of what your team and/or you do/. Unfortunately, most brands don’t have time to go through an entire portfolio and this may affect your chances of securing a partnership. If you’re confused about when to use each, here’s a quick insider secret.
Media kit→ sponsored content, social media and influencer-based opportunities, and/or PR gigs
Portfolio→ more appropriate for content creation-heavy services like blogging, recipe development, and/or photography
If you still have no idea how to put together a media kit, shoot me a message and I can steer you in the right direction!
2. They don’t know what to include or they include too much.
With so much excitement and so many things to share, I have seen and heard from dietitians that they often get overwhelmed with what to include in their media kit. Trust me, when I was just venturing into this wonderful world of content creation, I was in the same boat! That is why I put together a quick guide below. Typically, you should aim for your media kit to be 1-2 pages max, keep the content short and sweet!
Every effective media kit should focus on having the following sections:
How I Help: This section is where you introduce yourself. Here you can really tell the brand why they should work with you, and demonstrate that they would benefit from partnering with you. Remember you want to paint the best picture as to why they should work with you!
Stats, Social Proof, and Testimonials: In this section you want to prove social proof and success stories of your past work. If you haven’t worked with any brands or companies before, volunteer opportunities count too! I also recommend to include some client testimonials and/or screenshots of positive direct messages! Another piece of information you can include is your number of saves and/or followers, or % engagement. Numbers help to tell the story.
What We Do: In this section, you want to briefly list all the services you have to offer to clients. Maybe even include a few photos of the work you’ve done to visually showcase that! Link your social media accounts, blogs, etc., anything that can help showcase your work to potential clients.
Next steps: In this section, your goal is to tell interested potential clients how to get the ball rolling. This is usually just including ways for the brand to contact you (i.e. email address, instagram handle, etc.).
3. They don’t make their media kit visually appealing.
As content creators, our job is to make things look appealing! So, if your media kit looks average, why would brands choose you over another nutrition expert content creator? Make sure your media kit reflects your expertise, creativity and skill! One great tool to use is canva.com; which provides you with templates, and different fonts and colours to choose from!
Personally, I found the best way to keep my media kit professional, yet visually appealing is by developing a colour palette and font style that is signature to my brand and using that for all my content. You want to make sure you maintain your aesthetic throughout your work, after all that is your signature touch!
With that said, here are a few more expert tips:
Don’t be shy to include photos, especially if you’re looking to highlight your skills as a food stylist & photographer!
Include logos instead of just naming the brands you’ve worked with.
Don’t just list your services, show brands what you’ve done for each by telling a visual story!
Let your content breathe. Don’t cramp it all in one tiny space, create movement and flow
I hope you enjoyed this short guide on how to curate the most effective media kit by avoiding these 3 common mistakes! Following these tips will ensure that even if you keep things short and sweet, you’re allowing your work to visually speak for itself.
As a content creator, that is the best way to showcase your talent and skill.
An added bonus is that these tips help clients truly enjoy going through your media kit and really get them excited about working with you!