Unless you have an unlimited marketing budget and no need to reach your target market, you probably need a press kit.

A press kit is simply the stuff you send to media outlets to persuade them to publish or to broadcast something favorable about your company. One of the greatest benefits of press coverage is that it can convey to large numbers of people the most credible endorsement and effective promotional value that money can buy. The irony is, it doesn’t cost much.

An effective press kit generates glowing testimonials on your behalf by respected independent third parties. (Try to buy that sometime.) Positive media coverage is far more credible than a paid ad because rather than you boasting about yourself, someone with no ax to grind (the press) is speaking favorably about you.

In this way, press kits can deliver the benefits of self-promotion without appearing to be self-serving. And they provide the advantages of advertisements without onerous costs. There is not much better marketing available at any price.

One caveat: If your business has warts that you’d rather not publicize, be cautious about inviting the press into your life.

Once you open the doors to nosey reporters, there isn’t much you can do to prevent them from poking around and reporting on what they find. If they find something horrid, the damage to your business can be costly.

Favorable media coverage always has been desirable, but it’s worth even more today. Increasingly jaded consumers and growing skepticism among clients mean the value of a flattering article and an agreeable broadcast is greater than ever.

Sadly, many buyers today expect sellers to lie about products and their services. But complimentary critiques from the independent fourth estate are still capable of narrowing this credibility gap.

Even though the press is not held in particularly high esteem itself, what the media have to say in positive tones about businesses generally still is well-regarded by the public. You should take advantage of positive press coverage while the public still regards it favorably.

That’s why today, more than ever, you need a press kit to persuade the press to blow your horn for you.