As a normal course of doing business, every company should have a press kit that puts forth key information about its business or product in a convenient, cohesive marketing package with the goal of attracting further attention.

A press kit, also known as a media kit, is a packet of promotional material created for the media and its representatives as well as your prospective clients, vendors, investors, and others. It essentially serves as your company’s calling card.

The purpose of a press kit is to have a centralized compendium about your company’s history, activities, achievements, and press coverage. It can be as simple or as elaborate as you like or as your budget allows. But it must pull together company and product information to make a good, solid first impression. The most important element is the information contained within, but clever appearance and packaging might give you a leg up in some markets.

For the uninitiated, putting together a press kit may seem daunting. A good starting point is to have a clear idea of the expected contents. The following key elements, introductory letter, corporate history, single-sheet documents on relevant topics for easy reference, positive press coverage, supporting industry or product data, and photographs, camera-ready logos, CDs, or DVDs, are worth including: