Online judicial press kits are helpful in that the information can be kept up to date, and the information is easily accessible. The material can be added to its own section on the website or incorporated into the site contact page or linked elsewhere.
Traditionally, digital press kits are built into a series web pages where the goal is to sell advertising. Using that format on a campaign website is a little redundant, since the point of the site is to sell the candidate for judge
Instead, focus on making the press kit easily digestible information that can be easily downloaded and incorporated into media coverage about your campaign.
So what goes into a judicial online press kit? Unlike a physical press kit, an online press kit can be broken up so it can be downloaded in part or in whole. PDFs work well as a common file format for documents.
You can convert files or even web pages into PDF files through a free tool like PrimoPDF. Images can be grouped together and compressed into ZIP files. WinZip is a popular compression program, but there are free alternatives available such as jzip.
A basic online press kit includes:
- A cover letter describing the judge and his or her campaign.
- A judicial candidate biography. Don’t forget to add a photo and related web links.
- Press releases related to the campaign.
- Digital copies of your logos, brochures, flyers, etc.
- Photographs of the candidate and campaign. Consider offering several versions for download. Low-res files can be used for web, but print requires better-quality images for decent results.
- Newspaper or other media excerpts. Rather than reprinting the material outright, you could create a document or PDF file with links.
- Question and Answer sheet covering any major issues or items that cover the qualities that make the candidate a good judge.
Avoid fluff, and keep the material professional and up to date. Done well, a press kit creates a whole new media hub around a candidate and builds upon the overall campaign.
Reach out to local media early. Find out what reporters cover your area and send them a quick introduction and contact information, letting them know where they can find up-to-date information about your campaign.
Anything you can do to make a journalist’s job easier is helpful and, if you’re lucky, may lead to better media coverage for your campaign.
Creating a high-quality judicial press kit doesn’t have to be difficult, but it does require some research and legwork. High-quality kits are designed to include the most accurate and useful information for your local media outlets.