How to make a magazine media kit advertisers actually use
A magazine media kit is the document advertisers use to decide whether your title is worth a budget line. It explains who reads the magazine, how many people it reaches, what it will cover in the coming issues and what advertisers can buy. This guide covers what to put in a magazine media kit, how to present your numbers honestly, and how to keep the kit in step with the prices your sales team actually quotes.
Want to start filling it in straight away? Use the free magazine media kit template, then come back to check each section against the list below.
Media kit or rate card?
The media kit explains why to advertise; the rate card says what it costs. Many publishers put the rate card at the back of the media kit, others keep it as a separate sheet so prices can change without reissuing the whole kit. Either works, as long as both carry a date and the same prices. For the price list itself, see the magazine rate card template or work out rates from circulation and a target CPM with the free ad rate card calculator.
What to include in a magazine media kit
1. A one-paragraph promise
Who the magazine is for, what it gives them and how often it appears. Advertisers skim; if this paragraph does not tell them whether your readers are their customers, the rest will not be read.
2. Reader profile
Describe readers in the terms advertisers buy against: role or industry for a B2B title, region and interests for a consumer or city title. Say where each figure comes from, such as a reader survey with its date and number of responses.
3. Circulation and distribution
State print run, paid and free distribution, and where copies go: subscribers, newsstands, events, controlled lists. Label audited figures with the audit body and period, and label your own figures as publisher’s statements. Advertisers forgive a small number; they do not forgive an inflated one.
4. Digital and newsletter reach
Website visits, newsletter subscribers and open or click rates, each with the period it covers. If a figure includes bots or internal traffic, remove it or say so.
5. Editorial calendar
Themes and special sections per issue for the next 6 to 12 months. This is often the page advertisers use most, because it tells them which issue matches their launch or season. The free editorial calendar template lays out themes, features and deadlines per issue.
6. Ad formats and specifications
Every size and position you sell, with trim, bleed and live-area measurements, file format and colour requirements, plus digital and newsletter formats. Clear specifications are the cheapest way to reduce late or unusable artwork.
7. Rates, packages and discounts
Prices per insertion for each size, premium positions, frequency discounts, cross-title or print-plus-digital packages, agency commission, currency and whether tax is included.
8. Deadlines and terms
For each issue: booking deadline, material deadline and publication date. Then payment terms, cancellation terms and who to contact.
9. Proof that it works
One or two short advertiser stories or quotes, used with permission, and examples of ads as they appeared. Keep claims about results specific and true.
Present the numbers honestly
- Date every figure and name its source.
- Separate audited figures from publisher’s statements.
- Use readers per copy only if you have a survey behind it, and say so.
- Keep last year’s kit: if a number fell, explain why rather than hide it.
PDF, web page or both?
A designed PDF is still what many buyers forward internally, so most magazines keep one. A web page version is easier to find in search, can be updated in minutes and can link to the editorial calendar and specifications. If you publish both, make the web page the master and regenerate the PDF from it, so the two never disagree. Put the version date in the footer of each.
Keep the media kit and your sales system in sync
The most common media kit problem is not design: it is a rep quoting last year’s price from an old PDF. Keep one price list that both the media kit and your proposals read from. In RunMags, enter your ad sizes and prices as ad products in Channels > Print > Ad products and keep rate types in Admin > Product settings, so every rep quotes from the same list and contracts apply frequency discounts and agency commission for you. See how advertising sales works in RunMags.
When you change rates, update the media kit, the rate card and the ad products on the same day, and note the date from which the new prices apply.
A media kit update checklist
- New editorial calendar for the next 6 to 12 issues
- Circulation, readership and digital figures refreshed, each with a date and source
- Rates, packages and discounts match the prices sales will quote
- Booking and material deadlines for every issue listed
- Specifications checked with production and the printer
- Version date on the PDF and the web page
Do you need media kit software?
Most small and mid-sized magazines do not need a separate tool to design the kit: a template, a design application and an hour per update are enough. What pays off is keeping the numbers inside the kit connected to the work after it: proposals, insertion orders, the flatplan and invoices. Turning a media kit enquiry into a booked ad is covered in how to create magazine advertising proposals. For the wider picture, read the practical guide to publishing a magazine.
Frequently asked questions
What should a magazine media kit include?
A short promise of who the magazine is for, a reader profile, circulation and distribution, digital and newsletter reach, the editorial calendar, ad formats and specifications, rates and packages, deadlines and terms, and contact details. Date every figure and name its source.
What is the difference between a media kit and a rate card?
The media kit explains why to advertise in the magazine: audience, reach and editorial plans. The rate card lists what each ad size and position costs, with discounts and terms. The rate card can sit at the back of the media kit or be a separate sheet, but both should carry the same prices and a date.
How often should a magazine update its media kit?
At least once a year, when the new editorial calendar and rates are set, and whenever circulation figures, rates or deadlines change. Update the media kit, the rate card and the prices your sales team quotes on the same day.
Should I put prices in my media kit?
Most advertisers expect to see at least the standard rates. Publishing them saves a round of emails and filters out buyers whose budget does not fit. If you negotiate a lot, publish standard rates and say that packages are available on request.
