The seven sections
In this order. The order matters — budget-holders read top-down and stop early.
- 1. Who you are and what you shoot — Two sentences. Name, the categories you work in, the formats you deliver. "Short-form vertical video and lifestyle stills for skincare, supplements, and wellness brands."
- 2. Selected work — Three to five links or thumbnails, each with one line of context. Link out to the full portfolio rather than embedding everything.
- 3. Rate card — Per-deliverable pricing with the licence stated. This is the section they actually opened the file for.
- 4. Usage rights and licensing terms — What the base rate includes, and what costs extra. Spell out organic vs. paid, term length, and exclusivity.
- 5. Turnaround and process — How long from brief to first cut, how many revision rounds are included, what you need from them to start.
- 6. Audience stats — only if they help — Platform, followers, average views, engagement rate. Omit entirely if the numbers are small; a media kit with no stats section reads as a production service, which is what you're selling.
- 7. How to book you — One email address and, ideally, a link that starts the conversation.
Build a rate card that survives negotiation
The mistake is a single number. "$200 per video" invites a counter, because there's nothing in it to trade against. A structured rate card gives you levers: you can concede a revision round or a shorter licence instead of conceding price.
Price the deliverable, then price the licence as an explicit multiplier or add-on. A short-form video at your base rate with organic-only rights; the same video with 90-day paid-ad rights at base plus 50%; with a perpetual buyout at a multiple. When a brand pushes back, you're now negotiating scope rather than discounting yourself.
Bundle deliberately
A three-video package at a modest discount raises your average deal size and reduces the number of pitches you need to send. Put one bundle on the rate card and make it the obvious middle option.
State usage rights in plain language
Most disputes and most underpricing trace back to a vague licence. Write it in terms anyone can check: what channels, paid or organic, which markets, and for how long.
"Base rate includes organic use on the brand's owned channels for 12 months. Paid media usage, whitelisting, and use beyond 12 months are quoted separately." That one sentence converts a recurring argument into a line item — and a renewal conversation when the term expires.
What to leave out
Cut your origin story, mood boards, a page of brand logos you haven't worked with, and any stat you'd have to explain. Cut audience numbers under a few thousand — they invite the wrong comparison. Cut anything that requires the reader to scroll to reach your rates.
Keep it current
Put the last-updated date on it. A media kit dated eight months ago suggests rates you'd now decline, and it's the first thing a sharp procurement person will anchor to. Refresh the work, the rates, and the date every quarter — and re-send it to past clients when you do, which is one of the highest-converting outreach messages you'll ever write.