Proof a reporter can quote
Customer Testimonials in Your Press Kit
A journalist opening your press kit wants three things from the customer section: a quote they are allowed to print, the name and role behind it, and ideally a customer they can call. Website testimonials rarely meet that bar, because nobody agreed to be in a newspaper. This checklist turns a press page or media kit into a customer section a reporter can actually work with.
- Only quotes cleared for media use
- Full attribution a reporter can check
- A short list of customers who will take a call
The problem, solved
Why customer quotes fail reporters, and how to fix the press kit
A reporter’s needs differ from a website visitor’s. These are the usual gaps.
Nobody agreed to appear in the media
A customer who said yes to your homepage did not necessarily say yes to a trade magazine, and finding out after publication sours the relationship.
With StoryProof: Nothing is public until you approve it. Add a tag such as “press cleared” only after the customer confirms media use, and build the press selection from that tag.
Reporters cannot tell who said it
“Jane, marketing” is fine on a website. A journalist needs a full name, a role and a company before they will print a quote.
With StoryProof: Keep press willing customers as contacts with their full details, and request their quote through the same collection link they would use for any testimonial.
Our PDF media kit is always out of date
A downloaded PDF freezes the quotes on the day it was made. Six months later it still features a customer who has left.
With StoryProof: Every plan includes a Wall of Love, a hosted page of approved testimonials with its own link, which you can point to from the press kit alongside the PDF.
Broadcast wants video, we only have text
Podcasts and video outlets prefer a customer speaking, and a written quote leaves them with nothing to play.
With StoryProof: The same link takes a video or an audio note in the browser, and video files you already hold can be uploaded directly.
The press page shows our sales quotes
Quotes chosen to convert buyers often lean on product detail. A reporter looks for the story: why the customer changed and what it meant.
With StoryProof: Choose which approved testimonials appear in each widget, so the press page carries the story led quotes and the sales pages keep theirs.
Flip the switch to see how StoryProof handles each one.
Press kit checklist
Check the customer section of your press kit
Tick what your media kit or press page already does. Open items are what a reporter would have to email you about.
Ticks stay in your browser. Nothing is sent or stored.
A website quote versus a press kit quote
Website testimonial
- First name and initial only
- “Great product, easy to set up”
- Cleared for your site
- No way to reach the customer
Press kit quote
- Full name, role and company
- Why they switched and what changed
- Cleared for media use, with an agreed end date
- A note that they will take a call through your press contact
In StoryProof
Build the press selection in StoryProof
Step 1 of 4
Ask for media clearance
Write to the customers behind your strongest stories and ask specifically about press use. Add the ones who agree as contacts in their own list.
Step 2 of 4
Collect a press version
Send the collection link and ask for a short statement plus a short video or audio clip. Upload any interview footage you already have.
Step 3 of 4
Tag what is cleared
Approve each one and tag it “press cleared”, with a second tag for customers willing to take calls.
Step 4 of 4
Link it from the kit
Choose the press cleared testimonials for a widget on the press page, and link to your Wall of Love from the downloadable kit.
Before you start
Where this stops
What this does not cover, and what to check on your side. Better to know now than after launch.
- 01
Your Wall of Love is not press only
It shows all approved testimonials, so it may include quotes that were never cleared for media. Point reporters to the press page widget when that matters.
- 02
Reporters edit quotes
You cannot control how a journalist trims a quote. Tell customers that before they agree.
- 03
Calls stay with you
StoryProof does not arrange interviews. Keep a person on your side who introduces the reporter to the customer.
- 04
A kit does not replace a release quote
Announcements still need a quote written and approved for that release.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Short answers to what usually comes up next.
Can journalists use the testimonials already on my website?
They can read them, but you should not offer them as press quotes unless the customer agreed to media use. Ask first and mark the ones that are cleared.
How many customer quotes should a press kit have?
Three to six is plenty. Pick different kinds of customer so a reporter can find one that fits the angle they are writing.
Should I put customers’ contact details in the kit?
No. List that they are available and route requests through your press contact, so the customer is never surprised by a call.
How often should the customer section change?
Check it every quarter and before any announcement. Remove anyone who has left as a customer or changed jobs.
Still have a question? Ask the StoryProof team or book a demo.
Give reporters quotes they can print
Collect press cleared quotes and keep them in one place your press kit links to.
Last updated 2026-11-11.