There are numerous steps associated with the conception, strategy, creation, execution, and confirmation of a sound media plan. Each of the steps outlines below is required in the media buying and planning process:
- Campaign conception: Your marketing team must first conceive of the campaign.
- Campaign strategy: You need strategize on the distribution of the campaign message. For example, deciding on the best media channels (TV, billboards, radio, online, etc.) and outlets for people to receive your company’s message.
- Vendor coordination: Once the strategy is devised, the next step is to contact myriad vendors in order to study their offerings and coordinate the various available options.
For each media outlet that you select, you must complete the following processes:
- Vendor negotiation: You will need to negotiate what space or spots you will receive, along with trying to secure the best available pricing for each buy.
- Artwork: Once the vendor negotiation is complete, you will then need to generate artwork of varying sizes and formats for the different campaign activations.
- Production: The artwork forms must be coordinated into production of varying creatives on different substrates for the various media formats.
- Operations coordination: The artwork must then be supplied to the media vendors in a clear and concise manner with specific posting instructions to ensure on-time posting and to avoid any confusion. Digital advertising is generally easier to see through to completion, while outdoor advertising campaigns can be more complex as they involve tighter deadlines and specific operations and installation teams.
- Proofs of posting: Waiting for your proofs of posting can be frustrating because they are generally delayed several weeks following a campaign’s start date.
- Remediation of any errors: If the media postings that you requested are not correctly done, you will need to fight for some sort of resolution with your vendors.
As the list above shows, media buying can be a long and complex process for most businesses to handle on their own, which is why businesses of all sizes can greatly benefit from working with a professional media buying agency to save time, money, and frustration.
There are four main benefits to working with a reputable media-buying agency:
- One-stop process: It’s handy to have a single contact rather than dealing with a multitude of phone calls from outside vendors. Research, contracting, production, billing, and any post-buy analyses are all taken care of for you rather than by you.
- Cost-efficiency: Because of an agency’s existing expertise, relationships, and buying power with vendors, your media dollars will be spent as efficiently and intelligently as possible.
- Expertise: Media buying agencies have formed contractual relationships with vendors over the course of years, which can benefit clients by allowing a broader range of space for an advertisement to appear at the lowest possible rates.
- Time savings: Creating a strategic media plan on your own could take a great deal of time. Getting an agency involved allows you and your employees to stay focused on other key business areas, such as sales.
Understanding media placement strategies, as well as developing creative ads, are the two most crucial aspects to ensuring high frequency with your media buys. The primary goal of a media buyer is to design a media plan that successfully and continuously reaches your key audience in the most cost-effective way possible.
Nick Simard is cofounder of InspiriaMedia.
