Media Buying Done Right – Marketing Minute

There is so much more to media buying than writing a check and hoping someone views or listens to your message. With many different types of media, it can be hard to decide which are right for your brand, leaving you wondering, “how can I be more effective with my media buying?”

Well, I’ll tell you how–and more!–in this Marketing Minute.

How to Succeed with Media Buying

Media buying is a science. Strategy is crucial, and it starts before you even start buying. Whatever your goal, there are three things you MUST do to succeed – know your audience, understand your market, and plan to diversify your reach.

Know your audience

Your audience is WHO you want to reach. For years, the brand Hoverround aired commercials during late morning programming, as I remember, during The Price is Right! Through ratings, viewership data, and programming details provided by producers like CBS, media buyers know WHO is watching and WHEN. In this case, viewers of The Price is Right are typically Women, with a high likelihood to be mothers or have family who may need assisted living care.

Understand your market

Understanding the market you’re placing your advertising in is VERY important. Each market has its own demographic make-up, tastes, preferences, and designated media outlets. If I want to target millennials with my product or service, I research what markets have a higher concentration of this demographic. In this case, places like Denver, CO, or Austin, TX, are great matches to find my ideal customer.

Diversify your reach

Lastly, the worst possible decision to make when buying media is to put all your eggs into one basket. There are many media options that can reach your objectives. Diversifying where your message is being shared is the KEY to success. If justified by WHO you are targeting and WHERE the message is going, consider using multiple brand touchpoints.

If you don’t know where to start or aren’t satisfied with your current return on investment: