If you were to ask us what the most effective media buying tactics are, you might be surprised that we wouldn’t answer with specific tactics at all. No, we’d say that the most effective tactics are those guided by a strategic media buying plan.
A plan organizes your objectives and how you will achieve them given a certain timeline and set of resources. Having that structure in place means every action you take clearly works toward your overarching goal, rather than taking a scattershot approach in which each decision may or may not align with a core strategy. Let’s take a closer look.
When developing your media plan to guide your advertising decisions, you need to answer the following questions:
A robust media plan gathers the answers to all of these questions strategically and in one place. It defines your target audience and where they can be found, and then lays out a plan to influence them.
Depending on your brand, media objectives and budget, certain media platforms will be better fits for you than others. Your media plan should set the mix of platforms you will use and types of ads you will run. For example, your strategy may include a mix of sponsored content in online and print publications, digital ads on news sites and social platforms, radio and TV spots, billboards and more. Which of these channels you rely on will depend on your budget, target market and marketing goals.
Your media plan will fit each of these tactics into a timeline based on when they will be most effective and how they will work together for maximum effect.
Although media planning is sometimes managed in-house, organizations often hire outside media partners because of their experience and existing media relationships. If you work with a partner agency, they will likely begin the media planning process by working with you to analyze existing brand strengths and recognition. They will listen to your goals for the media process, and create a plan that will help you build toward and achieve these goals over time.
Even if you intend to execute on a media plan in-house, working with an outside partner adds value. A partner agency can share perspective on the likely ROI for various combinations of tactics for an organization similar to yours. An agency will also know the ins and outs of media buying tools and options, both long-standing and brand new, and can present options you may not even be aware of.
For more advice on creating a strong media plan, contact us today.
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