Media planners & buyers are masters of knowledge not just on knowing what is the best platform for you to advertise your product or service, but also on knowing the right size – dimension, placement – space and even what time would be the best for your ad to be seen (be it digital, print or broadcast). They are experienced professionals that plan, negotiate and buy advertising that will be the most cost effective at reaching a targeted audience, in a defined market, to promote your business.
10 Reasons to Hire an Integrated Media Planner/Buyer
- TIME:
Your time is more valuable and better spent doing what you know which is working on your business and making sales. A media buyer will handle all the lengthy and frequent media supplier’s sales calls on your behalf and vet-out the media where you need to be. - SAVE MONEY:
Media Buyers can save you a substantial amount of money in your advertising campaign. They will have access to volume rates, and being knowledgeable of each markets and media’s strengths and weaknesses they can negotiate rates to your advantage. - PROJECT MANAGEMENT:
Just as a General Contractor plans and oversees your project and will hire all the sub-trades for the building of your home by hiring those he knows have the experience to be reliable, successful with getting the job done efficiently and on time, this too is the job of Media Planners and Buyers. They also negotiate the best rates for each supplier. They know from experience which types of media are going to reach the most targeted audience with the least amount of budget. They also know when it is best to pay more per unit for a more targeted audience that might not reach as many people overall, but will reach a more concentrated market of potential customers. - OBJECTIVE SOLUTIONS:
When you purchase advertising directly from a sales representative they are going to sell you on the merits of their product or service or push that they have a time sensitive “deal”. Liken your Media Buyer to be more like your Doctor than buying directly from the pharmaceutical rep. – your Doctor and Media Buyer are objective and will use their knowledge and prior experience to choose the best solution for your problem, and not let a sales pitch be the deciding factor. - VALUE ADDED:
Media Planners will consider all the promotional options that are available to you and Buyers will leverage your paid advertising by asking media suppliers to “throw-in” some free publicity, promotional tie-ins or bonus ads. - MARKETING ANXIETY:
Where do you even start? Your Media firm knows exactly the process to walk you through to get the best integrated media mix so that you are well represented with media in all areas in the right proportions (Owned, Paid, Shared and Earned). They can assist you with creating compelling content and creative for each media platform. - RESEARCH:
Planning an effective campaign strategy takes time, mostly in that it takes research to understand the primary market, your audience segments, message and the most cost effective media platform to deliver. - SO LITTLE BUDGET – SO MANY OPTIONS & INVOICES:
There are so many marketing options today it is a full-time job making sure that you know what is out there. To determine what media makes it into the budget Media Planners use an opportunity cost approach –the media that has the largest, most targeted reach (number of people) with the lowest cost. Your agency will also review your invoices for accuracy and manage them for you. - RELATIONSHIPS:
Media Buyers have more relationships than celebrities and longer-term too! These supplier relationships help them to know the markets well – reliable results and good service is news that gets shared in their circles. - MONITORING RESULTS:
If you are not measuring the success of each component of your campaign how do you know what to do again and what not to? Media firms have software, metrics, and dashboards that can rival a 747 in flight. But they are able to process that data, and provide it in a way that will show you where you have received the best Return on Your Investment (ROI).