6. Deliver the ads.
Somewhere in the background of all this, your creative team was probably already hard at work on developing the actual ads. As a media buyer, you’ll need to coordinate with them to ensure the formats are correct for each medium and that the vendors receive the ads by the deadlines specified in the IO.
7. Monitor results.
The heavy lifting is out of the way, but it doesn’t mean the work is done. After your campaign launches, you’ll need to track its performance.
If you launched digital campaigns, you can monitor results in real time. And if your campaign is underperforming on metrics that were guaranteed by the publishers, negotiate with them for a “makegood” (meaning they’ll make up for the shortfall).
Media Buying Tips
With the media buying process as a general guide, I wanted to dig a little deeper into how to carry it out. While some organizations may have dedicated media buyers, small and medium-sized businesses don’t always have the resources for that, and roles can overlap.
So, with that in mind, I called on experienced marketers to ask for take-home tips on media buying, with a special focus on SMBs and up-and-coming brands.
1. Strategize.
When you’re planning and buying on a smaller budget, settling on a strategy before your campaign can feel even more imperative.
“We recommend an omnichannel approach,” says Jennifer Hall, associate director of agency marketing at Vision Media.
“Media plans are developed based on the brand’s goals, budget, and target audience,” she tells me, adding that prospects are most often reached through a combination of traditional and digital channels, such as “paid social, CTV, print or out-of-home (OOH), and streaming audio.”
