Media Buying Factors To Consider

Should I buy my ads by the show, by the network, or by the time of day?

Media Buying Factors That You Should Consider

When it comes to advertising, knowing where to put your dollars and how can make all the difference between an effective campaign and one that falls flat. Often companies will try various tactics, but because they’re not in the business of advertising, and may be throwing darts at what they hope will work, it’s hard for them to know which media buying factors are effective and which are not.

This is where an agency comes into play. An advertising agency such as Nartak Media can help you form a strategy that meets your goals. Our expertise spans the spectrum, from identifying your media buying goals, creating a plan to achieve those goals, and following up with measurement techniques to show you how well that plan was executed.

Who is your audience? What are their TV watching habits?

target audience for media buying factors - hand holding magnifying glass over icons of people

When it comes to deciding factors that play into media buying, it’s useful to consider your audience. Below, we have provided some helpful media buying factors and questions to consider in reference to your audience:

Consider your Demographics! For example, does your audience fall into the category of adults aged 25-54? These are consumers who have money to spend.
What TV shows does your audience watch?
Who are the local affiliates?
What are the local broadcast options and how much do they cost? For example, if you’re chasing a wealthier group, maybe paid-for television such as cable is the way to go.
Does your demographic watch live television such as football games or America’s Got Talent, where voting is important to them? Or are they more likely to pre-record and curl up on the couch to The Big Bang Theory, fast-forwarding through the commercials?
Does your audience tend toward watching day time TV or evening? Evening spots are when the most popular shows air, but they also cost the most money.
What is the geographic location? For example, larger cities will cost more to air your ads than small towns.
Consider the Holiday craze! It is good to be prepared to pay bigger bucks during the fourth quarter of the year!

Additional Media Buying Factors:

There are so many media buying factors to consider in addition to your networks and audience. Below, we’ve provided a list of the most vital ones to consider:

Consider the supply of advertising spots, depending on length of TV show.
What is your ability to negotiate price depending on time of year?
What is the time of day you want to advertise depending on your demographic?
Choosing a station that attracts your target demographic is one of the vital media buying factors to consider.
Request your commercial air during a certain show. For example, if you are advertising cooking classes or a new bakery in town, you might want these to air during TLC’s Cake Boss.
Frequency of run times and mix of length of commercials are important media buying factors to consider for the length of the ad.
What is the visual appeal of your product or service?