The 3 Most Important Rules Of Media Buying

 

3 Rules to Buy and Schedule Media More Efficiently

Understanding the principles of media buying and mastering negotiation is essential for both established companies and small businesses alike. In this article, we will provide the necessary facts about media buying and the crucial rules to follow to help achieve your desired business outcomes.

 

What Is Media Buying?

Media buying is a strategic process that involves the planning, negotiating, and purchasing of ad space across various media channels to amplify the impact of the message. Its importance cannot be overstated, as it enables businesses to target the right audience and achieve campaign success. 

One example of media buying occurs when you visit a website, and ads seamlessly appear on the side of your screen. These ads are placed based on your interests and preferences. This personalized approach benefits businesses and consumers alike, enabling consumers to discover products and services tailored to their needs while businesses efficiently reach their intended audience. 

Effective execution of media buying yields optimal exposure among key audiences and serves as a powerful tool to educate consumers. Brands can effectively communicate the value of their products and services and simultaneously make it effortless for consumers to discover new products and brands.  

There are various types of media buying techniques, each offering unique advantages in reaching your target consumer. 

 

Direct Media Buying Versus Programmatic Media Buying

 

Direct media, as the name suggests, involves direct communication through channels such as calls or emails. This form of media buying goes direct to specific publishers or media outlets, and allows for customization, providing more room to tailor the message to match the audience’s needs and preferences.

Programmatic media buying, on the other hand, utilizes website ads and online advertising to reach a target audience. With this technique, businesses can reach consumers across platforms and publications to deliver their message at a greater scale. 

Media buying offers many benefits, but it is important to note that finding the best strategy takes time and persistence. Luckily, there are some rules that you can follow to make the process quicker and more efficient! In the following section, we’ll explore three essential practices of media buying that can help elevate your media buying strategy to the next level.

 

The 3 Most Important Rules Of Media Buying

 

1. Optimize Your Media Buying

 

Rules Of Media Buying: Optimize Your Media Buying - computer screen showing graphs

The first rule of media buying is campaign optimization. This entails fine-tuning and adjusting targeting such as demographic information (ages, location, etc) to maximize performance. This rule is especially important for traditional media planning, like prints or billboards. Gaining a better understanding of your audience’s preferences, dislikes, and interests is crucial in achieving your desired outcomes. 

Nartak, a local Pittsburgh marketing agency, understands all the intricacies of optimization, including traditional media, to capture attention and deliver successfully targeted messages. 

 

2. Aim for Cohesion in your Advertising Campaign

 

Rules Of Media Buying: Aim For Cohesion

The next step is ensuring cohesion between your marketing mix and creatives. These two elements must operate in unison to achieve maximum impact, with a shared understanding of the goals and strategies to accomplish them.  

By presenting a unified message across your marketing channels, you prevent confusion and help your audience to better understand and engage with your brand. For instance, if you create a campaign using flyers and a video (despite being different creative types), they should contain the same core message and complement each other. 

 

3. Prioritize Marketing Measurement

 

Rules Of Media Buying: Prioritize Measurement 

Lastly, a vital, yet often overlooked, aspect of media buying is observing which campaigns and creatives produce the best results at the most cost-effective rates to ensure effective optimization.

Once you have successfully measured the campaigns that deliver the best performance while maintaining a low cost, you can implement the same winning strategy into other campaigns. This approach not only strengthens your media buying strategy but also maximizes the return on investment. 

 

End Note

 

Rules Of Media Buying - woman sitting with laptop on her lap

Remember, successful media buying is an ongoing journey of learning, adapting, and, ultimately, strengthening your brand’s presence and impact in the market. 

As you engage in buying or negotiating media placement, focus on optimizing your media buys, strive for a cohesive message, and prioritize measurements. 

While it may take some time to fine-tune your campaign to align with your brand message and target audience, implementing these critical media buying rules will help expedite the process and increase efficiency and effectiveness. Furthermore, media buying can also be easier to navigate with the help of a media company that has the expertise and experience.

 

Try Media Buying With Nartak Media Group

 

We understand the challenges of optimizing campaigns and the hard work that goes into them. In many cases, working on such a project alone can be overwhelming. That is precisely why Nartak Media Group is here to lend a helping hand! 

The marketing team at Nartak Media Group is experienced in identifying advertisers’ needs and creating effective solutions. If you want to grow your presence without necessarily raising your budget, then look no further! Nartak has 30-plus years of experience in media buying to expertly select television, radio, print, and social advertising for your company.

If you want to collaborate on your next campaign, click the link on the right to get into contact with Nartak Media Group today: Let’s Talk | Nartak Media Group.

What is the Best Time to Advertise on TV?

Despite common misconceptions, TV Advertising is still extremely effective and popular amongst many companies. TV marketing and advertising can help expose your brand, products, and services to a wider audience and drive conversions. Determining the best time to advertise on TV, however, requires strategic planning and understanding of viewer habits throughout different times of the year.

The best time to advertise on TV advertising is often linked to specific seasons or events that draw high viewership. Each period of the year offers unique advantages for TV marketing campaigns. Keep reading to learn why! 

 

The Best Time to Advertise on TV:

1. Event-Driven Peaks

Major sporting events like the Super Bowl attract millions of viewers and provide an unparalleled platform for advertisements. This is the biggest football game of the year!

The weeks leading up to such events also see a significant spike in viewership as people tune in to watch their favorite teams in the playoffs. This offers a captivated audience for your commercials and advertisements.

The best time to advertise on TV - 2 men watching the super bowl

What makes the Super Bowl so appealing for advertising? It has one of the largest live television audiences and is one of the few remaining events where people are not just skipping through the ads. Having an engaged and captivated audience is rare, so take advantage of this opportunity! Just to put things into perspective, in 2022, roughly 99 million people watched the Super Bowl, and in 2023, the viewership spiked to 115 million!

 

2. Post-Holiday Season

The best time to advertise on TV - woman turning on netflix in a room decorated for the holidaysWhile it is important to have a consistent advertising strategy throughout the entire year, January and February are two of the best months to advertise on TV. This period, often considered an “off-season” for advertising, allows brands to maintain visibility when competitors might be reducing their ad spending.

These slower times are great for focusing on building brand awareness, too. A smart, well-crafted television campaign can develop, and, over time, viewers will come to know who you are and what you stand for. No other form of advertising does this better than TV. When other companies are slowing their advertising after the holiday season, you can jump in and take advantage of this opportunity to be seen and heard.

Additionally, you can use the January and February months to find new customers through your TV advertisements. You should have more time to dig deeper into the market and competitive research.

 

3. Seasonal Shows and Series Premieres

Advertising during popular TV series premieres or seasonal shows can also be effective. These periods often attract dedicated viewerships, offering a consistent audience for your ads.

The launch of a new season or series often generates significant buzz and anticipation among viewers. This excitement translates into higher engagement levels, making it an opportune time for you to capture audience attention.

Another benefit of advertising during these shows is the ability to attract specific demographics by aligning your ad with a show whose viewership mirrors your target audience. That way you can tailor your message more effectively and increase its relevance.

 

So, what is the best time to advertise on TV?

The best time to advertise on TV varies depending on your specific goals and target audience. While some periods offer higher viewership due to events or seasonal trends, the effectiveness of your campaign also depends on how well it aligns with your audience’s interests and habits.

 

Why should you advertise on TV?

TV marketing campaigns help to boost your company’s overall credibility by exposing your brand, products, and services to a large, diverse audience. People spend time with television, and it attracts loyal viewers to things like local news, live entertainment, sports, and popular serial shows. By advertising for loyal viewers, you can create loyal customers.

If you’re considering a TV advertising campaign, now is an excellent time to start planning. Whether targeting event-driven peaks, seasonal shows, or any other high-viewership periods, Nartak Media Group is here to guide you in crafting an effective TV marketing strategy.

Contact us today to explore the best opportunities for your company and get your message across to the right audience at the right time.

How to Maximize Your TV Advertising Budget: 5 Media Buying Tips

How do you leverage advertising for your business? Are you getting the best placement and buys for the least amount of investment? […]

How do you leverage advertising for your business? Are you getting the best placement and buys for the least amount of investment? Are you finding the best way to maximize your TV advertising budget? It’s important to understand the ins and outs of media buying when it comes to advertising—or partnering with the people who do.

At Nartak Media, we help businesses achieve their goals through TV, radio, billboard, digital advertising, and other mass media. Here are five tips you might be surprised to learn.

1. You can negotiate

Here’s a little secret to help you maximize your TV advertising budget. Did you know media never sells out? Outlets always have an inventory—you just have to find it and be persistent. Negotiate the best rates. Expect and ask for the best schedules and times.

2. Certain time slots are harder to get than others

Like anything, the more demand, the harder it is to negotiate, but the best negotiators will clinch the spot. For instance, during an election year, you will be hard-pressed to compete for air time. Same with the morning commute. This is just something to consider as you plan your strategy.

3. Ever heard of value-added bonuses? Don’t let them sway you

Here’s the insider’s secret: value-added bonuses don’t have much value. They are simply the balloon handed to you as you walk out the door to make you feel good at the end of a transaction. You want an experienced agency to negotiate your media buying. If a station is offering a value-added bonus, and an agency is jumping up and down about it, they don’t understand what’s really important.

4. Focus on results, not that prime time TV slot

Sure, it sounds good to be airing your company’s ad during a major sports event—but is that the best way to maximize your TV advertising budget? Or might there be a far better deal with greater viewership for your products or services elsewhere? The highest-rated shows are the most expensive so choose wisely. This is where an experienced media buying agency will be able to strategize best.

graphic of media buying - for how to maximize your TV advertising budget

5. Do what’s best for your company and budget

Not able to reach your target audience on your budget? It’s okay not to use TV advertising. It’s not for every company. If the rates are too high, don’t buy them. Your goal should be 3-5 times per week per station on Cable networks otherwise it might not make sense at all.

 

Maximize Your TV Advertising Budget With Nartak

Are you interested in a professional media planner to negotiate on your behalf? Reach out to Nartak Media Services to learn how we can secure advertising media buys for your business and maximize your TV advertising budget.

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