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.

Contact Nartak Media Group Today! Let's talk.

What is Media Planning and Buying?

Trying to adapt to the ever-evolving advertising and marketing climate can be a challenge! Whether you are a media planning expert or someone just trying to understand how to navigate their company’s advertising, knowing the ins and outs of media planning and buying is crucial

To say that media planning and buying have changed significantly over the last 20 years due to technological advancements is an understatement. That takes us to the question, “What is media planning and buying today?”

 

What is media planning?

Media planning is the process of identifying, assessing, and selecting various media channels to reach a defined audience. A media planner works to determine how, where, and why a business will share media content. Through strategic media planning software and a deep understanding of media, media planners can develop efficient, successful advertising campaigns.

One of the biggest challenges of media planning is determining how to serve consumers with the right message, at the right time, on the right channel. Luckily 3 questions can help you to figure out these “rights”:

  1. What is your advertising strategy?
  2. Who do you want to reach?
  3. How do you want to communicate?

Some benefits of media planning include improved efficiency, saved resources, better budget tracking, improved ROI, and a better understanding of your audience.

 

What is media buying?

Before we talk about how media planning and buying go hand-in-hand, let’s define media buying. Media buying is the process of purchasing space and time on digital and online platforms to house advertising. These ads can be found anywhere on websites, radio, TV, YouTube, and more.

More specifically, a media buyer is responsible for negotiating with publishers for ad space, managing budgets, and optimizing ads so that they improve overall performance. Typically, media buying is done in 4 ways:

  1. Direct Buy
  2. Programmatic Buy
  3. Manual Bidding
  4. Real-time Bidding

Person buying something on computer

Media Planning vs. Media Buying

While media planning and buying often get lumped together in the same category, they each have distinct processes within advertising. Media buying typically focuses on purchasing ad space across various channels, while media planning focuses on the strategy behind the campaign. In short, media planning sets you up to buy while media buying does the actual purchasing.

Let’s take a look at the differing roles of media planners and buyers:

Media Planners

  • Conduct both internal and external market research:
    • Media planners need to conduct internal research to understand the client they are working with. Internal research includes things such as the client’s brand identity, positioning, and unique selling points. 
    • External research is important to understand the overall advertising landscape, competitors, target audience, and most effective media channels.
  • Set campaign goals:
    • Based on information gathered from research, media planners are tasked with setting goals for their advertising strategy.
  • Determine budget:
    • This is important for ensuring the profitability of a campaign. Media planners work to decide what percentage of the budget will be spent on advertising in each channel.

Media planners looking at data

Media Buyers

  • Leveraging relationships:
    • Media buyers must leverage trusted relationships within the industry to help them drive impressive ROIs.
  • Negotiating with vendors:
    • This task helps to bring down the price of media placement pricing to stretch the budget further and run cost-effective campaigns.
  • Tracking and tweaking active campaigns:
    • While media planners build the strategy, media buyers track their performance in real time. This allows media buyers to make quick adjustments when needed to help the media planners achieve campaign goals.

Media buyer on mobile phone

Challenges faced by media buyers

Media buying is essential, but it does come with its set of challenges. For instance, ad fraud is a big issue. This is when fake clicks or impressions are generated, and it can be quite costly. Then there are problems with ads not being properly visible and appearing in unsuitable places, which can harm a brand’s image. To overcome these challenges, it’s important to use reliable tools and proven media buying agencies to ensure ads are seen by real people and appear in the right places.

How to integrate media planning and buying into your overall marketing strategy

Integrating media planning and buying with the overall marketing strategy is crucial for consistent messaging and branding. This means every ad is in line with the brand’s values, goals, and the audience it wants to reach, creating a unified experience across all interactions. It’s about aligning media and marketing objectives to make sure the media strategy enhances the overall marketing approach. This unified approach helps brands send consistent, resonant messages, building stronger brand recall and loyalty. It also allows for a more thorough analysis of campaign performance, enabling effective strategy optimization across different channels and touchpoints.

Market trends

The trends in media planning and buying are constantly changing. One trend is the rise of programmatic advertising, which allows for automated ad buying focusing on reaching specific audiences. It’s efficient and precise, helping advertisers connect with their audiences more effectively. Another trend is the growing importance of mobile advertising, with advertisers using mobile platforms to deliver more personalized and relevant ads. There’s also a focus on personalized and contextual advertising to provide more engaging content to consumers. Staying updated with these trends and adapting strategies accordingly is essential for advertisers to stay competitive.

Buying Media During the Political Season

Illustration of political campaignAdvertising during the political season can be daunting, especially for local or small businesses who may not have as deep pockets as the political candidates themselves. However, there are some valuable tips and insights we can share to help you make the most out of your media buying campaign during the political season.

Understand the political landscape

First things first, it’s crucial to understand the political landscape. This includes identifying the types of races and candidates that will be on the ballot, as well as the key issues that are likely to resonate with voters. For example, some media outlets may lean a certain political way, which will attract viewers of a particular demographic. This will help you determine the appropriate messaging and targeting strategies for your campaign. 

Understanding How the Political Season Affects Media Buying 

Another crucial factor to consider is the impact that the political season can have on media buying. Costs may skyrocket, and spots may not even run during the prime time slots that you had hoped for. This is where flexibility and creative thinking come into play.

Consider exploring alternative advertising options such as digital marketing, which can help you drive leads and get your message out to potential customers at a lower cost. At Nartak Media, we have a wide range of digital advertising options to help you effectively reach your target market. Radio advertising is impacted less by political advertising so that may be a good alternative as well.

Buying Media During A Political Campaign

Is it Worth it to Purchase Advertising During the Political Season?

For some local businesses, the answer is yes! Many businesses need to keep their name out there to keep their business running. At Nartak Media Group, we will take into account the unique needs and goals of each client and help them develop a media strategy that works best for them. The plan may include broadcast TV in programming where politicians are less likely to advertise, Cable TV, Outdoor, Digital, Social Media, in Malls or even advertising in Movie Theaters.

Buying Media During A Political Campaign

Tips for Effective Advertising During the Election Season

If you plan to advertise during this busy season, consider these tips to help you plan and advertise effectively:

Plan ahead. During this busy advertising season, inventory will be limited, so be sure to plan and book your advertising early.

Buy local TV sponsorships. Buy television sponsorships in weather, traffic, or primetime lineups. These “television billboards” are a short recognition of sponsors during a television broadcast that includes the sponsor’s logo and an announcement of “brought to you by” the name of the sponsor. These local sponsorships can help your message reach your target audience even in a market saturated with political ads.

 

Tips for political media buying

Perhaps you’re not a small business, but a local politician looking to do some advertising. Perfect! Here are a few pointers just for you

Targeting the Right Audience

One of the key benefits of political media buying is the ability to target specific audiences. This can help you to reach the voters who are most likely to be receptive to your message. There are a variety of targeting options available, including geographic targeting, demographic targeting, and interest-based targeting. It’s important to identify the appropriate audience for your campaign in order to maximize its effectiveness.

 

Navigating compliance and disclosure agreements

Political advertising is subject to a variety of compliance and disclosure requirements, including disclaimers, sponsorship identification, and reporting requirements. It’s important to understand these requirements and ensure that your ads are in compliance with all relevant rules and regulations. Failure to comply with these requirements can result in significant penalties and legal challenges.

 

 

In addition to these tips, you can work with Nartak Media for effective media buying and media planning services that will help you beat the political advertising flood this year. With over 30 years of experience in media planning and buying, we have the expertise to help you develop effective advertising campaigns, no matter the time of year.

Don’t lose leads and exposure to the political oversaturation, call Nartak Media Group today to learn how we can meet your advertising needs!

5 Media Buying Tips To Maximize Your TV Budget

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? 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

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 use of your 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.

Media Buying Tips: Media Mix

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.

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.

Contact Nartak Media Group Today! Let's talk.