Title. Zum Bearbeiten hier klicken .


Media Buying for Advertisers




Selecting a media buying services firm can be a difficult and confusing task. This report offers guidance in choosing the buyer that is right for your company.



1. Media Buying for Advertisers - Cost



As a general rule, established media buyers and advertising agencies get a 15% discount from television and r / c. This means that an ad you would buy for $100 will cost the buyer only $85, the difference being retained through the buyer as payment for services. Because of this, using a media buyer shouldn't cost your company any more than doing all of the work yourself.



With respect to the size of your budget, some buyers may rebate a portion of their discount back to you. Although this may seem attractive, it might not be the best strategy - associated with pension transfer things in life, you receive what you pay for. As you'll see from the other five ways to choose a media buying services company, additional services are essential, and will often increase the percentage that the buyer will charge. With large placement budgets, useful well worth the investment.



2. Media Buying for Advertisers - Media Strategy vs. Media Placement



Of the many companies for which we buy media, a number of our clients are very educated plus some, quite frankly, are not. That's okay, however, you need to make sure you know in which you fall in that category. If you are experienced in buying media, you will probably find yourself more comfortable with a buying agency that places your buy. On the other hand, if media buying isn't your strong suit, you're going to get much better results with somebody who has the ability to help you develop your media strategy.



As you begin the process of choosing your media buying agency, first identify in which you need the most assistance. In reality, anyone with money can purchase media. It takes somebody that is good at it to get it done well. Make sure that your buyer knows that you expect him or her to conduct the research and verify the buy will yield the greatest results.



3. Media Buying for Advertisers - Experience



As stated above, anyone can buy media. Obviously, you would like someone who will get you the best placements at the best possible price. Unfortunately, it's tough to gauge a great buyer from a bad buyer, and although the media sales reps know, they aren't likely to tell you. Whenever you explore your media buying services agency, inquire about the staff that do the actual buying and negotiating. Our agency, in addition to many others out there, decide to hire people who have sold media before. Why? Many times, it yields better results.



In negotiating a media buy, it is all about give and take - both sides have to win. When the buyer "wins" too much, it makes sense often pre-empts (when your advertisement is pulled and replaced by another thing) and less than optimal schedules. If the media outlet wins too much, you end up paying a lot more than you should for advertising. Inside experience is extremely helpful in a buying negotiation. An experienced buyer will understand both sides of the equation. She or he will know where there is wiggle room and how to get the most out of a financial budget while keeping the integrity of the buy intact.



4. Media Buying for Advertisers - Posting



Perhaps probably the most important services that the media buying agency can provide is posting. Many buyers won't speak with you about posting because, unfortunately, they do not do it. As a matter of fact, few individuals even know what posting is or understand how it works. Here's a quick explanation.



Whenever you buy media, you're charged based on the number of individuals that the station predicts will be watching a particular show. Obviously, like weather predictions, media companies can certainly miss the mark. Sometimes more and more people watch than were expected; sometimes less people watch. If more people watch, you made a lucky buy and got more than your money's worth. However, if a placement falls short, the media outlet owes you those eyeballs. Of course, the station doesn't let you know when they under-perform; you have to tell them that you want ads to compensate for their shortfall.



Posting is done on a weekly, monthly or quarterly schedule in which the buy is when compared to actual viewers or listeners. When you are short, the station owes you. If you achieve more than you paid for, nothing happens. Should you aren't posting, you may be throwing large sums of money away. As a matter of fact, in 2008, as a result of the writer's strike and the election, our agency found typically 25% under-performance on TV for our clients buying in North Carolina. In other words, the majority of television advertisers in New york completely lost 25% of their advertising investment. 25%!



As you may guess, posting takes a great deal of time which is why many buyers don't offer it as a service (or they offer it, but don't promote it). Often, when one buyer far less expensive than another buyer, the less expensive buyer is not posting. In most instances, it's a better idea to pay for the higher percentage since you will get back those funds - and more - with the gains you get from posting.



5. Media Buying for Advertisers - Tracking



The best way to know if your advertising is working is to track it. There are lots of ways to track advertising - some that cost some time and some that have a price. Either way, tracking is an important part to any media campaign.



For some buyers, the only tracking that's done is tracking the buying schedule. While this is very important (see Posting above), tracking the prosperity of your advertising is also important, as it will help you determine future media buys. Many media buying agencies use creative methods to track success. Sometimes, this may be as simple as setting up a series of unique telephone numbers for each ad. In some cases, however, tracking can be very involved.



When you take a seat with possible media buying agencies, ensure that you discuss their experience with ad tracking. Often, they'll be hesitant to offer their best ideas before you sign a contract, but you should be able to obtain a feel on their tracking skills.



6. Media Buying for Advertisers - Other Services



You may already know, many media buying companies are self-contained agencies that offer no other services. On the other hand, there are also buyers that are part of agencies offering an array of marketing services. There are benefits to both models.



"Pure" media buying companies concentrate on that one aspect of their business, and couldn't care less in which you get your creative or any other services. Depending on your specific circumstances, this could be a good thing.



On the other hand, there are also benefits to working with an agency that offers a variety services including advertising production. First and foremost, integrated agencies are often able to suggest ideas which go beyond just your buy. Further, producing and buying the media helps streamline the procedure for you, and in most cases, creates a stronger buy because the buyer has an intimate understanding of what the advertising is hoping to accomplish.



In the end, it's important to know as much about your media buyer as you possibly can so you can choose which services may be of best use for you. Also, if you are already working with an advertising agency, discuss this with your buyer so that they might make sure that you have the best experience possible.