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7 Reasons You Should be Working with a Media Buyer

By Jenna Bruce on Mon, Apr 22, 2019 @ 10:00 AM |

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I saw something recently that made me laugh right out loud. I was driving down the highway near my city and a car drove past me. Instead of a driver’s side mirror, which had obviously been hacked off in some minor accident, there was a small hallway mirror duct-taped in its place. At the speed the car was going, the taped mirror kept wobbling forward and backward. It was a hilarious, if not unsafe, DIY project. And I’ve GOT to believe that is not completely legal.

Why do I bring this up?

Because oftentimes we meet business owners who tried to DIY their media buying with similar results to the driver we saw. Sure, buying some ads seems like it will be easy, but if you’re not a professional media buyer, you may end up with something wobbly that only half works.

Here are some specific reasons you should be working with a media buyer.

  1. Extensive KnowledgeAsk An Expert sign with clouds and sky background

Media buyers eat, sleep and breathe media buys. Well, practically. They have specialized knowledge about various traditional and up-and-coming media channels and can use this expertise to get their clients the most band for their buck.

  1. A Handle on Consumer Trends

Beyond having robust knowledge, media buyers also keep a continual finger on the pulse of consumers. They know what trends influence effective buys. They also make it their business to understand your target demographics’ preferences and behavior by conducting the right research and mining that data for clues.

  1. Marketing and Branding Best Practices

Sometimes it’s hard to determine what exactly your marketing objectives should be for each campaign. A media buyer can help you determine your goals and how to weave these goals into a positioning strategy and brand engagement.

  1. They Have Negotiating Clout

Negotiating for a solid media buy with a high ROI is a bit like buying a rug in Marrakech – you will definitely be going up against some heavy hitters. It can be intimidating and, even if you are confident, there’s a very good chance you still won’t be able to get the deal a media buyer would.

That’s because media buyers spend years building trust and relationships with numerous publishers. And because they place ads for several clients at the same time, their total spend is simply greater than what a single advertiser offers. This spend gives them real negotiating power when it comes time to talk contracts.

  1. They Leverage Statistics and Analytics

To place effective media buys, you’ve got to have a firm grasp of fundamental statistics. You must quickly measure change, use spreadsheets and predictive analysis to make the right calls. If you can’t wrap your head around development indices, pots-buy analysis and media weight analysis, then using a media buyer who cannot only manipulate data but extract great meaning from it will help your campaigns immensely.

  1. They Make Your Ad Spend Go Farther

Professional media buyers do extensive research to determine the best way to spend your dollars by evaluating things like pricing rates, demographics, publication formats and geographics. They also know exactly how to optimize your campaigns by leveraging medium, quality of channels, and time and space required. While you may think working with a media buyer will cost you extra money each month, in reality, you will save money and earn more each month.

  1. They Understand the Importance of Placement and Timing

Being in the right place at the right time is important for any kind of success, particularly so for advertising. Media buyers learn quickly the nuances of timing and ad placement. They also realize that each specific channel offers unique opportunities to connect with and influence a target market. Your media buyer will research to determine the absolute best time of day and or print location to get your offer in front of your ideal prospect.

Can you handle media buying yourself? You can. Technically, yes. You can also fix the leak in your roof and your noisy muffler as well, but we don’t recommend that either.

Working together with a media buyer will give your campaigns the expertise and skillset that will help them land and convert. If you have any questions about working with a media buyer and the benefits it can bring to your bottom line, please get in touch with us. We love helping business owners get the highest return on their ad investment.

media buying media buying agency media buyer

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