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3 Keys to Local Media Buying

By Scott Olson on Thu, Oct 31, 2013 @ 12:10 PM |

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Media buying is what Mediaspace has built our business on. What we’ve learned through the years is if advertisers really want their campaigns to be effective, they need to understand three main objectives when it comes to their local media buys. However, if they don’t understand these three keys, they can certainly benefit when they bring us into the mix, since we’re fully versed on bringing advertisers to market and driving action on their print and digital ads.

Without further ado, here are the three keys advertisers must build into their local media buys in order to be successful:

1. Know the local media – This means all the local media, not just the broadcasters and themaking assumptions in local media buying can make an ass out of u and me weekly print publication. We’re going to go ahead and [ass][u][me] you know your target demographic and who you’re trying to reach, and have determined that these key consumers are in the local areas you’re targeting. Hopefully that assumption isn’t going to make an [ass] out of [u] and [me.] So you know your targets are there, you know they live and shop in their local area or the surrounding area, and now you need to reach them. You need to take a look at local market websites like Metromix and Patch in addition to the television, radio and newspaper websites. Beyond that, you need to understand the social sites and their capabilities for geotargeted advertising.

2. Know how to get into the local media – In the rural markets the media buying process is local media buys can drive consumers to action and ensure an advertiser's product end up in shopper's cartsprobably as old school as it gets. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t work, it just means it operates a little differently. My brother-in-law just started in sales with a rural local radio station. He got the company car and drives around the countryside with his media packets talking to the small business owners about 20-second spots on his station. It works, it works well for them. However, you’re probably a national advertiser, and you want to reach these local audiences, too, so they can know about your product and put it in their cart when they’re at their local retailer. Then when they’ve become repeat buyers, you want them to go to your website and put your products in their figurative cart, the one in the upper right corner of their browser.

In order to make that happen, you need a company who knows the local media outlets and how to optimize your campaigns in analog and digital formats. You should start by asking and answering a number of questions before you hire that agency. Lucky for you, we’ve built a guide to walk you through that process.

3. Know how to optimize your campaigns – I mentioned this above and this is third, but most important step in your local media buys. The great part about local markets is they are ubiquitous and you can choose a market of any size when working with the right media partner. The worst part about local markets is they are ubiquitous and you can choose a market of any size to get into. You want your campaign to be effective, that’s a given. But in order to do that you need to measure it and then get rid of underperforming media. Don’t feel bad about it. It’s your budget and if the media outlets work with you to get the rate and reach you need in your local media buys, they can be optimized. When you’re measuring ad performance you get better at targeting, can go back to step one, find local media that reflect the areas that are working, and make your campaigns more effective. Sounds like a good idea, right? I think so.

It may seem like a simplified method, and in reality, it can be. You need the right buying service who knows and understands your goals and how to help you achieve them. Two resources to help you select that buying service are the questions you need answered and the reasons to skip the RFP process when it’s time to make your selection.

Download our guide to hiring a media provider

Download 'Four Reasons the RFP Hurts Your Media Buying Process'

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Scott Olson is the director of marketing at Mediaspace Solutions. His career has spanned marketing positions in the non-profit, software and utility sectors providing various marketing experiences. You can connect with Scott on FacebookGoogle+Twitter or LinkedIn.

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