Media Buying: What Is The Figure Of The Media Buyer And How Does It Work?
Advertising needs numerous channels to fulfill its purpose and reach a wider audience of consumers. The tools that are used to spread commercial messages are the media . In recent years, the web and digital technologies have stimulated the creation of new spaces for communication, expanding the range of possibilities available to advertisers. The process that is used to select and purchase these advertising spaces is referred to as media buying .
Advertising campaigns convey content in different formats to adapt to the chosen channel. The tools most used to disseminate advertising announcements are numerous because they include traditional mass media (radio, TV, print media, external billboards) and digital ones (blogs, landing pages, social networks, display ads). The purpose of this process is the optimization of the communication strategy with the declination of the contents through different media.
Advertising messages can become much more effective when they are adapted to different media based on the chosen target audience. The professional figure who manages these activities is the media buyer and in this article we will find out what the main characteristics of his role are.
What Is It And Why Has It Become Indispensable For Planning Advertising Strategies?
The figure of the media buyer is a professional profile that has recently emerged with the proliferation of communication channels. Previously, companies delegated the purchase of advertising space to general employees of advertising agencies. Currently this task is carried out by professionals specialized in investment planning in analogue and digital media .
The commercial value of each space is established before the launch of the advertising campaign . For this reason, companies choose experts to evaluate estimates and plan expenses. The audience is generally the main factor for choosing a given media. Obviously, this figure also affects the final price, but contemporary advertising strategies also evaluate other elements.
Today’s communication strategies are now all consumer-oriented and cross-media. They involve , in practice, the combination of different channels to encourage greater customer engagement . No one invests in a single media anymore because today’s audience uses different tools to inform and entertain themselves. Digital platforms and traditional media are the most popular ways to reach a higher number of consumers .
In this context the media buyer manages the budget and the negotiation process with the publishers . The purchase of advertising space takes place in two ways:
- Direct agreement between advertiser and publisher
- Scheduled planning of acquisitions
The media buyer must identify the best possible combination between digital and traditional channels to obtain the greatest possible response from the public. To achieve this goal, he must plan the declination of the contents while preserving the integrity and coherence of the entire promotional campaign.
What Does It Do, What Does It Do And What Are Its Main Tasks?
The media buyer acquires the advertising spaces of traditional and digital means of communication . Negotiate with publishers and dealerships to negotiate ad placement and cost . It also manages all media buying activities in full compliance with the media plan established by the advertiser. Before defining the channels necessary for the diffusion of the advertising strategy, the following data are analysed:
- Media coverage, effectiveness and availability
- Basic characteristics of the audience
- Costs of advertising space
These elements guide investments based on these factors:
- Budget available
- Type of sponsored good or service
- Category of content to convey
- Reference target selected
The main task of the media buyer is the direct management of the negotiations for the acquisition of advertising space in line with the advertiser’s directives. Negotiating costs, placing ads and concluding the resulting contracts are the essential tasks of this marketing professional . After the launch of the campaign, it also promptly checks the performance of the advertising initiatives to monitor the progress of the communication strategy and evaluate the actual value of the spaces purchased. This information is subsequently used to modify the distribution of messages and ensure greater effectiveness in the dissemination of promotional announcements.
Communication campaigns involve many professionals because they can determine the success or failure of an entrepreneurial initiative. The media buyer manages the acquisition of advertising space to extend the dissemination of promotional content. It plays an essential role in planning advertising strategies and, for this reason, stimulates the curiosity of many readers who want to pursue a career in the world of digital marketing.