The Art of Leveraging Media

I’m already getting the best deal on media, what do I need an agency for?

This is a frequently posed question by companies that have never before used an ad or marketing agency to buy their media. Many of those companies think they are already getting the best deal possible from their “friends” at the media companies they buy from, and sometimes have the misconception that a media buying agency is just a middle man to slow them down.

The fact is, a media buying agency can often help a client save significantly because they know the difference between buying media vs. being sold to!

Here are  3 Free Ad Tips to help business owners understand the art of leveraging media…

TIP #1 – STOP BEING SOLD TO

Understand that media sales people are there to sell you something. Being your “friend” can be part of that process. Remember that, like you, they have a job to do – which is often selling you the smallest amount of media at the highest price.

TIP #2 – ASK QUESTIONS, LOTS OF QUESTIONS

Often sales reps will realize that business owners are busy running a business. The less information they provide on your advertising order, the less likely you’ll be to ask questions. For example, when buying radio and TV that may mean you start requiring they show you actual spot rates and times each spot ran. It also helps to know what times of year advertising is less in-demand, which can be different for each type of media. (By knowing this, we leveraged over $60,000 in free media in January alone for our clients from various types of media).

TIP #3 – IT’S ALL IN THE MATH

Buying media efficiently is often an issue of math. Companies that are sold to often fail to realize that if they developed a marketing plan going in, they could buy media more cost efficiently. The saying “don’t go to the store hungry”, holds true with media buying as well… If you go in with a list or a plan of action, you can often see what each media is willing to offer to reach your core target demo, and what each will charge you to reach that demo. This information is crucial in determining which media is really offering you the best value. Just because they say it’s their “best rate”, it doesn’t always mean it’s the best rate to reach your target!

Connectivity offers a free media evaluation to help you better determine if you are truly getting the value your media investment deserves.  Click HERE to request a media evaluation session for your business.