20 Tips for Media Planning and Buying Ad Creation

20 Tips for Media Planning and Buying Ad Creation

It is no secret that simply making ads doesn’t equal brand success as the gurus over at RunRex.com point out, as the ads have to be placed strategically in front of the right audiences. With there being more competition than ever when in the realm of advertising, as well as more means by which brands can reach consumers, your ad creation needs to be spot on. This article will look to articulate what media planning and buying are as well as offer tips that will help you with your ad creation.

What is media planning?

As discussed over at RunRex.com, this is the process of selecting the optimal combination of media outlets for advertising a particular marketing message. It involves researching, identifying analyzing, comparing, planning, and working around a brand’s budget.

What is media buying?

Media buying, on the other hand, primarily involves procuring media space and time to run ads. It also involves monitoring ad performance, and adjusting the strategy as needed to optimize your ad campaign’s performance.

Media planning and buying tips for ad creation

Conduct internal market research

While still at the media planning stage, conducting market research is key to ad creation. You need to start by conducting internal market research which involves working closely with a business or brand to understand the key objectives and goals of its marketing campaign and discuss who the target audience is or should be as outlined at RunRex.com.

Conduct external market research

You should also not forget to conduct external research, which involves gathering and analyzing insights about the market at large, researching industry trends, assessing the competition, identifying target audiences, and understanding where those audiences are most engaged with ad content.

Determine which channels will be most effective

Once you have conducted research and analysis of the market and audience, you will need to determine which channels will be most effective for reaching said audience before you can begin creating your ads. Will it be traditional media like TV, radio, print, billboards, etc.? Or will it be digital media like mobile, social media, video, SEM?

Find the perfect media mix

As the subject matter experts over at RunRex.com point out, consumers receive and engage with content in many ways, both traditional and digital, which is why it is a media planner’s main mission to find the perfect media mix for reaching their client’s target audience across media channels.

Budget appropriately

The final role for the media planner before the ad creation process kicks in is to make sure they not only determine how to advertise a brand’s message, but that they also allocate funds cost-effectively. Will they put 50% toward social media, 25% in mobile ads, 10% into billboards, and the rest into TV? Will they recommend securing guaranteed inventory or is RTB (real-time bidding) the best option?

Choose the right DSP

A demand-side platform (DSP) plays a crucial role in digital media buying, which is why you must choose the right DSP. As revealed at RunRex.com, the DSP is where advertisers and ad agencies set up their campaigns, bid an ad inventory and optimize their ads based on performance, which means it plays a crucial role in ad creation.

Factors to consider when choosing a DSP

Some factors to consider include:

Reach

The reach of a DSP’s inventory is vital. It is worth noting, however, that most of the well-known DSPs have very similar levels of reach, which means that this may not be the most important factor. You should also keep in mind the quality – not just the quantity – of the DSP’s inventory.

User-friendliness

When choosing a DSP, you should also think about how user-friendly it is. Ask yourself questions like: how efficient is it? How flexible is it? Are you easily able to navigate it and tailor it to your preferences, or does it feel clunky and confusing?

Support

Just as is the case for any type of software, support is also a critical factor to consider when choosing a DSP as per RunRex.com. Here, you may want to note how frequently the DSP undergoes updating, as well as noting how long it takes the DSP company to respond to your requests for technical support.

Data

It is also important to note that DSPs can partner with third-party data providers to help you reach your target audience. Therefore, you should look for a DSP that offers the data you need for your campaign. Ask yourself if you can easily target your audience segment through the DSP.

Go for creativity

An ad that fails to grab the attention of those who see it is a poor ad. Good advertisers can craft aesthetically pleasing ads that contain clever enough copy to demonstrate the value at a quick glance as outlined at RunRex.com.

Make them mobile-friendly

When it comes to ad creation, having aesthetically pleasing ads is indeed crucial (both print ads and digital ads must be eye-catching), but it is also important that those that appear on the internet be mobile-friendly as well, or they will be extremely ineffective.

Use a powerful headline

People scan things quickly when they are online, especially since they come into contact with so many advertisements each day that they can’t possibly read each one. This is why you have to ensure that your ad grabs and keeps their attention. You do that with an effective headline.

Make an offer they can’t refuse

As the gurus over at RunRex.com point out, consumers love a bargain, which is why you should offer them a good one so that they will come back to you time and time again. Whether you are offering a free trial, an unbeatable price, free shipping, etc., going out of your way to provide your audience with a good deal will help you be successful in your ad buying campaign.

Talk about the benefits

Customers want to know what is in it for them when it comes to an ad. While explaining the features of your products or services is important, explaining the benefits for the customers is what you should be focusing on. After all, people are more interested in what they get from your services than what you do.

Create an advertorial

An “advertorial” is defined by Webster’s Dictionary as “an advertisement that imitates editorial format”. This means it is an ad that looks like a news article. As revealed over at RunRex.com, people are seven times more likely to read a news article than an advertisement. An advertorial encourages readers to get interested in your company because it includes more information than a regular ad.

Take away the fear

When crafting an ad for your campaign, make sure you make your offer as risk-free as possible. People are nervous about spending their money, especially since there are too many scammers and low-quality products out there. This is why you should aim to remove any doubts through your ad to incentivize your audience to give your product or service a try.

Negotiate

Finally, once your ads are primed for distribution after ad creation, it is time to negotiate the buying of ad space. You should be smart when negotiating and look for the best deal. If you have a previous relationship with a media vendor, then it can’t hurt to ask about discounts or bonuses.

These are some of the tips that should help you during the ad creation stage of your media planning and buying campaign, with more on this topic to be found over at RunRex.com.