Keeping Media Buying Simple

For most small business owners, dealing with media buying is like an ever-changing alphabet soup. This is primarily because the language of media is cluttered with acronyms. And understanding each acronym is necessary to get the most out of your media buy. AQH, GRP’s CPM, CPP, before web banners, unique users, and social media… for this blog, we’ll deal with what was once referred to as traditional media. Since most store owners haven’t seen an AQH, CPP, CPM, or GPR come directly into their place of business and purchase something, it can be hard to relate. I’ve never seen an advertising sales rep not come to a meeting prepared to let the business owner know how they were number 1 (me included). I call it the wheel of fortune theory for the business owner to spin and hopefully win. Today’s economic times don’t allow small businesses any room for error in their advertising investments without landing on bankruptcy. All advertising works if used correctly and fails if misused. You don’t have to be able to decipher the media alphabet soup. You have to keep these simple things in mind:

• Know your demographic—not what you perceive your company’s demographic to be, but what it truly is!
• Create a message that fits the demographic you must communicate to, and then purchase the medium that best hits that demographic.

Also, realize that each of the old traditional ways of advertising has special strengths and weaknesses in terms of communication and how we use that particular media.

Traditional Media Buying Uses

• TV is a great way to build your image; TV, after all, is the home of stars. Even our local news anchors and meteorologists have celebrity status in our communities. Appropriately used, TV is a great way to build your image and gain status around town.
• Radio is a tremendous traffic-driving tool when you need to put butts in seats and sell tickets to a concert or event; radio is where people usually turn to first. Radio can have the same results for a retail business if appropriately used.
• Newspaper and direct mail are price and item pieces. When we read the paper (for those few who still do) if they notice ads, they’re usually looking for a sale, so item and price are the most efficient way to use print.