Keeping Media Buying Simple

For most small business owners dealing with media buying  is like dealing with an ever-changing alphabet soup. This is primarily because the language of media is cluttered with acronyms. And understanding each acronym is necessary to getting the most out of your media buy. AQH, GRP’s CPM, CPP and that was before web banners, unique users, and social media… for this blog, we’ll just 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 like to call it the wheel of fortune theory for the business owner, spin and hopefully win. Today’s economic times don’t allow the small business any room for error in their advertising investments without landing on the bankruptcy space. All advertising works if used properly and fails if used improperly. You don’t have to be able to decipher the media alphabet soup. You just have to keep these simple things in mind:

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

Also, realize that each of the old traditional ways of advertising has special strengths and weaknesses in how they communicate 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 weatherman have a certain celebrity status in our communities. Used properly, TV is a great way to build your image and gain status around town.
• Radio is a great 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. Used properly radio can have the same results for a retail business.
• Newspaper and direct mail are price and item pieces. When we read the paper (for those few who still do) if they are going to notice ads, they’re usually looking for a sale; so item and price is the most efficient way to use print.