Fool-proof tips to make media planning more approachable than ever

Initiatives surrounding media planning are one of the hottest topics for marketers and advertisers worldwide, as they explore ways to make it out of the post-pandemic world in one piece.

The tactics that worked in the past may no longer yield the same results, especially considering consumer behavior has totally shifted in the past year. As such, it’s back to the drawing board for those taking part in media planning. But as with most other types of business-related strategies, it is far easier said than done.

Media plans help determine the best way(s) to convey messages to target audiences. In many ways, they unify general marketing, online marketing, sales, and advertising strategies.

Considering the fact that the first few steps tend to be the hardest, here are some no-fail approachable tips to get started on the media planning process.

First and foremost: Think like a customer

Before starting, it’s important to put the lens of consumer reality on every insight, channel, and anticipated behavior. This is the best way to set the stage for a realistic strategy and approach.

When thinking like a customer, you may realize that the “mobile first” approach would be best, especially when you consider the fact that more than half of all web traffic is mobile, and over four-fifths of time spent online is spent on mobile devices.

The total number of global mobile subscribers is expected to become 5.7 billion by 2023, which is 71 percent of the population.

Create a list of media planning objectives

While many might say that it’s best to narrow down on one objective, the truth of the matter is that there will be many. In some cases, several objectives might branch out of one. In other cases, several seemingly unrelated objectives might eventually meet at one.

One of the primary objectives should be to strengthen cross-team collaboration. Research has shown that of 95 teams in 25 leading corporations, 75 percent of cross-functional teams are dysfunctional because of the lack of clearly defined goals, which ultimately limits the level of success across numerous fronts.

All media strategies will have more depth when properly contextualized with all other relevant components of the marketing strategy. Another objective would be to improve the media distribution timeline in such a way to ensure content is shared in an efficient and timely manner for relevancy.

These join forces in the implementation of media campaigns for social networks that require a streamlined content creation process and pre-scheduled posts.

There are many points to factor (and also research) while listing out objectives and goals, including the following:

• Communication and media channels to utilize
• The target market for different channels and/or campaigns
• Level of exposure for each marketing channel (reach and frequency)
• Demographics and geographic coverage
• Budget considerations, allocation, and management
• Style and creative element, as different mediums require different approaches

Make use of media planning templates

There are many types of media planning templates for different types and parts of the media planning process, from editorial calendars, to social media calendars, to advertising templates, to media design templates, and so much more. These can be created from scratch, or even downloaded from the Internet for immediate usage or inspiration.

The point is that the content of each template ultimately needs to be unique to the organization. The filled templates must help the users of it, whether internal or external, be as efficient and effective as possible through each coordinated effort across all channels.

Collaboratively implement the media plan

Before implementing the media plan, it is important to ensure all parties have all the necessary materials, credentials, access, and information as needed to properly execute the plan. It would also be useful to provide a list of people to contact for specific needs, as well as the details for one central person who can answer general questions on the media plan.

Data silos would prove to be obstructive when it comes to any kind of marketing/sales initiative, especially media planning.

However, it is still far too common in large organizations- 83 percent of executives claim their organizations have silos, and that 97 percent of them are aware that it has a negative effect. Silos disrupts and complicates workplace communications, thereby planting a seed of inefficiency.

Determine how to evaluate success

Countless variables go into media plans, each of which have their own measures of success. In some cases, the goals may solely be an increase in reach, while in others it may be conversions, engagement, or revenue. Sometimes success could be a little more tricky to measure, such as when the goal is to increase brand sentiment.

The best way to measure success of each campaign would be directly tied to each specific goal, the teams that worked on it, and the value to be derived from the media.

As you go through the process of media planning, remember that some campaigns will be more/less successful than others, and there is no such thing as failure so long as lessons are learned from it.

Yair Yaskerovitch started his career in 1998 while residing in NYC, working in the digital imaging sector. He later co-founded Sumo Graphics, a digital printing solutions company, and was responsible for business development and sales to nationwide enterprises, with clients including Ralph Lauren, The Limited Brand, Tishman Speyer and many more. In 2010, Yaskerovitch transitioned to the Ad-Tech industry as a Sale’s Manager in Moblin, which merged with Zoomd in 2017. After the merger, Yaskerovitch became the VP of Media, handling the close relationship and business development operations with all of the global advertisers of Zoomd.