With most consumers being exposed to between 6,000 to 10,000 ads every single day, here are six top traits you’re going to need to make sure your client’s brand doesn’t get lost in the noise.
1. Boldness and bravery
It’s up to the media buyer to show the client just how much value and traction can be gained from the perfect placement of material. Although they are the custodians of their brand, you are the person in charge of bringing their brand to the people. You have to be bold in the decisions you make and you have to be brave enough to stand behind your placement strategy.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions and push for more information, the more you can get out of the client the better returns you will see.
2. Agility
The media landscape changes on a daily basis. The digital era means that you can’t always predict exactly what ‘the next big thing’ is going to be. You have to be agile in your strategies, with the ability to change lanes in the blink of an eye. A media buyer must also be able to jump right in there and analyse results to gain an idea of what is really going on through the course of a campaign.
3. Curiosity
A successful media buyer must always remain curious in order to create a sound media strategy for their client. It is important to constantly be thinking about new angles, headlines, and images to test in your media plan. Inspiration for new ideas can come from anywhere.
Watch TV, read the newspapers, spend time online, walkthrough malls and speak to people around you – the potential spots on which your campaign can live must become something to obsess over.
4. Resilience
Almost every media buy, especially in the beginning is new territory. A campaign that starts off promising can quickly go the other way once statistically significant data comes in. Getting a campaign fully optimised takes time and patience and there are no shortcuts. It can be a tough pill to swallow if you’re a week into a campaign and still not seeing the results you anticipated, but you must remember that not all campaigns can be winners.
But, being able to identify what went wrong and having the conviction to stay the course is often what separates the top media buyers from the rest of the pack.
5. Born negotiator
Making sure your client is getting a real bang for their buck is key. Buyers must be able to secure the lowest rates for placement, and sometimes this may mean a bit of tough negotiating. Essentially you are the voice of the client, and what they require is what you need to fight for. With better placement rates comes more exposure and overall better results for your client’s campaign.
You are the middleman between your client and media outlets. Knowing exactly what your client is hoping to achieve with their campaign is important, but so is making connections with media outlets.
A buyer who takes the time to foster relationships will have the advantage in terms of media partners who can give access to media trends, prime placement advice and reasonable rates discussions.
In this industry, it can boil down to who you know and who you can collaborate with in terms of the success of your campaign.
Having strong emotional intelligence is crucial for the long term success of any media buyer. Managing campaigns, especially those with high budgets can be stressful, but also so rewarding.
You’re not going to learn everything you need to know overnight, but starting off with some essential core traits combined with tenacity, enthusiasm and a hunger for growth, should propel you headfirst into the thrilling world of media.
