Media buying was once a world of direct deals and closed negotiations. But with the rise of digital media and platforms for buying and selling, media buying is no longer just for the biggest brands.
If you’ve been looking for new ways to get your ads in front of your target audience, I’ll show you how to do just that, from how media buying works to the processes involved.
I’ll then walk you through the best platforms to get you started, along with tips and advice from marketing experts.
Ready? Grab your free one Media plan templateand let’s dive in.
Table of contents
What is media buying?
Media buying is the purchase of advertising space and time on digital and offline platforms such as websites, YouTube, radio and television.
What exactly is a media buyer then? Whether they’re watching a TV show or scrolling through a website, media buyers are the ones who get brands in front of their target audience.
They are also responsible for negotiating ad inventory with publishers, managing budgets, and optimizing ads to improve campaign performance.
As an outbound strategy, media buying requires a well-thought-out plan. Rex YellowSenior director of paid advertising and affiliate marketing at HubSpot, says one of the biggest mistakes brands make is not thinking through their marketing goals.
“Some ad placements can be good for certain goals but bad for others. Let’s say you’re an airline and your focus is impressions and awareness. Instead of an immediate sale, you can buy a placement that is known for getting favorable impressions,” he says.
Gelb continues, “Let’s say you’re a CEO who wants to promote a ‘Letter to Our Customers.'” In this case, your main concern is getting cheap clicks. Buying cheap impressions, which made sense in the previous example, no longer helps you achieve your goal.”
For this reason Media planning is such an important step because it helps you get the most out of your ads.
Media buying vs. media planning
Media buying and media planning play separate but related roles in an advertising campaign. Media planners outline the goals of the campaign while focusing on the overall strategy. Media buyers then implement these goals.
The planning phase determines which media will be most effective at reaching a specific audience. And from there, the purchasing phase begins with contract negotiations and budget management. It’s also important to note that media planning isn’t just for Advertising – it applies to all media that a brand offers.
However, in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the task may be completed by the same person or team.
Types of Media Buying
Media buying falls into two broad categories: direct and programmatic. I will explain them below.
Direct purchase
In this case, the advertising space is purchased directly from a publisher. This involves direct negotiations and relationships rather than using automation or intermediaries.
The benefits of this type of purchase are that you can guarantee ad placement in a specific location (e.g. a newspaper that your target audience reads), customize agreements, and foster long-lasting relationships.
Best for: Buying direct works best when you’re trying to build trust with local or niche communities and small markets.
Programmatic purchasing
This type of purchasing has taken hold with digital media and automates the buying and selling process. Using algorithms to place ads, the exchange takes place in real time.
The advantages of programmatic buying are that it enables precise targeting, allows participation in many exchanges at the same time, and can reduce the cost of placing ads.
Best for: With the ability to precisely focus the audience, this type is well suited for limited budgets who want to reduce their advertising spend.
The type of media buying you do depends on how you go about purchasing advertising space. But a related concept is Channels.
There are also two types of channels: digital (online), which can include, for example, websites, social media and search engines, and traditional (offline), which can be TV, print media, radio, billboards, etc.
While traditional channels require direct business, digital channels can operate programmatically or directly.
How buying digital media works
There are three components in the Programmatic purchasing structure:
- Demand-side platforms (DSP). This is where advertisers and advertising agencies – media buyers – set up their campaigns, bid on ad inventory and optimize their ads. It is half of the automated stock marketplace and enables media buying from multiple sources in real time.
- Supply-side platforms (SSP). This is the other half of the stock market. This is where publishers sell their ad inventory.
- Ad exchanges. These are virtual marketplaces that connect the DSPs to the SSPs, allowing advertisers and publishers to buy and sell ad inventory through real-time bidding (RTB). Marketplaces can be open, meaning anyone can join, or private, where publishers limit participation in the auction.
You may also have heard of ad networks, which could be considered the fourth component in this media buying ecosystem. These platforms aggregate ad inventory from various sources, tailor it to advertisers’ needs, and act as intermediaries in the process. Think Google Adsense or Meta audience network.
But to put it briefly: Programmatic buying also enables direct business. This is called programmatic direct buying, which sounds pretty confusing because it’s usually two opposing types. The main difference is that ad inventory is sold at a fixed price per thousand impressions (CPM) with no bids.
As programmatic buying continues to shift in new directions along with the technology landscape, media buying will also change.
A recent example of how quickly these changes can occur was the introduction of Apple’s AppTrackingTransparency (ATT) in 2021. At this point, it was not clear how disabling tracking would impact targeting and conversions. Now we know it contributed significant declines in advertising revenue.
However, programmatic buying does not lead to success and many companies – especially SMBs – find success by combining media types and channels.
Successful media buying requires “multi-channel precision targeting,” they say Aaron WhittakerVice President of Demand Generation and Marketing Thrive Internet Marketing Agency.
“Buying connected TV (CTV) is becoming increasingly important (and) platforms like Roku Advertising have enabled our smaller customers to gain access to TV audiences at a fraction of traditional TV costs,” he told me. “The ability to link first-party data to viewing habits has made these campaigns particularly effective.”
But the most surprising insight Whittaker shared with me? “Sometimes the most effective media buys come from combining traditional and digital channels. For example, retargeting users who saw radio ads with digital display has shown promising results for local businesses.”
Want to learn more about how programmatic buying can benefit your business? Check out this video that covers the top five paid marketing trends.
The media buying process
Because programmatic buying constantly changes things for media buyers, the media buying process is not a one-size-fits-all process. However, you can still take steps to keep your team organized, whether you choose to buy direct or programmatic – or a mix of both.
1. Review the media plan.
As soon as the media plan is available, it is handed over to the media buyer. The plan includes goals, timelines, target audience, and overall budget, but it will likely be up to the buyer to decide how the budget will be allocated.
Now it’s time to think about the types of ads, where you want to run them, and how much money you want to spend on different channels.
Free resource: Get yours Media plan template Here.
2. List media companies.
With your target audiences in mind, make a list of media companies you want to buy advertising space from. If you plan to use a combination of media types, you can also include DSPs in your list (like those recommended later in this article).
3. Submit RFPs.
Now that you have a list of outlets, send each one a request for proposal (RFP). This document contains all the details of your campaign and invites vendors to submit proposals that meet your goals. The point is to provide you with a series of suggestions to consider so you can decide where to place your ads.
Free resource: Use these RFP templates to make it easier for you to get started.
4. Make final decisions.
Once you’ve received the RFP responses, it’s time to make purchasing decisions. Evaluate how the suggestions help you achieve your goals and how they align with your overall ad placement strategy. Then buy the advertising space.
5. Send ad orders.
When your ad placements are final, submit advertising orders (IO) to all ad inventory providers. IOs are legal agreements between publishers and advertisers that detail the details of an advertising campaign (dates, format, placement, etc.) and require both your signature and that of the publisher.
6. Deliver the ads.
Somewhere in the background, your creative team was probably already hard at work developing the actual ads. As a media buyer, you must coordinate with them to ensure that the formats are correct for each medium and that the providers receive the ads within the deadlines specified in the IO.
7. Monitor results.
The heavy lifting is done, but that doesn’t mean the work is done. After launching your campaign, you need to track its performance.
If you have launched digital campaigns, you can monitor the results in real time. And if your campaign falls short of expectations on the publishers’ guaranteed metrics, negotiate with them for compensation (which means they’ll make up the shortfall).
Media buying tips
Using the media buying process as a general guide, I wanted to delve a little deeper into how to do it. While some organizations may have dedicated media buyers, small and medium-sized businesses don’t always have the resources for this, and the roles can overlap.
With this in mind, I asked experienced marketers for tips on media buying, with a particular focus on SMBs and emerging brands.
1. Strategize.
If you’re planning and buying on a smaller budget, it can be even more important to agree on a strategy before your campaign.
“We recommend an omnichannel approach,” he says Jennifer HallDeputy Director of Agency Marketing Vision Media.
“Media plans are developed based on the brand’s goals, budget and audience,” she tells me, adding that prospects are most often reached through a combination of traditional and digital channels, such as “paid social, CTV, print or Out-”. from home (OOH) and audio streaming.”
2. Identify your target and where to find it.
Determining your target audience and experimenting with where exactly you can reach them is another important piece of the media buying puzzle.
“Focusing on digital platforms that serve passionate niche communities has been a game changer.” Maris Laatre, CMO of Bully Max, says. “For example, we have used video ads on YouTube to demonstrate the benefits of our products, which drives engagement and builds trust among pet owners.”
There are also advantages to finding a space where the competition has not yet caught up, she says, mentioning TikTok. “It’s an underused platform for e-commerce brands in our niche, but offers a lot of potential for those willing to experiment.”
3. Set up your campaign.
Whether you’re using a DSP or coordinating direct deals, you’ll need to specify your campaign parameters.
Both programmatic and direct buying have their advantages and disadvantages when setting up, they say David HunterSEO expert and founder of Local hawk.
In the case of the first option, “it is automated, meaning advertising space can be purchased in real time, often at a lower cost, and it helps target specific audiences based on their behavior and preferences.” It’s efficient, but you have to monitor closely to avoid wasting money on clicks that don’t convert.”
“For companies that value more control or have a niche audience, direct deals with media companies may work better,” he continues. “Setup is slower, but the personal connection with the publisher often makes the investment worthwhile.”
4. Track and optimize results.
The most exciting (and possibly scariest) part of launching an advertising campaign is tracking its performance.
“It’s not just about choosing a strategy or platform,” says Hunter. “You have to keep an eye on everything – what’s working, what’s not – and adapt quickly.”
“Sometimes what looks good on paper turns out to be a flop when you actually run the campaign. Small changes, like optimizing the timing of an ad or narrowing the audience slightly, can make a big difference.”
If you decide to go the programmatic route, your next step is to decide on a DSP.
To compile a list of the top media buying platforms, I asked marketers which ones they use and why they would recommend them. Below is the compiled list of tips to get you started.
Best platforms for buying digital media
- Google Display & Video 360
- The trading desk
- Amazon DSP
- Wallester
- AdCritter
- Adobe Advertising Cloud
- Criteo
- StackAdapt
- Simpli.fi
- Adelphic, a Viant DSP
- Amobee
- Base of Centro
- Microsoft Invest (formerly Xandr)
- AdRoll
1. Google Display & Video 360
Within the Google Marketing Platform you will find Display & Video 360. Originally DoubleClick Bid Management, DV360 integrates seamlessly with Google Analytics and other Google products. So if your team is already using these tools, this might be the right media buying tool for you.
There are five modules in DV360 that allow you to create your campaign, manage your audience and creative assets, analyze your data, and access ad inventory from top publishers. It also offers automated bidding and custom targeting using first- and third-party data, making it easier to reach the right audience.
Finally, the platform allows advertisers to reach users not only on websites and YouTube, but also on CTV.
Best for: Integration with other Google products and access to a variety of tools.
2. The trading desk
If you want access to premium publishers, Trade Desk is a stop for you.
The platform features ad inventory from influential publishers such as Spotify, ABC, The Wall Street Journal and ESPN.
One of the platform’s key features is the AI-driven “Koa,” which leverages data from over 600 billion daily queries to determine the smartest, most cost-effective way to execute your digital campaign. Trade Desk also has cross-device targeting capabilities to optimize the reach of your campaign.
Best for: Larger campaigns “because it gives you access to premium publishers and leverages AI to optimize performance,” recommends David Hunter.
3. Amazon DSP
Every time I think Amazon has reached the ceiling, it comes out with another vertical.
As one of the three best DSPsAmazon DSP is one of the most widely used platforms that allows your ads to appear on Amazon-owned sites such as Audible and IMDb, as well as other Amazon partners. Plus, they can be viewed on Amazon-connected devices like Fire TV, Kindle, and Alexa, giving you multiple opportunities to reach the right people.
In addition to targeting based on demographics and interests, it also allows targeting based on Amazon purchase history and previous searches and views, giving the company a leg up on the competition.
Brand safety is also a top priority to ensure ads are not shown in risky or inappropriate environments. The platform monitors real-time bids and site ratings for quality and safety to ensure brand protection.
Best for: Your product-oriented company. “If a client has a product-focused business, I typically recommend Amazon DSP – it leverages Amazon’s consumer data, which is hard to beat for e-commerce,” says Hunter.
4. Wallester
Wallester Business simplifies campaign cost management through its easy-to-use platform and application. The service allows you to create virtual and physical cards through separate accounts with customizable daily/monthly limits. You can also create expense reports in CSV, Excel, or PDF format, add colleagues to your account, and assign them to specific cards or campaigns.
With Wallester Business, you can avoid failed transactions on popular platforms like Meta, TikTok, Google, X (formerly Twitter), Mailchimp, and more. New users can try out the platform by creating the first 300 virtual cards for free.
Best for: Sharing virtual cards between media buyers within an organization.
5. AdCritter
AdCritter is a DSP for small and medium-sized businesses.
The platform features an ad creator and a library of pre-built templates for businesses that may not have their own creative assets. This means you can get help creating ads directly on the platform.
AdCritter allows media buyers (or even one-person brands) to manually select the sites they appear on to ensure their ads reach their intended audience. You can also reach consumers based on demographics and behavior.
The real selling point, however, may be making TV and digital billboard advertising cost-effective through precise targeting and short-term placements.
Best for: SMEs and smaller budgets looking to maximize their advertising spend.
6. Adobe Advertising Cloud
In 2017, Adobe introduced a powerful DSP linked to Adobe Audience Manager and Adobe Analytics. Similar to Google, Adobe’s platforms integrate seamlessly, making collaboration easier and cross-data analysis easier.
Adobe also has powerful performance optimization features to maximize return on advertising spend (ROAS).
Best for: Integration with other Adobe products such as Adobe Analytics.
7. Criteo
This platform has access to a large network of premium retailers, making it a great DSP for brands looking to reach online shoppers. Think Best Buy, CVS Pharmacy, Macy’s and Kohls.
They rely on first-party data rather than third-party cookies to optimize ads and determine the right time and place to interact with shoppers.
Criteo’s flexible attribution models also make it easier for teams to analyze data.
Best for: Engage customers across online shopping experiences.
8. StackAdapt
“StackAdapt has become our platform of choice for growing businesses – they don’t require huge minimum spend and their team provides solid advice on campaign optimization,” says Tristan Harris, Senior VP of Marketing at LinkBuilder.io.
“What I particularly appreciate is the real-time reporting that shows exactly where ads are running and how they are performing, eliminating the need to make assumptions about ROI.”
Its key features include dynamic retargeting, machine learning optimization, and cross-device capabilities. Contextual targeting is perhaps the biggest selling point, tailoring ads to online content, taking user interests into account and moving away from behavioral targeting.
If your brand is also one regulated industry (like alcohol, cannabis, or gambling), StackAdapt can help you strengthen your messages and overcome these challenges.
Best for: Place ads next to relevant content through contextual targeting.
9. Simpli.fi
Some DSPs offer pre-segmented audiences for advertising campaigns, which can be limiting depending on who your team wants to reach. Simpli.fi offers custom targeting options to ensure accuracy when using unstructured data.
The platform also promotes cost and analytics transparency. If you’d like to see a detailed breakdown of where your advertising dollars go and how much of that goes into platform fees, you can do so here.
Another standout feature of Simpli.fi is its localization features, which leverage geo-targeting to reach audiences at their exact physical location.
Best for: Geo-targeting for highly specific location-based interests.
10. Adelphic, a Viant DSP
If customer support is important to your team, consider Adelphic (under Viant). This omnichannel DSP reports consistently high customer satisfaction rates over 95%.
Unlike other DSPS, the platform offers a flexible pricing model with a subscription-based structure. This means media buyers pay a fixed monthly fee for unlimited media.
Other features include advanced reporting tools and data integrations, as well as current collaborations with leading companies, the partnership says Press release
– “Providing advertisers with a more refined and effective approach to targeting and measurement, especially in the rapidly evolving CTV landscape.”
Best for: Target multiple connected devices in a home.
11. Amobee
Now part of the data platform Nexxen (a unified DSP/SSP platform), you can use Amobee to design digital campaigns for TV and digital.
This DSP identifies potential consumers on an individual level using its proprietary identity graph called “Amobee ID.” This tool allows brands to predict the performance of their campaign across multiple devices and channels.
The platform can also access APIs from social channels such as Facebook and Instagram to automate social campaigns.
Best for: Manage TV, CTV, digital and social media campaigns on a unified platform.
12. Base of Centro
Basis has one of the largest inventories on the market and combines advertising channels in a single interface.
Its artificial intelligence (AI) tool can also check over 30 campaign parameters and automatically analyze data using algorithms or machine learning – your choice.
Basis also has scalable features suitable for both small and large businesses.
Best for: Optimize campaigns with automated workflows.
13. Microsoft Invest (formerly Xandr)
This DSP specializes in reaching target audiences through video advertising.
The platform is powered by AT&T’s first-party data and provides brands with unique insights to deliver targeted campaigns. Marketers can segment users based on lifestyle, interest, intent, demographics and viewership.
It also offers an elegant interface for planning, launching and tracking campaigns.
Best for: “Advanced targeting options, access to high-quality inventory, and a sophisticated campaign management solution,” advises Harris.
14. AdRoll
If your website has a shopping cart or login button, you should check out AdRoll. You probably know them as the retargeting leader, having helped over 140,000 brands convert website visitors into customers over the last 15 years.
However, to meet the demand of e-commerce merchants, AdRoll has expanded its offering to enable brands to interact with known and unknown contacts through display ads, social media ads and email – the only platform which makes this possible.
With the AdRoll HubSpot integrationYou can even sync your HubSpot email lists to AdRoll directly from your account, match your contacts to anonymous website visitors, and create targeted audiences.
AdRoll also has integrations with all major eCommerce platforms such as Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce and Wix, making it easy to quickly launch and launch campaigns by immediately pulling in your product feed to deliver dynamic ads and emails and help you identify high-end campaigns – valuable visitors to target.
Best for: “Retargeting and display ads services specifically designed to help companies reach their audiences across millions of websites and social networks,” says Harris.
Immerse yourself in the world of media buying
When I started looking for media buys, I had no idea of the vast world I was about to enter. What I thought would be a simple question about how to do it turned out to be…complicated.
Media buyers don’t just secure ad locations, times and frequencies – they also stay informed about the latest marketing trends and AI technologies and have a deep understanding of their target audience.
But I also learned that even if you don’t have a dedicated media buying staff, there are plenty of tools out there to take the guesswork out of ad placement.
Whether you’re a large company or an SMB, a multi-channel approach can ensure your brand’s ad reaches your ideal customer.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in February 2021 and has been updated for completeness.