Media Buying: Definition, Types, Examples, How to Apply

Media buying is one example of a powerful digital marketing strategy to enhance brand awareness and domain authority. 

It is also a trusted marketing strategy for achieving Return on Investment (ROI). With various benefits offered, do you know what is media buying and its role in the business world?

In broad terms, digital media buying can be categorized as a type of paid ads. Essentially, digital media buying is an effort that allows brands to purchase advertising slots on well-known media through digital platforms such as blogs, websites, web apps, and so on.

In order to better understand what is media buying, its examples, the process, and its role in the business world, make sure to follow the discussion until the end.

What is Media Buying?

Simply put, media buying is the effort to purchase advertising space on various media platforms or news portals with the aim of marketing products, increasing brand awareness, and enhancing the authority of a brand.

Initially, this method was often used in conventional promotion media, such as TV, radio, newspapers, or magazines. However, nowadays, the strategies have expanded into the digital realm.

Digital media buying essentially follows the same workflow and goals. However, the ad placement within this type is slightly different, as they were spread through online platforms such as websites, blogs/articles, or web apps from authoritative institutions.

To maximize revenue, these strategies must be implemented effectively. Hence, you need to understand the concepts and examples that are relevant to your business niche first.

The Benefits of Digital Media Buying for Business

Media buying is one integral component in marketing efforts that generally aims to facilitate the promotion process and increase brand authority. Other benefits of digital media buying include:

1. Expanding the Target Market Reach

This marketing strategy is perfect for brands aiming to increase their exposure, especially in the digital realm. 

By leveraging ad purchases on the right media, a brand has the opportunity to reach market segments that were previously untapped. 

This strategy is suitable for helping businesses optimize marketing potential, reach more customers, and expand market share.

2. Increasing Brand Awareness

In addition to expanding campaign reach, another benefit is helping to increase brand awareness. 

By buying ads on media or news portals with high authority and trustworthiness, a brand can broaden its reach significantly. 

In a competitive marketing ecosystem, the benefits are reflected not only in increased brand awareness but also in building positive and sustainable relationships with the target audience and potential customers.

3. Maximizing Advertising Strategies

As mentioned earlier, this marketing strategy can help businesses achieve ROI by maximizing advertising strategies overall. 

Therefore, selecting the type of media according to the characteristics of the target audience is crucial, considering that customer preferences and habits tend to differ depending on the platform type.

4. Informing Market Segmentation More Accurately

Purchasing ad space on trusted media can also help businesses gather audience data for more accurate segmentation needs. 

From age, gender, location, interests, and behavior, this strategy can also help collect this information to build a more personalized and precise marketing foundation.

5. Maximizing Revenue

Essentially, the main goal of every business is to maximize revenue, and this backlink service/media buying is an effective strategy to help businesses achieve this goal. 

By intelligently leveraging this strategy, you can target a wide market at the right time.

Types of Media Buying

You need to note that this strategy will always continue to evolve and diversify with the advancement of the digital era. Nowadays, there are most likely 5 types of it, such as: 

1. Direct Buying

Direct buying is an example that employs a conventional approach where companies interact directly with media publishers to purchase ad space. 

While conceptually simple, this model remains effective for controlling ad placements and building long-term relationships with media publishers.

2. Real-Time Bidding (RTB)

Real-Time Bidding (RTB) introduces a technological dimension by utilizing automated platforms. Through RTB, ads can be bought and sold instantly through online auctions in real-time.

If you use this type, you can optimize expenditures by adjusting bids according to changing market needs.

3. Programmatic Buying

Programmatic media buying is a type that leverages digital technology for the process of ad buying and placement. 

This means programmatic buying is done using algorithms and artificial intelligence to buy ad space automatically. 

This type is beneficial for companies to achieve efficiency in targeting audiences and optimizing marketing time and budget. Some components involved in programmatic buying are:

• Publisher: The one who provides backlink services, usually the owner of a website offering campaign placement space.
• Advertiser: Agencies or companies intending to carry out paid ads or buy backlinks from some professional and trusted media.
• Demand Side Platform (DSP): Used by advertisers to choose the services suitable for the target audience and budget and to outline campaign details comprehensively.
• Ads Network: A marketplace site used for buying and selling ad space.
• Supply Side Platform (SSP): Used by publishers to provide information about inventory, more commonly used in programmatic type.

4. Private Marketplace

If the previous types run automatically, the private marketplace generally prioritizes security and exclusivity. 

In this method, the agreement for purchasing ad space between the backlink service provider and the client occurs exclusively and privately. 

Purchasing this type of media gives you control over ad placements and avoids open competition.

5. Preferred Deals

In this type, brands or companies can negotiate deals with backlink service providers to get priority in buying specific ad spaces.

Workflow, How to Apply, and The Media Buying Process

If you are still confused about the flow and implementation process of media buying, please make sure to thoroughly read the following information.

1. Defining the Target Market

The initial step in implementing the process is to define the target audience through clear and measurable segmentation. 

You must have a deep understanding of who the target audience is, including aspects such as age, gender, or specific preferences. 

Additionally, you need to know which platforms they frequently use. To determine target market segmentation, you can create buyer personas using various methods such as database analysis, surveys, or direct research.

2. Choosing the Suitable Type and Media Platform

The next step is to start designing a marketing strategy by evaluating vendors or types of media to be used within the process. 

With the evolution of the digital marketing world, the available types of media are highly varied. Therefore, you need to consider all aspects to choose the right media that will yield positive results in online marketing campaigns. 

To select the appropriate type of media, you can consider the characteristics of the target audience, the goals of the digital campaign, and the available marketing budget.

3. Analyzing the Availability of Ad Space

After selecting the type of media, you need to check the availability of ad space on the chosen media. 

This step also helps you determine the optimal ad time and the location of ad placements on the website page, ensuring that the promotional message reaches the right audience.

4. Determining Budget Spending

After analyzing the availability of ad space, you also need to set a specific budget for this marketing strategy. 

Determining the budget before entering into a collaboration agreement with a backlink service provider can help you consider financial resources. 

This step helps you manage budget allocations efficiently in marketing efforts.

5. Agreeing on Insertion Order (IO)

Agreeing on the insertion order in the media buying process proves that both parties approve the proposed media placement. 

Generally, the insertion order will contain cost estimates, specification explanations, appearance dates, and information related to Key Performance Indicators (if available).

6. Buying Ad Space on Authoritative Media

After completing the previous stages, you only need to make the purchase of ad space. In this process, you need to carry out several validations as a sign of collaboration between two parties, starting from signing the contract to payment. 

After making the payment, it means you have officially secured the ad position on the relevant media.

7. Analyzing the Performance of Media Buying Ad Placements

After implementing the previous media buying process, the next step is to measure the performance of ads. 

One of the main goals of measuring the ad performance is to assess the effectiveness of the campaign based on various metrics, including Click-Through Rate (CTR), Conversion Rate, and generated business revenue. 

Through this performance analysis, you can use data to evaluate whether the paid ads strategy with media buying is satisfactory or requires further adjustments.

A Media Buying and Backlink Service - 200+ Authoritative Media 

This marketing strategy generally can be utilized by brands from various niches to enhance visibility and authority through advertising on website pages, news portals, or other authoritative media.

However, in order to support business success in the digital era, it is crucial to carefully choose the media for ad placements. 

Furthermore, you also need to ensure that your ads are displayed on trustworthy media or news portals with high authority in a specific industry/niche.

If you need professional assistance, such as a media buying agency, in your media buying efforts, you don't need to worry! 

Entrust your media buying strategy to nationally trusted media with the help of cmlabs Backlink and Media Buying Services.

We ensure that you receive:

• Ads with high-quality content, not just mere links.
• Relevant backlinks from leading sites in your niche.
• Strict domain checks to ensure that domains meet the highest standards.
• Alignment of procedures with Google Spam Policies to avoid spam practices that could harm your site's ranking and reputation.

It is your time to collaborate with CMLABS. Let's synergize together, and contact our Marketing Team cmlabs now!