Do you need to have a presence on that new media platform?
In an era of ever-evolving media platforms, one frequently asked question of our media department at Insight Creative, Inc. is, “Do I need to have a presence on that new media platform?” In this month’s blog, learn how our media experts help clients through that decision-making process.
“We spend a good deal of time listening to our clients talk about their business, where they are right now and where they’d like to be in the future,” said Media Director Molly Setzer. “There are a lot of choices for paid media advertising. We try to make the entire process much less intimidating because we are in this space every day, and we are comfortable in it.”
Understanding your target audience
The first step in determining your presence on a new media platform is understanding your target audience. According to Molly, the sparkly new toy isn’t always the best fit for every audience. “A lot of new platforms are aimed at younger people, particularly those comfortable in the digital space,” she explained. “If a client’s target demo does not include people ages 13 – 24, that new platform might not make sense.”
Platform analysis
Not all media platforms are created equal, so it’s important to look at what will help you achieve your business goals. “Some media platforms work great for reaching a large audience like broadcast television and radio stations with far-reaching signals, along with outdoor billboards in well-traveled places,” said Media Coordinator Olivia Biskobing. “Others are great for ‘targeting’—going after audiences with specific behaviors in tighter geographic areas. Examples include most forms of digital advertising.”
Molly echoed Olivia’s sentiments and added that for small communities with strong local connections and industry-specific clients, print can still be a great fit.
“There’s also a time and a place for unique media options like airport advertising, gas station screens, product/company-specific (think Packers, Brewers, etc.) sponsorships and similar out-of-the-box opportunities,” Molly said.
Aligning with your marketing goals
Molly and Olivia agree that your presence on a new media platform should align with your marketing goals. “If my goal is to bake a cake, I shouldn’t follow a recipe for a pie… even though some of the ingredients might be the same,” Molly explained. “What I mean by this far-reaching analogy is that just because a company/product you love is using a particular media platform, that doesn’t mean your company needs to do the exact same thing.”
Your company should establish what you are trying to achieve, choose tactics that align with those goals and beware of falling prey to FOMO (fear of missing out). There are multiple ways to succeed.
Budget considerations
Our media department approaches our clients’ budget considerations in multiple ways when expanding onto new media platforms.
“Something we run into quite often with new media is ‘spend minimums’ that at times reach beyond the entire advertising budget of a client,” Molly shared. “As media channels get more popular, prices often come down, and self-service versions start to pop up. Once that happens, we can spend the dollars the client is comfortable with rather than feel backed into a corner with outrageous spend minimums.”
Additionally, our media team takes into consideration the cost for new (or updated or resized) creative that the new media platform may require and how that will figure into the overall budget.
Measuring success
These days, success on a new media platform is measurable. Here’s how to gauge the effectiveness of your presence.
“Most new media platforms are digital in nature,” Olivia said. “Think Snapchat, TikTok, Reddit, all the streaming video channels, and the like. Results are at your fingertips.”
However, it’s important to have a trusted media professional guide you through understanding the results. Some campaigns are designed to generate clicks and some are not. Further digging may be required into Google Analytics 4 (formerly Universal Analytics) to help understand the traffic coming to the client’s website and media attribution.
Staying ahead of trends
Trends in the media landscape change rapidly. Daily, our media team receives multiple emails from different companies promising to do the next best thing in digital advertising.
“It’s hard to spot a phony from the real deal,” Molly admitted. “But over the years, we have established great relationships with our vendors who have become trusted extensions of us. We feel confident with every media buy that we are good stewards of our client’s money.
At Insight, we “dip our toe” into new media cautiously and only give trust when earned. Helping our clients navigate this terrain effectively makes us feel like we are making a small difference in fostering a company’s growth.
Partner with an experienced media team
Ready to make informed decisions about your presence on the latest media platforms? Let our media department at Insight Creative, Inc. be your guide!
