Online Media Buying & Planning

Online advertising is NOT just about banners…

The world of Internet advertising is in constant flux. New and innovative interactive advertising options are constantly being introduced like geographically and behaviorally-targeted advertising. Online media buying requires more knowledge because of the greater complexities, and launching a successful online advertising campaign only grows more challenging, not less so. And unlike in traditional media, due to fewer standards and consistencies in advertising opportunities, online ad campaigns often require the development of the media plan before the ad creative can even be formalized.

Full Online Media Planning and Buying Services

The experienced professionals at Web Advantage work with you to develop a media strategy, conduct media research, create a media plan and ultimately to launch and optimize your online ad campaign. For direct response advertisers, we commonly develop online media plans revolving around small test buys of $5,000 - $10,000 plus service fees. For larger media buying clients with budgets in excess of $100,000, Web Advantage typically works on a combination fee + media commission basis.

Read more about online advertising and methods of targeting we typically consider.

Our Online Media Planning & Buying Process

Planning Phase:

Discovery - our online media planning process begins with Discovery, whereby we secure our client’s campaign objectives, any metrics they’re trying to accomplish, any restrictions or targeting we should be imposing, any sample ad creative or landing pages, any Creative Brief or supporting files that can help us in our efforts. Often, we can conduct Discovery by teleconference.
Strategy - based on our findings from Discovery, we will brainstorm to develop media buying concepts to guide our media research. Once we have client approval of our concepts and which ones to pursue, we develop a strategy for how to conduct our online media research and planning.
Online Media Research - typically, Web Advantage does not rely on simple ad network buys as a cornerstone of its online media plans. Instead, we try to balance a plan with buys that might combine ad networks, web portals, content sites and niche audience sites. In order to find the sites most appropriate for the client’s audience and objectives, we typically have to conduct media research for some portion of the plan. Even if we already have relationships with the site or networks we want to buy from, we still need to deliver our request for proposal to get their prices for each independent buy.
Media Negotiations - once we have secured a site’s pricing and placement opportunities, we move into negotiation mode to ensure we’re getting the best placements and pricing for our clients. For our direct response advertising clients, we can use our proprietary ROI Calculator to help us determine what we can afford to pay for a site or particular placement based on factors other than just costs.
Presenting the Online Media Plan - after negotiations, we formulate our Online Media Plan, which includes information about the site/network, its audience, any targeting imposed, placement sizes/ad opportunities, impressions purchased, and projected visitor counts.

Execution Phase

Securing the Buy - once we have approval of our Online Media Plan, Web Advantage secures the buy for the client with the network or site publisher.
Delivering Ad Specifications - if the client or another of its agents is responsible for development of the ad creative, Web Advantage will deliver an ad specifications spreadsheet so creative development can be finalized.
Ad Trafficking & Tracking - when Web Advantage receives the finalized ad creative, it establishes corresponding ad tracking URLs and trafficks both pieces over to the publisher and/or sets up the ad campaign in its own ad serving system for campaign tracking and optimisation. We can also provide ad creative split testing.
Campaign Optimisation - Web Advantage will manually review the ad campaign daily and apply any necessary optimisation including shifting ad impressions, discontinuing placements or buys, and/or swapping out ad creative.
Reporting & Analysis - in addition to providing online access to a reporting dashboard, Web Advantage will provide a weekly campaign tracking spreadsheet analysis for review.

Interested in Discussing our Online Media Buying & Planning Services? Contact Web Advantage today by completing our online Request for Proposal, or call us at 0402 165 128.