Media Planning changes each year as digital grows in importance.

As a media director I planned multimedia advertising campaigns for many clients in many different industries.
In the process of planning the media planner needs to answer questions such as:

1. How many of the audience can I reach through different media?
2. On which media (and ad vehicles) should I place ads?
3. Which frequency should I select?
4. How much money should be spent in each medium?

In answering these questions the media planner then comes to an optimum media plan that enables him or her to deliver on the client’s objectives.

Choosing which media or type of advertising to use is sometimes tricky for small firms with limited budgets and know-how. Large-market television and newspapers are often too expensive for a company that services only a small area (although local newspapers can be used). Magazines, unless local, usually cover too much territory to be cost-efficient for a small firm, although some national publications offer regional or city editions. Metropolitan radio stations present the same problems as TV and metro newspapers; however, in smaller markets, the local radio station and newspaper may sufficiently cover a small firm’s audience.

That’s why it’s important to put together a media plan for your advertising campaign. The three components of a media plan are as follows:

1. Defining the marketing problem. Do you know where your business is coming from and where the potential for increased business lies? Do you know which markets offer the greatest opportunity? Do you need to reach everybody or only a select group of consumers? How often is the product used? How much product loyalty exists?

2. Translating the marketing requirements into attainable media objectives. Do you want to reach lots of people in a wide area (to get the most out of your advertising dollar)? Then mass media, like newspaper and radio, might work for you. If your target market is a select group in a defined geographic area, then direct mail could be your best bet.

3. Defining a media solution by formulating media strategies. Certain schedules work best with different media. For example, the rule of thumb is that a print ad must run three times before it gets noticed. Radio advertising is most effective when run at certain times of the day or around certain programs, depending on what market you’re trying to reach.