24 Mar A Day in the Life of a Social Media Buyer
According to eMarketer, social network ad spending is increasing at a rapid rate. This year alone, over $13 billion will be dedicated to promoting ads in the social space.
Do you ever log onto Facebook and wonder how the magical internet fairies know about your 6 pet cats and obsession with viral cat videos? Sure, you may have shared a cute video about kittens once or twice, but it’s not like you update your status with cat content on the reg.
As a Media Buyer, it is my job to ensure that when I promote content about cat food, you, the cat owner, see the advertisement and engage with it.
Surprise! That funny post you just clicked on… IS AN AD!
As advertisers, we must be one step ahead of the ad blocking fray of 2016. To do so, the ads I promote must fit seamlessly with the surrounding content. I’m able to do this on Facebook and Twitter by placing seemingly organic ads directly into your stream of content. I work hand in hand with the Community Management and Content Creation teams to select the content we believe will perform at the highest level for our clients.
Are YOU the client’s target?
As a Media Buyer in the social landscape, it is my job to make sure the client’s content is being targeted to the correct audiences. Prior to every campaign, I create a media plan breaking down the budget, timing, objectives, ad units, targeting, etc. The media plan is based on information provided by the client, results from prior campaigns and extensive research.
Whether the ad is geared toward a Spanish speaking mother of high school age children or a 40 year old male doctor from Detroit, I have the ability to target these folks directly. Platforms like Facebook and Twitter provide targeting options based on, but not limited to, location, age, gender and interests. I can also create a custom audience based on a client’s CRM list or retarget visitors from a particular website.
“Let ME tell YOU about my platform!”
With the increase in social ad spend, there are many new advertising platforms hitting the scene. I dedicate a few hours each week to meet with reps from various companies. Each native advertising platform and content syndication system such as Nativo, Revcontent and Outbrain have a different use case so it is crucial that I am well versed on their capabilities in order to make proper recommendations to clients.
Always ALWAYS A/B Test
A/B testing is a method of comparing two versions of a piece of content against one another to determine which one performs better. I test different creative elements such as copy, image choice, still vs. video, Carousel ad vs. single image, etc., in campaigns with the same parameters (timing, target and budget). Doing so allows me to put the full budget and optimization efforts against the strongest performing content. Below is an example of such that we’ve executed with our client World Kitchen.
Cost efficiencies are KEY for ROI
Regular monitoring of boosted content allows me to generate the most efficient results for my clients. For each piece of content, I create multiple target groups and as results generate, I pause inefficient or expensive target groups. This allows me to reallocate the remaining funds to the highest performing target groups. Because ROI is so important to our clients, it is always top of mind. I take data from every campaign and use it to make better educated decisions the next time around.
A bit about ME
Prior to becoming a Media Buyer, I spent time in the worlds of hospitality and agency finance. Both of these experiences led me to where I am today and support me in my role as a Media Buyer.
My previous life interacting with all kinds of people in the hospitality industry helps me create robust and effective target audiences. My experience in agency finance allows me to handle budgets efficiently and be quick with figures. The social world is constantly changing and I enjoy the challenge of keeping up with the whirlwind.
The next time you’re scrolling through your newsfeed and see that silly cat food ad, know that you’re seeing it for a reason. Somewhere out there, a Media Buyer like me is targeting you and we want you to click on it and buy that cat food!
