We often overcomplicate our Internet marketing because we make emotional decisions. This is especially true for media buying.
There’s nothing like the thrill of watching a Facebook campaign spend $5,000 in a few hours. There’s also nothing worse if it’s complete crash and burn. Media buying is often viewed as lever pulling work. People think that you show up to your computer, find a few keywords or audiences to target, press ON, and you’re off to the races.
This kind of mentality is also the reason why people are better off lighting a pile of cash on fire. The world of Internet advertising has changed significantly. Media buying (specifically Facebook, Bing, and Google Ads) is more about training A.I. and machine learning how you want to target, and then putting in the real marketing work while the robots work for you.
Yup, the robots are taking the lever pulling jobs on the Internet too. But here’s the real opportunity to make more money (for you if you are the soon-to-be displaced lever puller or the advertiser).
The Real Marketing in Media Buying
Ad campaigns on major networks like Google and Facebook are all about building your audiences and crafting your marketing message. The lever pulling is still there to a certain degree. I still tell Google that I want my ads to start at 4am and go until 10:30am, then I want them to start again at around 3pm. Oh… and I want to pay a max of $20 for the conversion.
It took more lever pulling to get to that point, but the robots have taken over my bidding for the most part. Here’s where the real marketing comes in for media buyers (and also where customers often ruin campaigns).
As the robots handle the bidding, the media buyer can then focus on developing actual marketing solutions that can increase conversions, maximize budget, or grow a new stream of conversions. The media buyer’s purpose is no longer to pull levers, but instead focus on creative marketing solutions. What a coincidence! Most of us got started in marketing because we wanted to do creative things.
How People Spoil Their Media Buying
If media buyers can focus on actual marketing strategy now, how does a campaign become spoiled? Itchy palms.
One of the problems with the accessibility of online advertising platforms is that most people know enough to be dangerous. For example, they know that they can toggle campaigns on/off, add a few keywords, create new campaigns, or… BOOST A POST.
People, including seasoned media buyers, slip into buying media like lever pullers instead of professional marketers. If the audiences are built out, if the campaigns are properly optimized, the best use of your time is to either:
- (Business owners) let your media buyer work their magic
- (Media buyers) improve the creative aspects of your ads and test
Stop acting like a robot. Put your creative magic to work!
