I was shopping for dog treats recently. My dog has particular tastes, so I turned to Amazon to find what new treats might delight her. Amazon collects my browsing data and purchase history (aka, first-party data) and uses it to plan and deliver targeted ads while I’m on the platform. One of these ads led to me a good deal on some rawhide-free chewy rolls, which have now become her favorite. The retail media network (RMN) is what runs behind the scenes to enable that integrated experience. It’s how brands get their products in front of eager customers like me […]

I’ve worked in digital marketing for over ten years and always look for ways to improve my marketing analysis and reporting. Having worked in leading digital agencies and my own multi-channel agency, media mix modeling (MMM) is paramount in my work. I co-founded an SEO and PPC agency with Leigh Buttrey, and we are dedicated to multi-channel marketing. She runs PPC, I run SEO, and we both know our work impacts the other. We also work closely with internal teams who have many other channels within their marketing media kit. When it comes to marketing, I’m sure we can all […]

Media buying was once a world of direct deals and closed negotiations. But with the rise of digital media and platforms to buy and sell, media buying isn’t only for the biggest brands anymore. If you’ve been looking for new ways to get your ads in front of your target audience, I’m going to walk you through how to do just that — from how media buying works to the processes for carrying it out. Then, I’ll take you through the best platforms to get you started, with tips and advice from marketing experts along the way. Ready? Grab your […]

Determining your audience profile is a critical step in ensuring your campaign is successful. An audience profile can help you personalize your campaign’s messaging to reach those most likely to convert, and limit the amount of spend you might’ve otherwise wasted on underperforming ads. Here, we’ll explore the information you need to include in an audience profile, how to write an audience profile, and audience profile examples. Table of Contents What is an audience profile? What information should I include in an audience profile? How to Write an Audience Profile Why is audience profiling important? Audience Profile Examples Media Audience […]

A few months ago, while I was driving to the airport, I saw a billboard for Kim Kardashian’s company, SKIMS. A week later, I saw ads on Instagram, then a SKIMS segment on “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.”  I had one of those moments where I thought “SKIMS is showing up everywhere!” That’s because the company has an integrated media planning strategy. A few months after these events, when I was shopping for shapewear for my wedding, guess what brand I thought of? (Spoiler alert: it was SKIMS.) That’s why, as a marketer, having an integrated media plan is important […]

Your customers are consuming messages in more ways than ever before — online, in publications, on TV, the radio, and on their phones — to name a few. For companies hoping to reach their audiences across multiple channels, engaging in media planning is a must. However, it’s almost impossible to pull off without media planning tools that give you insight into your efforts. To help you with your media planning efforts, we’ve compiled a list of the essential media planning tools, templates, and software to use this year. Your customers are consuming messages in more ways than ever before — […]

Your competitor releases a new product or service. You offer something similar — but, of course, much better. Then, suddenly, your competitor’s product is everywhere. News articles, online reviews, best-of lists, buyers’ guides, even TV segments. How is this happening? And your real question: why isn’t it happening to you? To compete against your competitors, there’s one thing you’ll need in your wheelhouse: a media kit. Here, we’ll explore what a media kit is, and how it can help you increase brand awareness and, ultimately, sales. Plus, how to make one for your own brand. Media kits may live fully-online […]

I’m willing to bet that today, the typical campaign at any brand uses a media mix. This refers to the process of using multiple channels to meet marketing goals. The question is, how exactly does it help brands better plan campaigns? Let’s dive into how it works, review some stats, and see some brand examples. A media mix is another term for an overview of the channels businesses choose to execute their marketing strategies on. Ultimately, media mix optimization is the process of analyzing the performance of those channels. Think about the last campaign you saw from one of your […]

Because of its efficiency and cost-effectiveness, real-time bidding (RTB) has become one of the most popular ways to purchase ad inventory online. But even for experienced marketers, real-time bidding can be a very confusing concept. So let’s break down what RTB is, how it works, and the pros and cons of using it — all while keeping it jargon-free. In this post, you’ll learn:  What is real-time bidding (RTB)?  How does real-time bidding work?  Real-Time Bidding Platforms  Real-Time Bidding Pros  Real-Time Bidding Cons Let’s get started.  Real-time bidding is the driving force behind most programmatic advertising campaigns. Programmatic advertising is […]

As a marketer, you might be focused on creating organic content most of the time. But you should keep in mind that paid advertising is just as important. When you manage the paid ads for your business, you can go through individual ad managers such as Google Ads or Facebook Ads. However, that’s not the only option. You can also use demand-side platforms (DSP), which are automated, as a way to purchase and manage your online ads. According to a 2021 study published by Statista, the US was the largest programmatic advertising market worldwide, spending an estimated $70 billion in […]