A Media Buyer/Media Supervisor spends money wisely. These savvy advertising professionals are the real engine behind a company’s marketing and advertising efforts. Without them, all the energy and money you’ve sunk into sharing products with the world will simply not provide a ROI. Find below what is needed in a media Buyer job description
Media Buyer/Media Supervisor Qualities Needed
The Media Buyer/Media Supervisor manages a budget around a specific marketing initiative. They are responsible for selecting the best marketing channels to launch and sustain the promotion of the products and services you sell. They must be able to negotiate the best rates for advertising, whether the channel is billboard or TV advertising, subway ads, a digital banner, a radio mention, or something else entirely.
There’s a reason a TV advertisement for a nursing home won’t typically run during a Saturday morning cartoon. That’s because the demographic profile of the people watching cartoons isn’t usually the same as the folks considering nursing home retirement. How does a business know where to market its products? The answer is the Media Buyer/Media Supervisor.
The Buyer/ Supervisor engages in this work by researching marketing channels to get the most bang for the client’s buck. They use data to determine where a target decision-making audience is, then look for a way to reach them there through advertisements that will maximize the dollars spent. It’s a puzzle game and the best Media Buyer/Media Supervisor will be an expert at putting the pieces together.
To be effective in the role, the Media Buyer/Media Supervisor must have a wide range of attributes.
Attributes needed
- Persuasion and negotiation skills
- Active listening
- Creativity
- Articulation and strong communication skills
- Incredible organizational skills
- Planning
- Writing
- Stress management
- Market and culture savvy
- Methodical but never plodding
- Troubleshooting
- Documentation
- Note-taking
- Good with numbers
- Strategic planning
- Honesty and a strong work ethic
- Intuition
- Logic
- Self-motivation
- Love for statistics
- Works with cross-functional teams
- Research skills
- Ability to create documents to track ROI for media spend
- Math-savvy
- Computer literate
- Recognizes a good deal with s/he sees it
- Confidence
- Team player with strong interpersonal skills
- Loves marketing and advertising products and services
- Interested and engaged in what makes people buy things
- Competitive
- Results-driven
- Knows when to compromise and when to stand firm
- Writing skills and the ability to present data
- Understands products or services
- Stays on top of market trends
A Media Buyer/Media Supervisor can work in the marketing department of a large business or non-profit organization or in an advertising agency. They typically work with interdepartmental teams or external clients. They may spend their day in meetings or on the phone negotiating ad placement. The Media Buyer/Media Supervisor is also on the computer all day long, tracking advertising spend or implementation of a campaign. They may be called upon to defend why they made an advertising purchase; this is exactly why the Buyer / Supervisor must take meticulous notes on what they spent, and when, along with when the advertising or marketing piece ran and how effective it was.
Fortunately, there’s software out there that can unload some of the burdens.
Suggested Software Proficiency
A Media Buyer/Media Supervisor plans and implements local or national advertising efforts across all marketing channels. They must know the basic Microsoft Office suite, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint. They should know collaboration tools like Microsoft SharePoint, Basecamp, or Google Docs. Generally, the Media Buyer/Media Supervisor has mastery over pivot tables and charts. Other types of software that they’ll need to do the job include:
- Strata
- Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, or Illustrator
- SRDS
- Advantage Software
- Nielsen
- Google Trends
- Centro
- AdReady
- AdRoll
- Adweek
While the Media Buyer/Media Supervisor must be highly efficient, it’s the media planning and buying tools that really help a Media Buyer/Media Supervisor succeed day in and day out.
Find Your Media Buyer/Media Supervisor Here
Finding the right Media Buyer/Media Supervisor is like finding a needle in a haystack. Fortunately, Artisan Talent has been standing by to help you with exactly this problem. Over the years, we’ve seen a lot of Media Buyers/Media Supervisors come and go; we know what makes them tick and how they could fit within your tight-knit team. Talk with our Talent Managers about finding the right fit for your company.
For the Media Buyer/Media Supervisor looking to move into a new role, look no further than Artisan Talent. Where would you like to go next? We can help you get there. Contact us today and get started on your next adventure.
