Top 5 Reasons to Have an Agency Handle Your Media

Media has come a long way since the early days of print media prior to the Revolutionary War. In today’s society, the different forms of media are changing with the change of how people consume their news on a daily basis. Newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, emails, blogs, social media, pay-per-click, Google Adwords, programmatic, retargeting, billboards, posters, bulletin boards, TV monitors; all of these are different mediums to get your news and advertising out to the public, but what is best for your company, with your budget, to accomplish your goals? Every business is different and there is no secret formula to follow. It can be overwhelming when you are faced with the difficult decision of what media to buy; this is when an agency can help. Below are the top 5 reasons you should allow an agency to handle your media.

1. Agencies have knowledge of all forms of media. Each form of media has their advantages and disadvantages in reaching target audiences. As the goals of a company change, the media included in media plans must change as well. It is important to understand the media you plan to buy and who it will reach. Being in the industry, agencies are aware of the different types of media, both traditional and the newest best thing. By knowing the different mediums available, agencies can compare your goals with the best method to form a strategy that works for your company. Company budgets vary and affect what media is a realistic investment. For example, if the total media budget is $100,000 for the year, then a $2.5 million Super Bowl ad is not realistic. By working through a strategy, a media plan can be developed to get the most for your budget.
2. Prices vary when it comes to media from a few hundred to millions of dollars for an ad. Many believe that by going around the middle-man, they receive a better price for an ad. Contrary to this belief, businesses are many times charged more by skipping the middle-man. Agencies have agreements with media outlets and due to handling media for multiple clients, receive a discount. Think of it as a wholesaler buying products from a distributor. Often times the wholesale buyer receives a better deal because they buy the product in bulk. The same theory is applied for agencies. They purchase media in bulk.
3. Agencies have a relationship with the media. When agencies buy media, they often have one sales representative they work with at each outlet. Working with the sales representative, relationships are formed with not only the sales representative but often also the reporters, editors and publishers. This relationship not only helps when negotiating costs but it also gives an opportunity for clients to be featured in special issues when publications reach out to the agency.
4. Media outlets contact the agency. How much time do you spend on the phone a day? Having an agency handle your media gives you time to focus on your business. Associates at an agency are used to speaking with media and taking media calls on a daily basis. At times, media calls are simply to tell you about a new product the company is selling or to see if you can increase the media buys. Having the media plan with the established budget allows the budget to stay on track and the agency passes along the relevant opportunities, which saves you time.
5. Agencies have years of experience. Callis has been in the industry over 27 years and has had the opportunity to build relationships with regional and national media outlets. This experience goes beyond the relationships; it means an agency has the knowledge of what the industry trends have done in the past and often can help predict future trends and how audiences will change.

Next time you are on the call with a media outlet, think about the advantages an agency could offer to help your business. At the end of the day, an agency’s goal is to help their client’s business succeed.