Media Buying 101

The sun is shining, the flowers are blooming, and peak travel season is just around the corner! Are you confident your advertising efforts are attracting visitors to your destination? Follow these simple media buying tips to help maximize your budget and deliver strong results.

Who is your target audience?

Defining the right target audience is critical – be realistic about the type of traveler who is visiting and spending money in your destination. Consider all the important demographics – age/generation, gender, family dynamic, education, race, occupation and income.

How can you reach them?

Once you have defined your target audience, look for outlets that engage with that visitor so you know your message is impacting the right crowd. Traditional outlets like newspapers and magazines hit very specific audiences depending on their content and distribution models, so review media kits closely when evaluating your options. And social media is huge for any demo, but know that younger audiences are more likely to be found on Tik Tok and Instagram while older audiences gravitate to Facebook. Do your research and compare your options – you want your investment to pay off!

When should you reach them?

Timing is everything! Tourism is largely seasonal and you should be inspiring travelers during the planning phase as well as when they are traveling. Getting a traveler to choose your destination means sending them messages while they are dreaming about, budgeting and booking their trip, but there is room for spontaneous inspiration when they reach your destination too! Develop a diverse media plan that allows for interaction at every stage of the travel season.

What should you say?

The best media plan in the world will still fall short if the creative doesn’t measure up. Invest in strong visual assets – both photos and videos – that show the spirit of your destination. Incorporate energy with people and activities, and use brief but impactful copy to tell your story.

Start building your media plan!

These basic tips are the starting point to a great media plan, but there are still many things to consider: How do I research advertising opportunities? What should my media budget be? How do I negotiate good rates? What should I consider strong ROI? If the world of media buying feels a little overwhelming, RMI can help! We can build a full media plan for you – from research and negotiations to creative development and reporting.

Reach out and let’s talk media!