By: Open Circle MENA 18 Dec 2024

Media planning is about deciding the best platform and strategic approach for a campaign, while media buying drives that campaign forward and keeps it on track.

Media planners and buyers work together toward the same goal, but their roles and responsibilities differ. While a media planner would be involved in planning a paid media campaign, they wouldn’t spend time negotiating rates for ad space or purchasing media. That all sits with the media buyer.

That said, it’s not uncommon for some smaller firms and agencies to combine both responsibilities into one role, performed by a media-managing mastermind. It all depends on the organization.

So now you know what media planning is, how do you get started? The clues in the name: you need a solid media plan.

cropped view of woman writing media content plan inscription on card pinned on cork board

What types of media planning are there?

Media planning can be broken down into several categories, each tailored to specific marketing goals and target audiences. Let’s touch on a few examples here

Social media plan

Social media planning aims to reach and engage audiences with paid and organic content on the social media platforms they use – such as Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook, LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), Reddit, and Pinterest.

Paid media plan

Paid media planning focuses on paid ads or sponsored content across search engines, display networks, social media channels, retail media networks, and other ad spaces worth investing in. The more targeted your campaigns can be, the more high-quality leads and conversions you can generate at a lower cost.

Public relations (PR) media plan

PR media planning is a gateway to earned media opportunities through the likes of press releases and influencer partnerships. Positive media coverage can boost your brand reputation and increase public awareness of products and services, so it’s often worth pitching compelling stories to journalists and influencers to build brand credibility and trust.

Print media plan

Print media planning revolves around traditional media formats like newspapers, magazines, journals, and other printed publications. While we live in a largely digital world, media planners can still make good use of a print media plan to target niche markets or local audiences.

OOH media plan

Out-of-home (OOH) media planning covers billboards, transit ads, posters, and other types of outdoor advertising designed to reach broad audiences in public spaces and drive mass brand awareness. Zooming in on regional preferences or segments within your target audience can help you promote more targeted messages, depending on where you place ads.

Media Planning

Digital media plan

Digital media planning is designed to support online media ad campaigns across multiple channels, from social media and search to display and mobile. Basically, the works. This can be useful to amplify a company’s message and drive brand awareness at scale.

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What does the media planning process involve?

For most marketers, the perfect step-by-step media planning process looks a little something like his:

  • 1. Conduct audience research
  • 2. Set your media objective
  • 3. Create and roll out a media plan
  • 4. Measure your success