The internet and its role in media buying

In recent years the internet has taken on what appears to be a life of its own, with growth that has exceeded any expectations, and in media buying terms this has presented an unprecedented new area of expansion. Media buying experts aim to look for the best ways to use the internet, and there are many; here we have a quick look at the more popular methods of using the internet for media buying purposes.

Second Life and more

Sometimes a phenomenon comes along that is deserving of attention, and it is these that garner the column inches in the world’s press. One such happening has been the advent of virtual worlds; these are not – the users profess – games but escapism at its extreme. The user takes on a new persona, visual and otherwise, and lives a life in a virtual world. He or she trades, lives, eats, sleeps and carries out relationships online, and the phenomenon is simply enormous.

The potential in media buying terms is that people can trade virtual goods and services for real money, and advertising on these sites is growing fast. It is not unknown, for instance, for makers of luxury goods – mobile phones, fashion accessories and more – to stage a virtual launch, thus bringing media buying a new portal to use.

Affiliate marketing

When affiliate marketing first arrived – via Amazon, the internet retail giant – few realised how big it would be; those involved in media buying, however, were on the button as usual.

Affiliate marketing is media buying at its simplest: the owner of a blog or site affiliates his with a bigger one which advertises on there, and when a user clicks across a fee is paid.

Simple, cost free and harmless, affiliate marketing is a phenomenon that shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, as blogging takes on a life of its own the affiliate world is likely to grow with it, bringing about perhaps the biggest revolution of all in media buying, particularly in the online world.

Other marketing trends

The trend for viral marketing campaigns has been one of controversy and intrigue, but one that the media buying community has embraced with enthusiasm.

Another simple idea, viral marketing relies on the popularity of social networking sites, and of the human instinct for curiosity. Sites such as Facebook are prime examples, for a viral advert can find its way to many thousands of ‘friends’ in a very short time indeed.

YouTube is likewise, and these multi user and extremely popular sites lend themselves very neatly to the media buyer in terms of marketing trends.
The key to successful media buying, like many such, is being in the right place at the right time, and also in having ones eye firmly on the changing face of the relevant market. With the internet the fast moving medium that it is it may seem that media buying is a difficult task to keep up with; however, everything that happens on the net is reported, analysed and criticised, giving those involved in media buying an automatic outlet for exposure.