6. Offer to share/ develop case study
One of my favorite truisms is that nothing in life is free, and these wise words certainly pertain to advertising. If you, as an advertiser, are requesting a favor from a publisher, it only makes sense to provide something in return. A case study or sharing back-end information, which publishers generally do not have access to, is one thing advertisers have to offer. This shows publishers a few things -- most importantly that you appreciate their help. Secondly, offering to compile a case study at the end of the campaign illustrates that you are willing to make up for a lack of funds in other areas to possibly help publishers generate new business for themselves. Lastly, by offering publishers information and data that they do not have access to shows that you understand their business and want to maintain a good relationship.
7. Self-service options
Nowadays, there are several options for agencies to set up their own media campaign using publisher online self-service options. Since most publishers and ad networks have minimum spends, this option is ideal for campaigns with small budgets because they don't have any minimums. Between MSN's new partnership with AdReady, AdBrite, Google and Facebook, advertisers have a decent amount of options to make their own media buy and not be bogged down with publisher minimums.
8. It's about conversions
No matter how many clicks an in-page advertisement drives, at the end of the day conversions are what matter. This is why I suggest working with a fewer amount of publishers that can offer a more concentrated group of targeted users, as opposed to a buy that goes after a wider, watered-down segment of consumers. If publishers also have the ability to reach users that are further down the purchasing funnel, small budget media buys should go after them first. Utilizing geo-targeting can also help marketers get the most mileage out of a media buy. These targeting strategies are a key component of most media plans regardless of budget, but targeting becomes essential when working with limited resources. It ensures money is not wasted on users who are not likely to convert.
Conclusion
Approaching an agency-publisher relationship as more of a partnership allows both parties to get something from campaigns. Whether it's an impressive case study to tell at networking events or a good old-fashioned learning experience, online marketers and publishers should be able to extract value from most media engagements.
In the end, there are countless online publishers and agencies out there in the world, but we chose to partner with ones that are most effective and will help achieve client goals.
The best piece of advice I have is to be honest about budgets and work together to develop the best campaign. I have come to learn that most people don't mind doing a few favors now and then, as long as their kindness is not being taken advantage of.
Andreas Roell is president and CEO of Geary Interactive.
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