What Is Ad Buying & Placement?
Ads are all around us no matter where we look – online, billboards, TV, you name it. Those ads are placed there by media buyers. Typically, a brand allocates a portion of its marketing budget towards paid advertising. Maximizing this budget is where media buying or ad buying comes in.
Ad Buying & Placement
The practice of bidding and negotiating with publishers or ad exchanges to purchase the amount of space and the location of advertisements
Ad buying is the process of purchasing ad space on digital and offline platforms. Whether watching TV or surfing the web, ad buyers look to get their brand in front of target markets. Unlike social media, where users search for you, ad buying helps bring you to the consumer.
The key to effective media is attracting the right person, in the right place, at the right time. Therefore, you need to know who your consumer is and how they engage with your brand. Once you define your audience, you can determine the types of mediums you need to use to attract your audience best.
While direct buy relies more on developing relationships and negotiating, digital media buying (programmatic) using a DSP eliminates the back and forth and allows you to focus on ad performance. Not to mention, digital media can also be more cost effective. However, traditional media is still very effective and an essential part of any advertising campaign.

Types of ad buying:
- Direct
Ad buyers network with publishers to have ads featured in upcoming print issues. - Programmatic
Buying using automated technology. - TV/Radio
Work with Account Executives to purchase specific units during specific timeframes on specific networks and radio stations.
Ad Buying Tips:
Before launching any campaign, you need to know your end goal. What are you looking to achieve with your ads? – increased web traffic, brand awareness, social engagement? Determining your goals will help better track your campaign’s success.
Identify who you’d like to reach with your ads and which platforms will ensure the best results. When purchasing ad placements, you can narrow down your target audience by device, location, behaviors, interests, browser activity, and much more.
Once you determine your audience, it is time to launch your campaign. Gather your creative assets, set a budget, and await your results.
Tracking your performance will help provide insight into where you’re seeing results and improve upon your strategy. If the ad isn’t delivering on expectations, make the necessary adjustments to maximize ad potential.
We Want You to Meet Your Advertising Objectives
Peabody will help create and execute your strategy for print, digital or traditional TV/Radio ad buys that will help you expand your reach and achieve your goals.