Media buyers negotiate with media outlets to acquire advertising space for print, radio, television, billboard, and online campaigns to grow brand awareness and increase sales. They conduct market research to optimize the advertising medium and placement to effectively reach the desired target audience. Typically, they implement effective media buying strategies, negotiate ad space and time slots with a wide range of media outlets, and help identify target audiences. They also need to monitor costs and work within a budget.
A media buyer must have high-level negotiating skills, excellent communication skills, be a critical thinker, and have strong interpersonal skills to build trust and good working relationships with clients and media professionals. Familiarity with media platforms and channels is essential to ensure ads are displayed appropriately. They need good research skills and must keep up with advertising and media trends. Good working knowledge of media analytics software, solid organizational skills, and the ability to effectively multitask is crucial to the role of a media buyer.
Sample job description
Media buyers acquire advertising space for print, radio, television, billboard, and online campaigns by utilizing market research and negotiating with advertising sales agents to ensure they reach the desired target audience. A media buyer should have excellent negotiation skills, strong organizational abilities, and be a strategic thinker. [Your Company Name] is hiring an experienced media buyer to take our advertising to new heights. As an ideal candidate, you have in-depth knowledge of current media channels and advertising options, and you have experience in securing the optimal advertising space for clients.
Typical duties and responsibilities
- Target key demographics and develop media campaigns
- Negotiate ad space and airtime rates with vendors
- Develop media plans and budgets that best fit clients’ needs
- Create ad schedules and adjust when appropriate
- Ensure ad quality and placement, as well as relevance to campaign objectives
- Track ad money spent, and return on investment
Education and experience
Required skills and qualifications
- Knowledge of traditional and digital advertising trends
- Strong background in using media analytics tools
- Superior negotiation and communication skills
- Ability to multitask and organize multiple projects
- Excellent attention to detail
- Strong critical-thinking and problem-solving skills
Preferred qualifications
- Experience working in digital ad platforms such as Facebook Ads Manager, Google Ads, LinkedIn Campaign Manager or other programmatic media platforms
- A proven track record of driving results
Average salary and compensation
The average salary for Media Buyer is $68,000 in the United States. Position salary will vary based on experience, education, company size, industry, and market.
| Location | Salary Low | Salary High |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix, Arizona | $67,650 | $91,450 |
| Los Angeles, California | $76,250 | $103,200 |
| Denver, Colorado | $63,550 | $86,000 |
| Washington, DC | $77,450 | $104,750 |
| Miami, Florida | $63,250 | $85,600 |
| Orlando, Florida | $58,350 | $78,950 |
| Tampa, Florida | $58,950 | $79,750 |
| Atlanta, Georgia | $61,850 | $83,650 |
| Chicago, Illinois | $71,050 | $96,150 |
| Boston, Massachusetts | $76,850 | $104,000 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota | $61,250 | $82,850 |
| New York City, New York | $80,950 | $109,450 |
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | $65,850 | $89,150 |
| Dallas, Texas | $64,150 | $86,800 |
| Houston, Texas | $63,850 | $86,400 |
| Seattle, Washington | $73,950 | $100,050 |
| National Average | $57,800 | $78,200 |
Typical work environment
Media buyers typically work from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday and work in office environments. When in negotiations, they may be required to work longer hours.
Typical hours
The work hours for a Media Buyer are typically from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday in an office setting. However, longer or different hours may, at times, be necessary.
Available certifications
Many institutions offer certification programs for media buyers to prove their skills and to give them a step up on their competition. Here are some of the top certifications for media buyers:
- Facebook Certified Media Buying Professional. This certification demonstrates your advanced proficiency in integrating the elements of ad creation to optimize campaigns in Ads Manager and Business Manager. Topics covered on the exam include how to optimize campaigns and target parameters, how to evaluate campaign results, the impact of creativity on performance, and more. The certification must be renewed each year by completing activities that qualify for recertification, such as taking the current version of the Facebook Certified Media Buying Professional exam.
- Microsoft Advertising Certified Professional. The Microsoft Advertising certification shows that you have the advertising knowledge and skills to increase your Microsoft Advertising proficiency and optimize your ad campaigns. Some of what you will learn on your way to certification includes how to reach new, high-quality customers in specific audience segments, how to import established campaigns to Microsoft Advertising, how to take advantage of specific targeting methods, and how to optimize keywords with keyword bids.
Career path
The path to becoming a Media Buyer can take a couple of different directions.
Many Media Buyers begin their careers by earning a bachelor’s degree in a business- or marketing-related field. A proven track record in a high-pressure sales environment can get a candidate hired without a college degree, but these candidates are the exception, not the rule. Regardless, Media Buyers must demonstrate a solid command of traditional and digital platforms, as well as the analytics tools used to plan integrated marketing strategies.
US, Bureau of Labor Statistics’ job outlook
SOC Code: 27-3031**
| 2020 Employment | 272,300 |
| Projected Employment in 2030 | 303,400 |
| Projected 2020-2030 Percentage Shift | 11% increase |
| Projected 2020-2030 Numeric Shift | 31,200 increase |
Position trends
The rise of the internet has reshaped the advertising world. Newspaper subscriptions have dwindled, as well as the available ad space in those print publications. Media companies (and Media Buyers) have taken advantage of cheaper ad costs online and shifted their focus from print to advertising on the web.
Programmatic advertising, or the automated buying and selling of online ads, has reduced costs ever further and presented Media Buyers with a unique challenge: how to adopt this new technology without replacing themselves with it. The best Media Buyers understand that nothing can replace the business value in creating lasting working relationships with clients.
Sample interview questions
- What are the main responsibilities of a media buyer?
- What types of advertising slots have you purchased before?
- What would be the best medium to advertise a sports drink and why?
- What qualities make you a good media buyer?
- What techniques do you use when negotiating a deal for advertising space?
- What is your greatest strength?
- How do you determine which channels to spend your advertising budget on?
- What have you done to improve your skills as a media buyer in the last year?
- Which audience tracking and analytics tools are you familiar with? Which do you prefer?
- How do you prioritize your work?
- What are your top metrics to track?
- How have you used A/B testing to improve results?
- What is the best way to create a successful digital ad campaign on a tight budget?
- Can you give an example of a failed advertising placement? What did you learn from it?
- Where do you see your career in 5 years?
- What was your most successful ad? Why was it successful?
- How would you limit advertising efforts to a specific area?
- How do you deal with a difficult client?
- What are the best methods to advertise to a younger audience on social media?
- How do you stay current with marketing and technology trends?
