September 11, 2023

Once you’ve decided to partner with a media buying agency to boost your brand’s visibility, the first stage of establishing this partnership is called the onboarding process. This is how you and your new agency partner set up a connection and get on the same page in regards to your media buying needs. 

So, how does this process work?

Introduce and Familiarize

Like in any partnership, the first step is getting to know each other. You’ll want to familiarize yourself with your new media buying agency, and they’ll want to learn all about your business, your goals, and your target audience. This is a crucial stage because it helps build trust and sets the foundation for a successful partnership. If you found your media agency through an RFP process, they will have a head start on this familiarization process, but a more direct introductory call with the team is still important after the contract is awarded.

Setting Targets and Benchmarks

After introductions are made, it’ll then be time to outline your business goals and objectives. Are you looking to increase sales, boost website traffic, or improve brand awareness? Whatever your goals are, make sure they are clear, achievable, and measurable. This will help your media buying agency to develop the right strategy to reach those objectives.

Establish Budgets

To get the ball rolling, you’ll need to set a budget for your campaigns. This budget will cover the costs of ad placements, creative development, and any additional fees your agency might charge. Keep in mind that your budget should be flexible enough to accommodate any changes in your marketing strategy or goals.

Share Data and Assets

Now you will want to share as much of your first-party and historical data as you are comfortable with, in order to help the agency fully understand your past successes and failures. This will also be the right time to grant access to your social media and other online accounts, possibly including an internal file-sharing system. Finally, if applicable, you’ll need to share all the essential brand assets with your agency. This includes your logo, brand guidelines, marketing collateral, and any other creative materials. By doing this, you’ll enable the agency to create consistent and effective ads that align with your brand identity.

Time to Plan

With your objectives and budget in place, your media buying agency will create a comprehensive media plan. This plan will outline the best mix of channels, targeting, and ad formats to help you reach your goals. It’s important to review this plan thoroughly and provide feedback to ensure it aligns with your expectations.

Prepare to Launch

Finally, it’s time to put your plan into action! Your media buying agency will launch your campaigns, monitor their performance, and optimize them as needed. They’ll keep you in the loop with regular updates, reports, and insights to help you make informed decisions.

And there you have it – a quick overview of the onboarding process when partnering with a media buying agency. It’s all about building a strong foundation, setting clear objectives, and working closely with your new partner to achieve success. Please let us know if you have any questions about how to establish a successful relationship with a new media agency.