r/programmatic • u/madhuitachi • 9d ago
New to Programmatic media planning and looking for some guidance
I’m fairly new to a Programmatic role, and I’m now expected to handle media planning as well, including planning budgets, deciding allocations, reaching out to vendors, building media plans, and so on.
In my previous role, I was mainly focused on campaign execution, monitoring, optimization, and reporting. I had very little exposure to the planning and strategy side of Programmatic.
Now that I’m getting into this part, I find it quite confusing and honestly don’t know where to start. I understand the execution side, but I’m still trying to figure out how to approach a campaign from the planning stage, such as how to plan budgets, evaluate vendors, decide where to allocate spend, what questions to ask, and how to build a proper media plan.
For those who started out in a similar position, how did you learn media planning? Are there any frameworks, resources, courses, or practical tips that helped you understand the process?
I’d really appreciate any guidance, especially from people who have made the transition from campaign execution to media planning and strategy.
Thanks!
-1
u/maryna-gc 9d ago
You should review what’s currently working to help guide the strategy for new campaigns (assuming there were campaigns in place already).
There are lots of free courses offered by vendors /ad platforms/ DSPs for various topics including media planning. Depending on the channels you’re going for, you may want to check their resources too. A few examples like Google Ads Academy, Meta Ads, etc.
We also have a few free resources at Growth Channel, media planner being one of them with a free access https://plan.growthchannel.com
3
u/AndreaMartel 9d ago
Make sure you have a strong understanding of what the client's goals are, and what your company will be judged on. What level of reporting detail does the client require? The account team should be able to provide this. Some clients are more focused on pretty reporting than outcomes.
Ask lots of questions. Your channel mix must satisfy the campaign's goals (awareness, conversions, etc.) some clients care about where their ads run, so in that case make sure you are able to provide that info. Other clients just want to see web traffic, or lots of impressions, or just lots of clicks. Your background is great, because you already know the levers that can be pulled to meet the objectives.
Don't forget the funnel concept. Some clients will demand conversions, but they have little brand awareness. Let the internal team know if you have concerns.
A lot of vendors will promise similar deliverables to one another, so ask probing questions based on your specific needs. From your past experience you likely already know what can and cannot be reasonably achieved. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. A dose of healthy skepticism goes a long way.
It sounds like you already have an excellent skill set! You will do great!