Find media buying advice to help you launch your career
By Lea Terry, Freelance Journalist / Copywriter

Strategic advertising media planning can make the difference between remaining in obscurity and becoming a household name — for both small and large companies. If you’re new to the subject, you’ll need to find media planning and buying information resources that can help you get started in the industry, and refine your skills throughout your career.

If you’re just beginning, you’ll need the in-depth information offered by training, supplemented by tips and advice from books and industry magazines. Media planning and buying information resources for beginners include:

Media planning training
Hiring a consultant or coach
Reading media buying books and subscribing to industry magazines

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get tips on media planning by enrolling in a media buying and planning course
If you’re new to the field, media buying classes may be your best media planning resources, offering in-depth and authoritative advice. Many groups offer media buying and placement courses designed for professionals without media buyer training. These courses cover everything from the cost of print ads to creating an advertising plan.

I recommend: The Media Buying Academy offers its “Media Buying BootCamp,” a four-and-a-half-day, five-part hands-on media buying course. It’s designed for both novices and veterans, and participants can sign up for the entire course or only certain sections. Paragon Media offers a seminar in media planning and buying that consists of four half-day modules covering: media terms and concepts, media profiles, media plan development / selection, and media buying. You can sign up for one or more of the modules, which are offered as both public seminars and private sessions held at your company.
Hire a consultant to create a customized media buying training program

For one-on-one media buying advice, or to train your entire team, consider customized training programs created by a consultant or coach. Most of these programs are offered both on-site and at the consultant’s offices.

I recommend: The Laredo Group provides media buying training for salespeople, marketing professionals and executives. Laredo offers both courses and customized training, held at your location; at a hotel, conference center or other meeting facility you choose; or at Laredo’s facility in Florida. Cypress Media Group offers its “Inside the Mind of a Media Buyer” seminar, which offers professionals with no media buying experience a look at how a media buyer does his or her job.
Get media planning tips from industry publications

To find out the latest trends in media buying and planning, subscribe to media and advertising industry publications. These resources can help you stay in touch with the newest practices, in addition to offering media buying information you can quickly read and implement.

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