Media planning season can be a whirlwind of decisions, deadlines, and high stakes. After more than 30 years in the life science media space, I’ve seen firsthand how the right strategy can elevate a brand, while misaligned campaigns can result in wasted time, money, and opportunity.
The key to success lies in adopting a thoughtful, long-term approach. Media planning isn’t just about quick wins; it’s about positioning your brand for sustained growth and ensuring you’re top of mind when buyers are ready to decide.
Here are five proven strategies for maximizing your media investment and achieving long-term success.
1. Remember the 95/5 Rule When Setting Your Campaign KPIs
The 95/5 rule is a critical concept: at any given time, only about 5% of your potential buyers are in the market and ready to purchase. The other 95%? They’re not yet considering a purchase.
This insight should shape your campaign strategy and KPIs. Campaigns designed for the 5% require different tactics than those to engage the broader 95%. Focus on building long-term brand awareness, recognizing that sales happen when the buyer is ready—not necessarily when your campaign runs. Your goal is to ensure that your brand is top of mind when they are ready.
For more context on this principle, check out this insightful article: The 95/5 Rule.
💡Pro Tip: Be patient. Brand-building campaigns may not deliver immediate results but are essential for long-term growth. Think of them as an investment in future sales.
2. Tie Your Campaign Messaging to a Purchasing Cycle
Understanding the 95/5 rule helps you set realistic goals and align your campaign messaging with the buyer’s journey. Different stages of the purchasing cycle demand different types of messaging and content:
- Active Buyers (5%): Focus on targeted messaging to drive immediate conversions. Use tactics like product demos, free trials, comparison guides, and case studies highlighting results and ROI. Leverage intent-driven platforms like search ads or product directory sites to capture high-intent buyers.
- Potential Buyers (95%): Provide educational content that builds brand awareness and positions your company as a trusted resource. Create resources like whitepapers, blog posts, webinars, and infographics that address common industry challenges. Use display ads, native ads, or social media to introduce your brand to a broader audience.
Additional Tips to Align Messaging with the Buying Cycle:
- Leverage Retargeting: Use retargeting ads to move potential buyers down the funnel by showing them content that matches their previous interactions with your brand.
- Segment Your Audience: Divide your target audience based on their stage of the buying cycle and tailor your messaging accordingly.
- Collaborate with Sales: Work closely with your sales team to identify where customers typically drop out of the cycle and create messaging that addresses those gaps.
- Timing Matters: Coordinate campaigns with key industry events, trade shows, or publication schedules to align with when buyers are most likely to engage.
Ensure your channels and content formats align with each stage. Thought leadership articles, webinars, or sponsored research reports might resonate during the consideration phase, while product-focused ads and demos in third-party directory marketplaces are better suited for decision-ready buyers.
💡Pro Tip: Don’t try to do everything in one campaign. Focus on one stage of the buyer's journey per campaign for more effective targeting and measurable results.
3. Form True Partnerships with Media Brands or Agencies
Choosing the right media partner can make or break your campaign's success. A well-aligned partnership ensures your message reaches the right audience, resonates effectively, and delivers the desired results.
What to Look for When Selecting a Media Brand or Agency:
- Audience Alignment: Ensure the media brand or agency reaches your target audience with the right demographics, professional roles, and interests.
- Editorial Fit: Look for alignment between the platform’s editorial content and your messaging. The audience is more likely to engage if your campaign feels relevant and credible in the context of the media brand.
- Previous Positive Experience: If you’ve worked with a media brand or agency and had good results, that track record indicates future success.
- Responsiveness and Communication: Assess how quickly and thoroughly the media reps or agency respond to your inquiries and provide data or feedback. Good communication is critical for a productive partnership.
- Proven Performance: Ask for case studies, benchmarks, or past examples of successful campaigns with similar goals. Look for evidence of strong results.
Form True Partnerships with Media Brands or Agencies
Once you’ve selected the right partner, focus on building a collaborative relationship:
- Set Clear Goals: Work together to establish measurable outcomes for your campaign. This keeps everyone aligned and allows for easy tracking of success.
- Leverage Their Expertise: Media reps and planners often have valuable data on audience preferences, creative best practices, and high-performing calls to action. Use their insights to refine your strategy.
- Earned Media Opportunities: Don’t overlook editorial opportunities. Ask how your company might be included in upcoming articles for organic exposure, which often adds credibility and enhances your lead-generation efforts.
- Regular Check-Ins: Schedule performance reviews throughout the campaign to make real-time adjustments and maximize ROI.
💡Pro Tip: Prompt and transparent communication is essential. If a media rep requests feedback, respond quickly—even if it’s just an update on your timeline. If you need to decline an opportunity, communicate this early to allow adjustments. This ensures smoother collaboration and helps maintain a positive working relationship.
4. Leverage Data to Optimize Performance
Data is your most powerful tool during media planning season. Relying on assumptions instead of analytics often leads to a less-than-desirable outcome. Start by looking back at the performance of your past campaigns—what worked well, and what didn’t? These insights provide a solid foundation for crafting smarter strategies and associated tactics.
Use data to:
- Identify the past successful campaigns, channels, and media brands.
- Determine what content resonates with your audience.
- Align your campaign placements using media brands’ editorial calendars to ensure topic relevance.
- Time campaigns or NPIs with major scientific conferences or industry events to capitalize on peak audience engagement.
- Measure real-time performance and make adjustments mid-campaign.
It’s also critical to define success realistically. For instance, avoid measuring sales volume from campaigns aimed at brand awareness or content lead generation—those objectives typically yield longer-term results. Instead, set metrics that match the specific goals of each campaign, such as increased visibility, content engagement, or lead acquisition.
While many companies focus on attracting new customers, don’t overlook your existing customer base. Ask where they go for information and which media brands they trust to ensure you leverage channels they rely on. Your campaigns can be an excellent opportunity to educate them about your entire product portfolio and strengthen trust in your brand.
💡Pro Tip: Be sure to ask your media or agency sales reps for benchmarking data or insights—they often have valuable information about the most successful campaigns or case studies that can help further refine your approach. Don’t be afraid to make changes mid-campaign. If a tactic isn’t performing as expected, use the data to pivot quickly and optimize your strategy. Agility and informed decision-making are critical to achieving the best results.
5. Have a Lead Management Plan
If your campaign's primary goal is lead generation, it’s essential to have a clear plan for managing and nurturing those leads before committing to your budget. Leads are only as valuable as your ability to engage with them and foster trust with them. Develop a strategy that prioritizes building credibility and rapport through thoughtful follow-ups, whether via personalized email sequences, meaningful outreach, retargeting ads, or a combination of these approaches.
Key Points for Building a Lead Management Plan:
- Define the Lead Journey: Map out the stages from lead capture to conversion, specifying how each step will be managed.
- Segment Leads: Organize leads into categories (e.g., by interest, industry, or engagement level) to deliver tailored messages that resonate.
- Establish Follow-Up Timelines: Set clear timelines for follow-up communication to maintain momentum and engagement.
- Choose the Right Tools: Use CRM or marketing automation platforms to efficiently track, manage, and nurture leads.
- Create High-Value Content: Develop resources like case studies, eBooks, or webinars that help move leads further down the sales funnel.
- Monitor and Optimize: Continuously track lead behavior and engagement to adjust strategies for better results.
If your team lacks the bandwidth or expertise to manage lead nurturing effectively, consider partnering with a consultant or agency specializing in designing and implementing these strategies. A well-thought-out lead management plan ensures that your investment in lead generation delivers long-term value.
💡Pro Tip: Timing is critical. Execute nurturing campaigns or follow-up quickly—ideally within 24-72 hours of their previous engagement. A fast response significantly increases the likelihood of further engagement.
Conclusion
Media planning season doesn’t have to be stressful. Focusing on these five strategies—embracing the 95/5 rule, aligning campaign messaging with the buyer’s journey, building strong media partnerships, leveraging data, and nurturing leads—will help you survive and thrive in the season.
With clear goals, data-driven decisions, and continuous optimization, your campaigns will elevate to deliver meaningful and lasting results.
About the Author
Joan Boyce is a seasoned life science media executive with over 30 years of experience leading and shaping major industry brands. As the co-founder of Aurora Biomarketing, Joan brings deep expertise in media strategy, marketing optimization, and audience engagement. With a proven track record of helping companies maximize their marketing impact, she launched Aurora Biomarketing to help life science tool providers make impactful and data-driven media decisions. Joan is also a SAMPS Board member and serves on UF’S Whitney Lab for Marine Bioscience Trustee Board.
