Media buyer

As a media buyer, you'll purchase media space for your clients on a variety of channels, negotiating the best possible deal for them

The purchasing decisions you make are based on research done by media planners, who identify the most appropriate mediums for building awareness of a client's brand. Together, you play a key role in ensuring that advertising and promotional campaigns reach the highest number of people in your target audience at the lowest possible cost.

In larger agencies, media buying is a separate role from media planner, but in smaller ones, the roles may be combined.

Roles tend to be based in advertising and media agencies and you'll usually work on more than one client account at a time.

You may work across different media channels or specialise in a particular one such as:

• television
• radio
• cinema
• press
• digital
• out-of-home.

Responsibilities

As a media buyer, you'll need to:

• identify the target audience for a particular media campaign and decide how best to communicate to that audience
• negotiate with media sales companies and media owners to obtain the best rates, frequency and most appropriate media spaces in online, broadcast and print advertising
• work with the media planning team to ensure that campaigns are workable
• keep the client updated on the approved media plan
• book individual advertising spots, such as pages, posters, internet banners and broadcast adverts
• ensure that the adverts run accurately so that the desired media message is seen and heard by consumers
• manage budgets across campaigns, including preparing costings for clients and producing spending updates throughout the campaign
• collect and analyse sales and consumer data
• keep up to date with industry research figures, including distribution figures for newspapers and magazines and audience figures for television and radio
• communicate with media sales staff to adjust media schedules in response to audience figures
• develop, implement and monitor strategic media buying plans to reach target audiences and objectives
• attend meetings with clients in order to report on campaign strategies and results
• build strong relationships with clients, media sales companies and media owners
• undertake research on industry developments in your area, new opportunities and competitors' activity
• analyse the effectiveness of the campaign and use this data to inform future campaigns.

Salary

• Average starting salaries for trainee media buyers are generally in the region of £24,625, rising to an average of £28,693 for junior media buyers.
• Average salaries for media buyers are £42,134, rising to £59,411 for senior media buyers.
• The average salary for media buyer directors is £88,633, while heads of media buying/investment can earn an average of £116,945.

Salaries can vary greatly depending on the size and type of employer and location. It may be possible to increase earnings by moving between agencies or going into sales. The highest average salaries are found in the larger agencies, often located in London.

Salary will also depend on your skills and experience, as well as your track record and ability to run successful campaigns.

Some agencies may offer other benefits to their staff such as company pensions schemes, bonuses, private healthcare and gym memberships.

Income data from the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA). Figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

Working hours are typically 9am to 5pm, with extra hours when deadlines have to be met. Shift work is rare. Some agencies have flexible working hours on the understanding that staff will work late if a tight deadline is to be made.

You'll often be expected to network with clients and media sales representatives at lunchtimes and in the evenings.

What to expect

• You'll generally be office based, with a large amount of time spent negotiating on the phone or other communications channels such as Teams or Zoom. However, some time may be spent visiting clients and media sales representatives.
• Jobs are usually located in London and other major UK cities, such as Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cardiff, Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham.
• Self-employment and freelance work are generally not possible. However, there is a chance you could move into consultancy work at a higher level.
• The atmosphere and dress code in agencies is usually informal, although a professional and business-like appearance is required for meetings with clients.
• Travel within a working day is occasional. Absence from home overnight or overseas work is uncommon.

Qualifications

You can become a media buyer with any degree but the following subjects are particularly useful and may increase your chances:

• advertising
• marketing
• business or management studies
• communications
• psychology.

You will also need numerical ability and an interest in working with data.

A pre-entry postgraduate qualification is not required.

Entry without a degree or HND is sometimes possible, especially if you have relevant experience and excellent interpersonal skills.

It's possible to start in a different role within an agency, gain experience and then work your way up to the role of buyer.

You could also get into the profession by taking a Level 3 Advertising and Media Executive Apprenticeship. With experience, you may then be able to move into a media buying role. Apprenticeships combine study with paid work, allowing you to train on the job and gain a qualification. You can search for an apprenticeship using Find an apprenticeship.

You may want to consider taking the IPA Foundation Certificate aimed at newcomers to the industry with less than a year's experience in an advertising, marketing or communications role.

Skills

You'll need to have:

• excellent written and oral communication skills
• teamwork and interpersonal skills for liaising with clients and colleagues
• presentation skills for reporting back to clients
• numerical and analytical skills
• strong organisational skills, accuracy and the ability to assimilate information quickly
• effective negotiation skills to get the best advertising space at the best price
• attention to detail
• the ability to work under pressure, meet deadlines and make decisions quickly
• IT literacy
• creativity and problem-solving skills
• commercial and budget awareness
• in-depth knowledge of current and new media developments and opportunities
• an understanding of the client's business, their market and objectives.

Work experience

Advertising is becoming increasingly competitive, so pre-entry work experience can be very useful. This may be gained through vacation work, work placements and voluntary work in relevant areas such as:

• advertising
• communications
• marketing.

Doing an internship with an advertising agency will give your application an edge and is looked on favourably by employers. You will get practical experience and will develop a network of contacts that can be useful when looking for jobs on graduation.

You could try approaching agencies to ask if they offer work experience or to find out if it's possible for you to work shadow a media buyer. A list of member agencies that can be used to make speculative applications is available through the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA).

Sales experience is also useful, as well as part-time work that demonstrates your people skills and ability to communicate effectively with others.

A strong and genuine interest in media, and an appreciation of the part it plays in advertising, is vital. A good way to support job applications is getting to know key aspects and terms used in the industry through organisations and websites such as:

• Campaign - marketing, advertising and media news and analysis
• IAB UK (Internet Advertising Bureau) - industry body for digital advertising
• IPA - trade body and professional institute for the advertising, media and marketing communications industry.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

Positions for media buyers are mainly found within media independents, which specialise in buying and sometimes planning and research. Traditionally, these services were only offered by advertising agencies.

Other typical employers include:

• advertising agencies
• full-service marketing agencies
• new media agencies.

Media agencies cover all types of media while new media agencies cover advertising through:

• the internet
• digital media
• text messaging.

Some companies operate specialist new media departments. There is a greater opportunity to interact with the creative teams if you work in advertising or full-service marketing agencies. If you work in a creative agency, you're more likely to be involved in an integrated campaign, so your application would need to reflect your creative skills.

Look for job vacancies at:

• Campaign Jobs
• IPA Jobs Listings
• national press
• professional networking platforms such as LinkedIn.

Some media independents recruit graduates directly, while several companies recruit through specialist agencies.

Some advertising/media agencies may respond to speculative applications. Research both the role and the specific employer carefully, visit the company's website and be aware of their current presence in the market.

Professional development

Training varies depending on the advertising or media agency. Many larger companies run structured training programmes. In the early stages of your career, it's important to experience the whole process from planning the relevant media to negotiating the best price.

Training often involves working on a range of client accounts to gain broad experience. As you'll spend a lot of your time on the phone to media sales companies and clients, a key aspect of your training will involve gaining a deep knowledge of the business, along with negotiation and consultancy skills. IT and presentation skills training may also be provided.

Work-based training may be supported by attending seminars and workshops delivered by key media research organisations. This will enable you to gain an understanding of how to interpret and make use of audience research figures and findings.

You'll be expected to keep up to date with industry trends throughout your career and will have to be proactive in seeking out opportunities for continuing professional development (CPD) and training. Relevant courses are offered by organisations such as:

• IPA
• Media Circle
• Media Research Group (MRG)

The IPA offers its members the opportunity to work towards accredited member status (MIPA). MIPA takes three years to achieve and you'll need to follow a qualifications-based programme of learning.

You'll be expected to keep up to date with industry trends by reading relevant publications.

Career prospects

Media buying is a fast-moving career, with excellent opportunities for career progression based on performance, experience and key transferable skills.

You'll often start your career in a combined junior media planner/buyer role before specialising as a buyer. Once established, you can choose to work across a range of media or specialise in specific areas of buying, such as radio, online or television.

With the right combination of skills and experience, you can move up to a senior media buyer role and then on to the role of media account manager or media account director, with overall responsibility for the client account, and media director. Promotion to a senior or management position brings additional team and account management responsibilities.

Headhunting is common in the media industry. You may move between employers in order to obtain an increase in salary and broaden your experience. Alternatively, you may move between divisions in your own company. There are also opportunities to move to sales and marketing roles.