Most companies have some horror story with an agency – whether it’s failed expectations or lack of expertise – the barrier to entry is (seemingly) not high in digital marketing however the bar for quality providers that offer the modern solutions really required in 2023 is…in our opinion, very high. The term agency can mean many things – SEO, Web Dev, Creative, Media Buying, Outdoor, Traditional etc. – some agencies work to offer a somewhat quality product across all these very different focus areas.
As each of these processes and products have their own players and stakeholders – we wanted to highlight the types of talent that go into configuring, executing, and analyzing the impact of digital growth on fundamental business objectives. Below we’ll explore the importance of five key roles on an agency media team: the strategies/planner, web tagging expert, media buying/trafficking expert, database analyst, and creative design lead.
Planner
The strategies/planner plays a crucial role in charting the course for a successful media campaign. They are responsible for developing comprehensive, data-driven media strategies that align with the client’s goals and target audience.
A skilled planner can interpret market trends, consumer behavior, and competitor analysis to craft campaigns that deliver maximum impact. They also oversee budget allocation and ensure resources are used efficiently across various media channels, such as social media, display, search, and video. With platforms regularly adjusting ad types, tracking, and bidding formats – a once successful strategy can go stale fast – a great planner ensures your budget and goals align with your investment.
Web Tagging Expert
Web tagging experts are the unsung heroes of an agency media team. Their role involves setting up and managing website tracking tags, like Google Analytics and other tracking pixels. These tags (and their accurate deployment) are the backbone for data ingestion and insights about website visitor behavior. Considering all optimization and analysis require the use of the data generated from the tagging team – we believe this role is critically important – how do you know what worked if you don’t have data?
Trafficking Expert
A media buying/trafficking expert is the key driver of campaign execution. This role sits behind the ad account, dictates what ad units to buy within the defined plan, and optimizes media buys against those parameters. A skilled media buying expert can optimize campaigns in real-time based on performance data, driving the optimal ROI for clients based on their defined goals.
Database Analyst
Data is the backbone of any successful media campaign, and a database analyst plays a crucial role in managing, organizing, and extracting insights from the vast amount of data available.
With proficiency in data analytics tools and programming languages, data analysts uncover valuable patterns, trends, and customer segments that inform strategic decision-making. By understanding consumer preferences and behavior, the database analyst empowers the team to create personalized and targeted campaigns that resonate with the audience. Storytelling is a major part of the digital marketing analytics process – a great data analyst will take complex data from different sources and derive easy-to-consume and sharable action-oriented insights.
Creative Design Lead
In a visually-driven world, the creative design lead holds immense power in shaping a brand’s identity and message. This role involves leading a team of talented designers and copywriters to produce engaging, innovative, and aesthetically pleasing content for various media platforms. Whether it’s crafting eye-catching visuals for social media ads or designing interactive display banners, the creative design lead plays a pivotal role in capturing the audience’s attention and fostering brand loyalty.
Conclusion
The success of an agency media team hinges on it members ‘collective strengths and expertise. Advanced specialized skill sets, such as those held by the strategies/planner, web tagging expert, media buying/trafficking expert, database analyst, and creative design lead, are instrumental in delivering exceptional client results.
Each role brings a unique perspective, working cohesively to ensure that campaigns are data-driven, well-executed, and resonating with the target audience. Ensure your modern agency is leveraging folks in each of these roles; otherwise, you are missing opportunities to grow more efficiently.
