Why media buyers need to track their ad performance

In a perfect world, advertising managers and media buyers would be able to track every aspect of their ad campaigns, no matter what channels they use. Once an ad's in front of an audience, you would be able to see who viewed the ad, how each individual reacted to it and how the ad affected the purchasing decisions of the buyers.

And yet, for under-resourced advertisers, this is a pipe dream. They may track some ads through online analytics, but others may simply get pushed out into the wild. Guesses and estimates incorrectly suffice for measurable tracking data.

Without hard evidence, it's impossible to iterate on good ideas and get rid of proposals that fail to elicit positive responses. You can't trust your gut 100 percent of the time - in order to effectively market products, especially in the pharmaceutical industry, you need hard evidence to back up your decisions.

"A unique URL in your print ad can track related online actions."

Campaign tracking makes a difference
Campaign tracking is a key part of a scientific approach to marketing. Even if it's been awhile since you've had to follow the scientific method of inquiry, you likely remember that testing your results is a vital step of the process. When you track your advertisements using multiple techniques, you get a clear understanding of what works.

That's not all you get, however - Decision Analyst reported data tracking can help you determine the impact your brand makes in the marketplace. But don't expect results too quickly. It can take a year or two of consistent advertising to change the perception of your brand among consumers.

Advancements in online analytics have made it easy to track digital ads, but what about print display ads? Some analytics software can still help you out here. For example, Small Business Trends reported that by adding a unique URL to your print ads, you can effectively track how print campaigns affect online interactions with your brand.

If you create a customized landing page for a print ad or redirect traffic from the unique URL to your homepage, your analytics software can show you how your advertisements affect web traffic and, ultimately, how they affect the sales process. You can also see the path that leads consumers to a conversion. With this information, you can streamline your sales funnel to be even more effective.

Other methods of tracking print marketing campaigns include using unique codes for direct mail campaigns, unique phone numbers for inbound marketing and surveying customers to discover how they first heard about your brand or product. In the future, you can harness this data to create more impactful, targeted advertisements.

Peer-reviewed journals can put your products in front of your desired audience.

A multi-channel approach goes above the norm
For media buyers in the pharmaceutical or medical device industries, specialty-specific and peer-reviewed publications are some of the best options for media buying. The medical professionals you want to reach read peer-reviewed journals. Your ads can appear in printed publications, online journals, newsletters and relevant websites.

Elsevier's team members have extensive knowledge of the healthcare marketplace as it relates to many specific specialties. Elsevier's advertising solutions are targeted, measurable and effective. For an example of how Elsevier helped a brand breathe new life into its product with a targeted display ad campaign, check out this free case study.

When you're obsessive about tracking ad campaign data, you'll notice fantastic results. The more data you can collect and analyze, the better prepared your team will be for future advertising endeavors. Combine your creative strength and product knowledge with Elsevier's multi-channel solutions for a winning combination.