How to choose someone to buy media without wasting your budget

Most small businesses rush media buying. They spot someone offering to "manage your ads" and hand over budget without understanding who sits at the table or what trade-offs they're making. Months later, money is gone and results are unclear. The problem isn't usually dishonesty—it's misaligned incentives and a buyer whose strengths don't match where your money should go.

Choosing the right media buyer isn't about finding the cheapest or the slickest. It's about matching their genuine expertise, their access, and their incentive structure to your actual spend and goals. A few hard signals matter far more than credentials alone.

Does this person buy media, or are they a middleman?

The first and most revealing question is where they actually sit. Some buyers have direct relationships with publication reps, platform account teams, or out-of-home networks. They call those reps weekly and know what inventory is available, what discounts might be negotiable, and where gaps exist. Others are resellers—they take your brief and shop it around, adding a layer on top. Neither is inherently wrong, but the difference is enormous for a tight budget.

Ask directly: "Which platforms or publishers do you have standing accounts with?" And then verify. If they claim deep relationships with Google, Facebook, Shopify, YouTube or a particular publication, ask them to name their contact there and offer to let you reach out independently. Real relationships are easy to prove. Resellers will hesitate or pivot to "we work with partners."

For small spend, a buyer with direct relationships can often unlock better rates, earlier campaign starts, and faster troubleshooting. A reseller adds cost and delays without adding equivalent value unless they're truly specialised in a niche you can't access alone—for instance, hyper-local billboard networks in specific provinces, or flight-specific media in aviation publications.

What media channels have they actually managed?

Buyers often talk as if all media is the same. It isn't. Someone who excels at Facebook and Instagram might be lost in programmatic display or print negotiation. Someone who runs radio campaigns brilliantly may not understand YouTube's auction mechanics. And someone who "does everything" often means they dabble everywhere.

Look for specificity. Ask them to describe their last three campaigns—not in vague terms, but channel by channel. What did they spend? What were the metrics? What surprised them? A buyer with real experience will have stories and will know the failure modes of each platform. They'll tell you which channels have higher fraud risk, which ones require longer lead times, and which ones work badly together.

If your spend is modest, you want someone who has done well at modest scale, not someone who only handles million-rand budgets. The skills required are different. A buyer used to negotiating enterprise rates may not know how to squeeze value from a R50,000 Facebook campaign.

Are they transparent about their incentives?

Media buyers get paid in different ways. Some charge a flat fee. Some take a commission on spend. Some do a hybrid. Each creates a different pull on their judgment. This matters because it's not about corruption—it's about subtle bias.

A buyer on pure commission has pressure to *spend* your budget, even if pausing and regrouping would serve you better. A buyer on flat fee has an incentive to close you quickly and move to the next client. A buyer taking both fee and commission is trying to do both and may be conflicted. Ask them to explain their model clearly. Then ask them: "Under what conditions would you recommend I *don't* spend my full budget this month?" Their answer reveals whether they think about your outcome or their take.

Transparency here also means they should be willing to share how much they're making from your spend and which parts of your budget benefit them most. If they deflect, that's information too.

Have they worked in your sector or with audiences like yours?

Experience in your industry or with your target audience isn't always essential, but it accelerates results. A buyer who has run campaigns for hospitality venues, fitness studios, or legal services understands which channels waste money in that space and which ones convert. They know the seasonality and the typical customer journey.

If they're new to your sector, ask them to sit with you and learn it. A good buyer is curious and will ask hard questions about your customer, your margins, and your repeat rate. They'll use that to shape where media goes, not just blindly follow a media plan.

When you're ready to talk to candidates, Strove makes it simple to find buyers with verified track records and clear descriptions of their actual work. A brief phone call will tell you fast whether someone understands your world and where your money should land.