How to Build a Media Strategy

What is a media strategy?

A media strategy is a documented plan of which media channels a campaign will run across, why those channels were chosen, how many people they can reach, and what makes each one suitable for the campaign's goals. It sits between your audience research and your media schedule — it's the reasoning that connects who you're trying to reach with where and how you'll reach them.

In professional practice, a media strategy is developed by media planners and buyers who have access to detailed audience data, media packs, and planning tools. In a student context, you're drawing on the same principles — but using publicly available data sources like Ofcom, Statista, and platform advertising tools to justify your decisions.

Reach vs. relevance

Every media decision involves a trade-off between reach (how many people you can get the message in front of) and relevance (how closely those people match your target audience). The goal is to maximise both — but when forced to choose, relevance wins.

This is the core argument for every media selection you make. Don't just say a platform has high reach — explain why that reach is relevant to your specific audience.

Above, below and through the line

Before choosing specific channels, it helps to understand the traditional framework used to categorise media activity: above the line, below the line, and through the line. These terms originated in advertising agency accounting, but they're still widely used in marketing planning to describe the broad type of activity a campaign involves.

Most modern campaigns — particularly those you'll plan as a student — operate through the line by default, combining digital channels (BTL) with broader awareness activity (ATL) where budget allows. Understanding the distinction matters because it shapes how you think about the role each channel plays in your strategy. A TV ad and a paid Instagram campaign are both media — but they're doing different jobs.

ATL channels prioritise reach and awareness: getting the brand in front of as many of the right people as possible. BTL channels prioritise response and measurement: reaching a more precisely defined audience and tracking what they do next. A through-the-line strategy uses both together — ATL to build awareness at scale, BTL to convert that awareness into action among a targeted segment.

Types of media channels

With the ATL/BTL framework in mind, here are the main channel categories and their practical characteristics. Each maps to a different point in the audience journey — from broad awareness to direct response.

Audience fit — the most important criterion

For each channel you choose, the most important question is: does my target audience actually use this platform, and how? The answer must come from research, not assumption.

Strong sources for audience fit data include:

• Ofcom Media Nations report — annual UK-wide data on media consumption by age, gender and region. Free to access.
• Statista — platform-specific user data, often broken down by demographic. Some behind a paywall, but summaries are widely available.
• Platform advertising tools — Meta Audience Insights, TikTok Ads Manager and LinkedIn Campaign Manager all let you explore audience size for specific demographic combinations before spending.
• GWI (GlobalWebIndex) — consumer research platform with detailed media habit data. Often accessible through university libraries.

When writing your audience fit justification, always link the platform to your specific audience — don't just state that the platform is popular. "Instagram is popular with young people" is not a justification. "73% of 18–30 year olds in the UK use Instagram daily (Ofcom 2023), and the platform's targeting allows us to reach specifically females aged 18–25 in Scotland" is.

Estimating reach

A reach estimate is the number of people in your target audience you expect the campaign to reach through a given channel. It should be a specific figure — not a vague claim — and it should come from a credible source.

The most reliable way to estimate reach for digital channels is to use the platform's own audience estimation tools:

• Meta Ads Manager — set your targeting parameters (age, gender, location, interests) and Meta will show an estimated potential reach before you spend anything.
• TikTok Ads Manager — works the same way, with audience size estimates based on your targeting settings.
• Google Ads — keyword and audience reach estimations are available in the planning tools.
• Spotify Ad Studio — provides reach estimates based on demographic, genre and playlist targeting.

For offline channels like OOH or radio, reach data is available from media owners and specialist planning sources. Billboard operators typically provide weekly impression figures for specific sites. Radio stations publish listener data via RAJAR.

Understanding platform strengths

Beyond audience fit and reach, each platform has specific capabilities that make it more or less suitable for particular types of campaigns. Document these for every channel you choose — they strengthen the strategic case for each selection.

• Instagram: Strong visual formats (Reels, Stories, Carousels), precise targeting via Meta Ads Manager, robust analytics, high engagement rates for visual brands.
• TikTok: High organic reach potential, trend-driven content culture, strong Gen Z engagement, native creator partnership opportunities, brand-initiated challenges.
• Spotify: Non-skippable audio format, captive listening audience, playlist and genre targeting, sequential audio storytelling.
• YouTube: Long-form video storytelling, pre-roll and mid-roll formats, skippable and non-skippable options, strong search intent targeting.
• OOH / Billboards: High visibility in specific locations, persistent exposure (seen multiple times by same audience), strong brand awareness impact, no ad-blocking possible.
• Google Search: Intent-driven reach (people actively searching), high conversion potential, keyword-level targeting, measurable cost-per-click performance.

How many channels to choose

The Media Strategy Tool supports up to four selections. For most student campaigns, two to three well-justified channels will produce a stronger strategy than four channels with thin justifications. Quality of reasoning always outperforms quantity of channels.

A good multi-channel strategy typically includes a primary channel (where the majority of budget and creative effort goes — usually the platform that best reaches the core audience), a secondary channel (which extends reach or reaches the audience in a different context), and optionally a third channel that adds a distinct format or touchpoint — for example, adding OOH to extend brand presence beyond digital.

Tool walkthrough: the Media Strategy Tool, field by field

The Media Strategy Tool documents up to four media selections using tabbed panels. Each panel captures the same four pieces of information for each channel. Here's what to write in each field.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Choosing channels based on personal preference. The question is not which platforms you use — it's which platforms your target audience uses. Let the audience research drive the channel selection.
• Four weak selections instead of two strong ones. It's better to justify two channels thoroughly than to thinly justify four. Every selection must earn its place with evidence.
• Ignoring the campaign objective when choosing channels. A reach objective calls for different channels than a conversion objective. The media strategy must align with what the campaign is trying to achieve.
• Listing platform strengths generically. "Has good analytics" applies to almost every digital platform. Name the specific feature relevant to your campaign — "Meta Ads Manager allows post-campaign analysis of follower growth by age and location, directly measurable against the SMART objective."

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