Audience First: The Insider’s Guide to Smart Media Buying with Elise Hedley Dale
Media buying isn’t just about throwing money at ads and hoping they stick. It’s about knowing your audience deeply, cutting through jargon and smoke and mirrors, and putting real strategy to work. Elise Hedley Dale, the brain behind Media Words and a seasoned media planner, shares why this approach matters more than ever in today’s crowded and fast-changing market.
Elise’s story is one of grit, experience, and fiercely backing yourself. From leading global campaigns at big agencies to carving out an independent consultancy, she knows what works—and what doesn’t. The takeaway? Transparency, honesty, and deep expertise are rare gems that can save you from costly marketing mistakes.
Why Big Agencies Aren’t Always the Answer
Big agencies often dazzle with glossy pitch decks and big names, but Elise lifts the lid on what happens next. “You’ll meet the dream team at the pitch, but often those people vanish when the contract is signed,” she warns. Many big agency teams are lean and junior-heavy, with senior experts stretched thin across multiple clients. That’s when the real value can get lost in the shuffle and budgets can quietly leak away.
Elise explains there’s a tidal shift happening in how businesses choose media partners. Many are moving away from the “churn and burn” agency model to more nimble, independent consultancies led by senior experts who stay hands-on and transparent. In Australia alone, there are hundreds of independent agencies ready to offer tailored, honest advice—eliminating the risk of falling for flashy but hollow promises.
Back Yourself and Learn to Say No
Running Media Words for nearly a decade has taught Elise the power of knowing your numbers and drawing firm boundaries. “When I started, I didn’t realize that charging $100 an hour doesn’t mean you keep all of it. There’s tax, insurance, admin—you need to factor everything in,” she points out.
Small business owners can relate: too often, well-meaning entrepreneurs say yes to everything and burn themselves out. Elise encourages backing yourself and knowing when a client or project isn’t the right fit. “Saying no is part of staying true to your value and doing quality work.”
Surrounding yourself with a strong support network—trusted partners who complement your skills—is equally important. Elise calls it her “inner circle,” a go-to list of specialists she can refer clients to when needs fall outside her core expertise. It’s a lesson in staying in your lane while keeping clients covered.
The Real Role of AI in Media Planning
With so much talk about AI taking over marketing, Elise provides a grounded perspective. AI is a brilliant tool for automating repetitive tasks and crunching data faster than humans, but it’s not a replacement for strategy and context. “Rubbish in, rubbish out,” she explains. Without the right inputs and human oversight, AI can lead you down rabbit holes or produce outputs that don’t fit your unique goals.
For media planning, the human touch remains essential. Knowing your audience, understanding their behaviours, and tailoring campaigns—these remain tasks where expertise and experience make all the difference.
Practical Tips for Smarter Media Buying
Elise shares actionable advice for business owners ready to take control of their marketing budgets:
- Look beyond slick sales pitches. Ask for transparency about teams, budgets, and expected outcomes.
- Get clear scope-of-work documents that include out-of-scope elements to avoid surprises.
- Build long-term relationships with senior experts who stay hands-on and communicate openly.
- Trust the data but complement it with insights from real customer behaviour and market conditions.
- Use AI tools to support—not replace—your strategic thinking.
Final Thoughts: Audience First Means Business Success
The media landscape can be confusing, and with a flood of self-proclaimed experts out there, it’s easy to get lost or worse, ripped off. Elise’s experience reminds us that putting audiences front and centre, being clear about your value, and trusting skilled, transparent professionals leads to better outcomes.
If traditional agencies have left you cold or burned by empty promises, seek out the independents and make media buying a strength, not a gamble. As Elise says, “Back yourself, get the right people around you, and don’t panic—there’s support and expertise available.”
For small business owners looking for clarity, confidence, and genuine results, embracing audience-first media buying is the way forward.
Connect with Elise Hedley Dale
Company Website: https://mediawords.com.au/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisehedleydale/?originalSubdomain=au
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