What is Connected TV (CTV) Advertising?

In this digital age, television is no longer what it used to be. The introduction of streaming services has ushered in a new era of television viewing—one that is more connected and interactive than ever before. And with this new era comes a whole new form of advertising—Connected TV advertising, or CTV advertising for short.

Simply put, CTV advertising is the process of displaying ads (often targeted to the specific viewer) on streaming devices such as Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, etc. These ads are specifically designed to be viewed on televisions and other large screens and can be a very effective marketing tool for businesses of all sizes.

What is Connected TV Advertising?

Connected TV advertising, or CTV advertising, is a form of digital advertising that uses streaming devices and platforms to deliver ads to viewers. Unlike traditional television advertising through broadcast networks or cable, CTV ads are designed specifically to be watched in a TV streaming environment. These ads can also be targeted to specific audiences based on their interests, demographics, location and more.

In addition, CTV ads are generally cheaper than traditional television spots and allow for more detailed reach metrics, so businesses know exactly how effective their ad campaigns are performing.

What Is an Example of Connected TV?

Connected TV refers to any device that provides access to video streaming content like shows and movies on television. A great example of a Connected TV is Apple TV. It allows viewers to access a wide range of streaming services, including Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and many more. The device also provides access to over 6,000 apps and games, as well as the ability to browse the web and stream live content.

Additional examples include:

• Roku
• Xbox
• Hulu
• Netflix
• PlayStation

Connected TV advertising involves marketing to consumers in the form of video ads that play before, during, or after a show or movie.

How Can Connected TV Advertising Benefit My Marketing Strategy?

Connected TV advertising can be an effective tool to reach a large, engaged audience and increase brand awareness. Unlike traditional television advertising, CTV advertising allows businesses to target their ads to specific audiences based on their interests and other factors.

As a result, you can create more effective campaigns that are tailored to the people who are most likely to be interested in what you have to offer. Additionally, CTV ads allow for better tracking and performance measurement— giving you the ability to know exactly how successful your ad campaign is in real time. This data can then be used to refine future campaigns and help you craft highly effective advertisements that will generate results.

Streaming vs Cable

There’s no doubt that streaming has emerged as the successor over traditional cable TV ads—especially after the post-pandemic streaming boom. More people than ever are cutting the cord and abandoning cable to specifically choose which streaming services they’d like to subscribe to. This is a powerful benefit to marketers trying to reach specific audiences because of the targeted opportunities it allows them. In cable or broadcast television, advertisers pay for remnant commercial space hoping that their target audience is watching when their messaging is playing during scheduling breaks in programming. With CTV, marketers can take their ads a step further by ensuring they reach target consumers when they’re actually watching. In addition to this, they can layer on targeted parameters that make sure their ads are honed in to specific audience attributes that matter the most to their business. Put shortly, when compared to legacy television advertising options, CTV advertising is a great way to reach your target audience and increase brand awareness.

The Binge-Watching Trend

People spend hours binge-watching their favorite streamed shows and movies, so it is a sure way to reach users, especially since there is no option to skip the ads. With the right approach, CTV advertising can help you to reach a large, engaged audience and new heights in your marketing efforts.

The Power of CTV Advertising

In addition to the benefits already discussed, CTV provides businesses with an opportunity to build relationships with potential customers through interactive ads. Interactive CTV ads allow viewers to interact with the ad in real-time and provide feedback or take actions such as signing up for discounts or sales notifications. This is a great way to engage with your audience and foster brand loyalty by showing them that you care about the experiences they have with your marketing experiences.

So, if you’re looking for a new way to get your message out there and increase your brand’s visibility, Connected TV advertising could be the perfect solution.

Important Metrics to Follow for Connected TV Advertising

When using Connected TV advertising, it’s important to monitor performance metrics such as reach, impressions, clicks, and conversions. These important metrics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Ad Reach: The number of people exposed to your ad.
• Impressions: The number of times an ad is viewed by a potential customer.
• Clicks: The number of times someone interacts with your ad (e.g., clicking on the link, watching a video clip).
• Conversions: The number of people who take an action after viewing your ad, such as signing up for a newsletter or purchasing a product.
• Video Completion Rate: The rate at which viewers watch your ad all the way through.
• Cost Per Completed View: The cost per completed view of your ad.
• Cost Per Mille (CPM): The cost to deliver your ad to 1,000 viewers.

By tracking these important metrics, you’ll get a better understanding of how effective your advertising campaigns are and which strategies work best for your business. This will help you optimize your CTV ad campaigns to get the best possible results.

Final Thoughts

CTV advertising gives businesses of all sizes the ability to reach a larger, engaged audience and achieve new heights in their marketing efforts. With detailed metrics and the ability to target specific audiences, CTV advertising can be a powerful tool for businesses looking to increase brand awareness and drive conversions. So, if you’re looking to take your marketing efforts to the next level, Connected TV advertising should definitely be on your list of strategies to consider.

Keep in mind that the right tools and software can make all the difference. Zeta Global offers a single platform that delivers better experiences for consumers along with better outcomes for brands like yours. Zeta Global’s CTV advertising solution is designed to help you achieve targeted reach at scale across devices using our deterministic data set with premium-branded content and supply.