You down with OTT? Yeah, you know me! But seriously, do you know what OTT is?
Over the past few years, the way people consume content has changed drastically. With the rise of OTT (Over-The-Top) platforms, people have the ability to watch their favorite shows and movies anytime, anywhere. OTT platforms are essentially streaming services that allow users to “cut the cord” from traditional cable or satellite TV and watch content over the internet.
So, what is an OTT ad? We love to describe it like this– think about it like a traditional TV commercial and a Google ad had a baby. That’s an OTT ad! OTT ads appear on streaming services like Hulu, Sling TV, Amazon Prime, Roku, and all other streaming services. Your ads are only 15-30 seconds long, and can be targeted to your exact audience! When setting up your ad you can target based on:
- Age
- State
- City/Metro Zone
- Hours of the day
- Streaming Channel
- Interest
- Socio-demographics
- App targeting
- Gender
- And more!
As you set up your ad you will also see a forecast of your audience size, impressions, household reach, and deliverability. You can even run A/B tests, or run different ad sets in the same campaign. You can also continue to be strategic with the reporting that is pulled from your reports. It will show you a breakdown of views by zip code, channel, screen type, age, gender, and more so you can continue to change your ad as needed to reach your target audience.
OTT ads are also more affordable. Remember during the Super Bowl when a 30-second commercial spot went for $7 million? With OTT you have the ability to reach your target audience for a fraction of the price of traditional commercials. You also have the ability to create more effective ad campaigns. Over-The-Top ads need to be memorable since they are so short. Creating ads that are relatable, funny, and eye-catching.
OTT ads can also be interactive. Think about watching your favorite show on your phone or tablet. The ad that pops up could be interactive taking the viewer directly to your website or landing page. This gives your audience a more engaging and immersive viewing experience.
As amazing as OTT ads are, there are still challenges that come with them. Remember, you are bidding for your space similar to what you do with Google or Meta ads. So yes, they are much more affordable, but you still have to be strategic. Maybe you run your ad at a time when your audience is still streaming, but not during “peak” times. You will also want to look at how your ad is performing. If you’re bidding on a certain channel or app and your ad isn’t showing you can take that channel/app off of your ad to put more of your budget toward channels where your ad is performing well.
Overall, OTT ads offer companies a unique opportunity to reach their target audience in a more engaging and effective way. As streaming platforms continue to grow in popularity, we can expect to see the popularity of OTT ads continue to increase. If you are interested in OTT ads contact us today. We are ready to take your advertising to the next level!