OTT has seeped its way into our collective consciousness and daily habits. However, for how much the terms are thrown around few marketers truly understand what OTT is and how to optimize marketing content for it.
Advertisers who only understand TV treat OTT as an extension of TV services. Doing so helps them retain their customer base, but it does so at a disservice to their clientele. They don’t understand the nuances and trends of individual platforms, which makes them incapable of connecting ads to the most relevant customers.
On the surface, OTT looks a lot like TV, but dig a little deeper and you’ll realize that its reliance on the internet makes it more closely aligned with digital marketing. It allows you to target your audience and gain insight through analytics, which provide detail on their behaviors and preferences.
OTT provides insight into how viewers watch content, whether it’s on big screens through Connected TV (CTV) such as Smart TV’s, Roku, or gaming consoles. If someone watches on a smartphone, tablet, or computer, you can gain additional insight with click rates and website visits that directly connect to OTT.
Furthermore, since viewers cannot skip OTT ads, and the ads play over a shorter timespan, you reach a captive audience who will more likely see your ads. Metrics gained from OTT will therefore present a higher completion rate and have a higher impact with consumers. These are truly unique video ads that provide better insight and capture more attention than similar mediums such as video targeted ads.
Younger audiences, such as Millennials and Gen Z, prefer OTT platforms to traditional TV. Of that group, 91% of people ages 18 to 29 choose to not have cable because streaming provides access to the content they want. As more people use OTT platforms, their importance is undeniable. They provide access to a broader range of consumers, many of whom cannot be reached through traditional advertising.
However, OTT is a nuanced and still widely misunderstood area of marketing. You can get significant benefit from working with a digital media partner to place your ads on OTT, but ensure you choose a partner who is prepared to target your ads effectively.