The way we watch TV has evolved in recent years as more people use video streaming services. Nielsen data recently showed that 80% of adults in the U.S. population use their smartphones to consume online content weekly. More and more, video streaming services such as Hulu, Netflix, Disney Plus, and Peacock TV are consumers' preferred methods of watching television.
So how can your business reach these consumers through video streaming services through your digital marketing?
A new trend in digital marketing is through these OTT (over-the-top) streaming services. You may wonder how the term OTT evolved. It originates from the old clunky cable boxes that we used to set on top of our television sets. These cable boxes were called set-top boxes. Even when our TV screens evolved to be flatter, the term set-top box remained. Streamed content does not use a cable box because it is delivered over the internet. Therefore, this streamed content bypasses the set-top box and is called over-the-top.
OTT ads offer new and unique challenges to digital marketing teams:
OTT ads are viewed on various devices, which also range in size. Therefore, OTT ads need to be formatted to perform well on everything from smartphones to large-screen TVs.
Because streaming services are not limited to a particular geographic area, the audience is broader.
Consumers tend to skip ads if they have the option, so keeping your ads short is critical.
These challenges are worth facing because OTT advertising offers enormous benefits to your business.
Consumer trends show that viewers are willing to watch a few ads to get free content.
You can target niche audiences using specific zip codes, devices, demographics, or behaviors.
OTT advertising works without third-party cookies.
OTT videos have higher completion rates.
View performance analytics to assess the effectiveness of ads.
OTT advertising maximizes your ROI and minimizes ad spend waste.
YouTube ads are one streaming service that uses OTT marketing. You can test and optimize your ads to see which version of your content generates the most engagement. YouTube ads are managed through Google Ads, and you can report on them via YouTube Studio.
Now that you know why OTT marketing is essential to today's business owners, you might be wondering how to execute this strategy. Here are a few tips for maximum effectiveness of your OTT ads:
Keep the content short. Thirty seconds is good; 15 seconds is even better.
Consider your audience, so you use language, images, and topics that resonate with them.
Be relatable.
Market with emotion through video, images, language, and music.
Test and optimize your ads.
Use voiceovers to communicate your message with the sound on.
MaxDRIVE Marketing can help you with your OTT marketing and video production. Reach out via email or give us a call at 502-775-9789. We'll help you build and implement an OTT advertising strategy to meet your goals!
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