OTT advertising best practices for successful campaigns

Although television advertising has been a mainstay for decades, there’s no denying the landscape has shifted dramatically. Over-the-Top (OTT) has revolutionized the way we watch TV. Household names like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and Hulu are all examples of OTT platforms. These services allow you to stream your favorite shows and movies directly to your devices, without the need for traditional cable or satellite subscriptions.

Compared to traditional TV advertising, OTT reaches viewers on the device of their choice, at the time they’re most engaged. Video ads are dynamically placed within episodic content, on-demand programming, and even live streaming. But like any advertising strategy, there are some OTT advertising best practices to follow to see the results you want. Below we’ve listed our four top tips to help you boost the success of your OTT advertising campaigns.

OTT advertising best practices #1: Use targeting to personalize ads

Your ads will only work if the right people are seeing them. That’s why we recommend using targeting to get your ads in front of the right viewers. Common OTT targeting tactics include demographic, geographic, behavioral, and device targeting.

Geographic targeting on OTT: This strategy ensures your products or services are available to the people you are marketing to. Geolocation targeting helps you to reduce the number of wasted ad impressions, while maximizing your brand awareness. Geographic targeting can span from an entire region to a specific neighborhood.

Behavioral targeting on OTT: Behavioral targeting analyzes users’ interactions – like the websites they’ve visited or the products they’ve searched — to show ads that align with their interests. Here’s a simple example of how this works: If you’re a hotel looking to fill rooms, show viewers watching travel-related content ads for your vacation packages.

Demographic targeting on OTT: This involves targeting ads based on demographic factors such as age, gender, income, education, and occupation.

Device targeting on OTT: Like the name implies, this method involves targeting ads based on the type of device being used. Device-specific targeting ensures that ads are optimized for the screen size and capabilities of different devices.

OTT advertising best practices video formats

OTT advertising best practices #2: Choose the right formats

Different OTT platforms support different types of ad formats. Common video formats include pre-roll, mid-roll, post-roll, banner, and overlays.

OTT pre-roll ads: These are short ads (usually 15-30 seconds long) that appear before the main content begins.
OTT mid-roll ads: These ads appear in the middle of the content, typically after a certain amount of time has passed. They are usually shorter than traditional TV ads but are longer than pre-roll ads (spots can range from 30 seconds to several minutes).
Post-roll ads: These ads appear after the main content has ended. They are often longer than pre-roll ads and can range from a few seconds to several minutes.
Banner ads: These are small, fixed ads that appear at the bottom or top of the screen during the content.
Overlay ads: These are ads that contain text or images that appear on top of the content, typically about 20% of the bottom of the screen. They do not interrupt the viewing experience. They are often clickable and can lead to a landing page.

If you’re not sure which ad types make sense for your campaign, a good advertising partner should give recommendations.

OTT advertising best practices tip #3: Use voice-overs and captions

This next tip might sound like video making 101, but nonetheless it’s important to remember – always add voiceovers and captions to your video ads. Silent ads are awkward at best and don’t offer much value for users. To ensure your OTT ads reach the widest possible audience, it’s crucial to consider both sound-on and sound-off scenarios.

Voice-Overs: For viewers with sound on, a clear and engaging voiceover can enhance your message.

Captions: Adding captions makes your ads accessible to viewers with hearing impairments and those watching in noisy environments. If they have the volume off completely, they can still read the message with captions enabled.

By including both voice-overs and captions, you’ll guarantee that your OTT message is seen or heard regardless of viewing conditions.

OTT advertising best practices tip #4: Optimize for mobile viewers

It’s essential to optimize your OTT ads for mobile viewers. Mobile devices have become the primary screen for many consumers, with 65% of viewers streaming video on mobile and TV apps rather than on browsers! Failing to cater to this audience can significantly impact your campaign’s success. Ways you can optimize your OTT video ads for mobile users include:

Design for vertical orientation: Mobile devices are typically used in vertical orientation. Design ads in a vertical or square aspect ratio that takes up as much of the screen as possible. Test your ad to ensure that no key elements are cut off.
Fast load times: Keep your file sizes small and easily compressible. If your ad is buffering, you may annoy viewers and lose them.
In-ad CTA: Incorporate an actionable CTA so viewers can reach out for more information without having to leave the ad. This feature is especially convenient for mobile because it allows you to target users who are constantly on the move.

Boost your success with OTT advertising best practices

OTT advertising has opened new opportunities for businesses to get in front of audiences in innovative ways. By following our OTT advertising best practices, you can put yourself in front of the hard to reach, while watching content they’re engaged in.