We’ve written previously about the power of video in digital marketing, and you probably know it instinctively. Video content works because it hits people on multiple levels at once—they're seeing your message, hearing your story, and getting the full experience. But creating a killer video ad is just step one. The real magic happens when you understand how to navigate today's streaming landscape and actually get that content working for you.
Understanding OTT & CTV
Here's the reality: OTT and CTV advertising now offer the clearest path to getting your video content in front of the right people. Streaming services and social media platforms have taken over the territory that traditional TV once owned. Smart marketers know they need to follow their audience wherever they're consuming content.
Understanding how to implement OTT & CTV within your digital marketing strategy gives you the power to pinpoint your ideal audience and track your campaign’s impact better than traditional TV ads ever could.
Before diving into strategy, it's important to understand the distinction between OTT and CTV. These terms are often used interchangeably, but represent different components in the streaming equation:
- OTT (Over the Top) refers to the delivery method—streaming content via internet, bypassing traditional cable or satellite devices.
- CTV (Connected TV) refers to the physical device connected to the internet enabling video streaming: Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, Apple TV, or Chromecast.
OTT generally refers to how content is delivered through internet streaming, while CTV refers to the physical device that displays that content. Netflix operates as an OTT platform, Roku functions as the CTV device. While every CTV advertisement is delivered through OTT methods, not all OTT advertisements appear on television screens.
Why Should I Consider OTT & CTV Advertising?
If you’ve been on the fence about video advertising, here are some numbers that should get your attention: 88% of American households now have at least one CTV device, while traditional TV audiences continue to shrink. Nielsen recently reported that linear (live) TV now accounts for less than 50% of all TV usage, as platforms like YouTube and Hulu take up more viewing time.
Streaming has become how younger audiences (and let's face it, plenty of older ones too) watch everything from their favorite series to live sports. That explains why OTT ad spending has been on such a tear, up 13% this year alone to $26.6 billion.
What does this mean for your brand? OTT advertising gives you more ways than ever to introduce people to what you're selling. You can reach them across social media, websites, mobile apps, and their TV screens. It's better than simply just casting a bigger net, though. You can actually target people who are likely to care about what you're offering instead of spraying your message everywhere and hoping something sticks.
Best Practices for Buying OTT & CTV Ad Space
When it comes to securing streaming inventory, you have several paths to choose from. Each approach comes with its own advantages and trade-offs that can influence your campaign performance. 
Direct Deals with Platforms
Working directly with streaming platforms gives you maximum control over your inventory, placement, and frequency. You're cutting out the middleman and negotiating straight with Netflix, Hulu, or whoever owns the content your audience loves.
The downside? You'll pay premium prices, and your reach stays limited to that single platform's user base. But for the right campaign, that trade-off makes perfect sense.
When this works best:
- High-impact brand campaigns where you need your ad next to premium content
- Major product launches or events where brand safety and content quality matter most
- Campaigns where bonus impressions or custom content opportunities justify the higher costs
Programmatic Buying via Demand-Side Platforms
This is where things get exciting for marketers who want scale and efficiency. Platforms like StackAdapt (used here at Informatics) and The Trade Desk let you build one campaign that runs across multiple websites, apps, and streaming services automatically. You get incredible audience targeting capabilities and much more flexibility with your budget.
The catch? You're not always guaranteed premium inventory, and these platforms require active management to perform well. You can't just set it and forget it.
Things to consider:
- Programmatic is perfect for broad reach campaigns where you need to hit audiences across multiple platforms
- This approach shines when it comes to leveraging your first-party data for targeting and retargeting.
- You must always monitor for viewability and fraud. The automation is powerful, but it’s critical to stay on top of quality control
Private Marketplaces (PMPs)
Think of PMPs as the VIP section of programmatic advertising. These invite-only exchanges let you buy premium inventory directly from trusted publishers, but with the efficiency and targeting capabilities of programmatic platforms.
You get better inventory than open programmatic auctions, but at lower costs than direct deals. The downside is smaller inventory pools and more upfront work to get access and set up campaigns.
The Trade Desk is a top player in this category, offering access to premium streaming publishers across top OTT apps. There are also a range of platform-specific options for advertisers seeking customized approaches. For example, ad giant Viant offers a PMP integrated with LG to offer addressable inventory across LG brand smart TVs. This allows for device-level targeting and scale ideal for reach with high brand safety.
Smart applications:
- Use PMPs when you want premium inventory without paying full direct-buy prices
- Excellent for regional campaigns or when you need brand-safe national reach
- Combine PMP and open programmatic strategies to maximize both quality and scale
The buying strategy you choose depends entirely on what you're trying to accomplish: direct buys when visibility and premium placement are everything, programmatic when you need efficiency and broad reach, or PMPs when you want to split the difference.
Choosing the right method can be tricky, but you don't have to go it alone. Working with an experienced digital marketing agency can help you evaluate your specific goals and determine which approach will deliver the best results for your campaign.
How YouTube Ads Fit into Your OTT Campaign Mix
YouTube continues to be a dominating presence among advertising channels. Although YouTube technically lives within the OTT ecosystem, it operates like its own digital channel — a hybrid of video entertainment, social media, and search marketing. It offers scale and precision targeting unmatched by most OTT publishers, but it sits outside the unified programmatic OTT ecosystem, meaning it often needs to be planned and measured as a separate media line item.
What makes YouTube particularly valuable for marketers is the precision of its targeting capabilities. With a well-crafted YouTube campaign, you can reach people based on their interests, demographics, search behavior, or even the specific topics they're engaging with. Combined with generally lower costs and a more forgiving learning curve than many streaming platforms, YouTube often delivers strong ROI without requiring a massive budget commitment.
Get started with YouTube advertising by checking out our guide, 5 Steps to a Great YouTube Ad Campaign.
Maximize Your ROI: 3 Tips for OTT/CTV Campaign Success
Excluding OTT/CTV campaigns from your advertising strategy means missing massive potential audiences. These tactics maximize campaign ROI:
1. Integrate streaming ads into your broader omnichannel strategy
Consistent messaging across every touchpoint transforms OTT/CTV into a keystone channel sparking customer journeys. Running connected creative across CTV, social, search, display, and offline media increases audience memory and action.
Treat streaming ads as the first handshake, then follow up with coordinated creative across other channels.
Example: After users see your OTT ad, serve them related social carousel ads within 48 hours, then follow with email content or YouTube pre-roll diving deeper into the story.
2. Use A/B testing to track and optimize performance beyond impressions
Experiment with A/B testing to get the most out of your OTT spend. Create multiple versions of your ad and try placing your CTA at different points in the video, or change the wording of the CTA itself and track the response. On the back end, adjust your targeting parameters to see which demographics respond best to your message.
Remember, it’s important when A/B testing to only implement one change at a time to properly track impact.
3. Retarget and sequence ads to guide viewers from awareness to conversion
Rather than serving identical ads repeatedly, consider creating planned series of creative messages that evolve as viewers progress through the funnel:
- First ads should spark awareness
- Second ads should build interest with deeper product benefits or social proof
- Third ads should deliver irresistible calls to action.
Retargeting ensures these ads reach viewers who have already engaged with your brand—website visitors, previous ad viewers, or social media interactors—making each impression more relevant and cost-effective.
Learn more about the marketing sales funnel and how each stage differs in this guide.
The Future of OTT & CTV Advertising
Video advertising remains one of the most powerful ways to connect with your audience and drive real growth. The streaming revolution has created incredible opportunities for brands ready to meet customers where they actually spend their time—but navigating the OTT and CTV landscape can feel overwhelming with constantly evolving platforms and targeting options.
That's where the right partner makes all the difference. The marketing experts at Informatics have helped businesses across industries transform streaming advertising complexity into clear, measurable results. Whether you're launching your first OTT campaign or optimizing an existing strategy, we're here to help you cut through the noise and get your message in front of the audiences that matter most to your business.
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