The Official Lightswitch Guide to Understanding OTT for your Business
Tips and tricks to help your business get the most out of Over-the-Top Media
Over-The-Top Media (OTT) consists of several post options, giving your business a wide variety of options to choose from.
If you're wondering how to start promoting your business via OTT, you've come to the right place! We're breaking down best practices for putting your video ads on streaming services.
Over-The-Top Media (OTT)
Over-The-Top media services are media that is offered directly to viewers via the Internet, bypassing cable, broadcast, and satellite tv platforms. Examples include streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, Disney+, Amazon Prime, etc.
Summary: OTT services are great for businesses looking to minimize ad spend waste by reaching a targeted, niche audience.
The Basics
- More people are “cord-cutting,” meaning their household cancels cable or satellite TV, and are streaming video through connected TV instead
- OTT ads are like TV ads but with more specific targeting capabilities
Recommendations
- 1920x1080 are preferred
- All files must be in 16:9
- Duration: 15-30 seconds
- Note: These recommendations are for Hulu advertising, some platforms have different sizing requirements
Who uses OTT
- Broadly speaking - nearly everyone engages with OTT in one way or another. Think of it like TV, but TV that allows you to target more specifically than just a geographic area.
- OTT services account for 25% of the collective time that consumers spend using their TVs – and users 55+ are streaming, too.
Businesses Who Successfully Use OTT
- Restaurants
- Home Services
- Subscription services
- Music & Performing Arts
- Direct to Consumer products
- Apparel
- Financial services
- Healthcare services
- Educational content
Types of OTT Ads
- Mid-roll Ads: Longer than pre-roll ads, these ads typically range between 15 or 30s, and are shown in the middle of the main content - just like TV commercials
- Post-roll ads: Ranging from a few seconds to several minutes, these ads are shown after the main content has ended
- Banner ads: Appear at the top or bottom of the screen during the content, and Overlay ads appear on top of the content but do not interrupt it.
How to use OTT most effectively
- Keep the important info up front
- Given the chance to skip, most people will, so the shorter time your ad takes to get its point across, the better
- Be specific
- You can target more traits than just geography, so the more tailored your message is to the audience, the better it will perform - for example, streaming platform Hulu allows you to create binge ads that show when someone is binge-watching a TV show
- Use voice overs and captions to reach the audiences that aren’t looking at their device while the ad plays, and for those who shut off the volume while watching ads.
- Use interactive elements where available - some allow QR codes or links to be sent to the viewers’ phones
Paid Targeting Capabilities
- Languages
- Interests
- Behaviors
- Purchasing history
- Location
- Gender
- Geography
- Age brackets
- Demographics
- Show genre
