How Do I Advertise on CTV (Connected TV)?
Advertising on Connected TV, or CTV, allows brands to deliver high-quality video ads through streaming services on smart televisions and streaming devices. CTV advertising combines strong attention with precise digital targeting. It reaches viewers who stream content instead of watching traditional cable.
This article explains how to advertise on CTV and how RMG Advertising’s Predictive Targeting enhances performance.
Step 1: Define Your CTV Advertising Goal
Start by choosing a clear goal. Common goals include:
- Brand awareness
- Website traffic
- Online sales
- Lead generation
- App installs
Your goal shapes your budget, targeting, and creative.
Step 2: Choose Your Buying Method
Advertisers buy CTV inventory in two ways.
Programmatic Buying
Programmatic buying uses automated systems to purchase CTV inventory across many apps and streaming platforms. Programmatic buying offers:
- Flexible budgets
- Real-time optimisation
- Broad inventory access
- Data-driven targeting
RMG Advertising activates CTV through programmatic channels for efficient reach.
Direct Buying
Direct buying secures inventory from a single publisher such as:
- Roku
- YouTube
- Amazon Freevee
- Samsung TV Plus
This method works when brands want placements within specific apps or channels.
Step 3: Use Predictive Targeting to Optimise CTV Delivery
RMG Advertising’s Predictive Targeting enhances CTV performance by using machine learning to evaluate more than two hundred real-time signals for every impression. These signals include:
- Device behaviour
- Viewing patterns
- Content category
- Time of day
- Household tendencies
- Contextual cues
Each impression receives a predictive score based on the likelihood of driving the desired outcome. Only the highest-value impressions are purchased. This improves:
- Precision
- Efficiency
- Completion rates
- Delivery quality
- Budget allocation
Predictive Targeting updates these scores in real time, which helps campaigns adapt to shifting viewing habits.
This approach lets advertisers combine TV-quality storytelling with machine-learning accuracy.
Step 4: Prepare Your Video Creative
CTV supports 15-second and 30-second video ads. Strong creative includes:
- Clear branding early
- A simple message
- Clean visuals
- A clear call to action
According to the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), short video assets often increase completion rates on streaming devices.*
Step 5: Set Your Budget and Strategy
CTV uses cost-per-thousand impression pricing. Many brands start with flexible programmatic budgets and refine spending after early results. You can also adjust:
- Frequency caps
- App-level delivery
- Household reach
Step 6: Launch and Optimise Your Campaign
Once you launch, monitor performance indicators such as:
- Completion rate
- Reach
- Frequency
- Cost efficiency
- App-level delivery
Predictive Targeting adjusts delivery in real time to improve outcomes.
Step 7: Combine CTV With Other Channels
CTV works well with other media formats such as:
- Digital video
- Mobile display
- Audio
- In-grocery media like AdBar, AdCap, and AdTray
- Real-world targeting through GeoQuest Targeting
This sequence reinforces messaging on and off the screen.
Internal Links
- Review Predictive Targeting for CTV optimisation
- Explore programmatic advertising solutions
- See how AdBar, AdCap, and AdTray extend reach in grocery environments