OTT Targeting: 8 Best Ways to Reach Your Audience

by The MNTN Team

5 Min Read

Over-the-top (OTT) platforms have become foundational to the ever-growing online streaming ecosystem. Commonly used interchangeably with the term Connected TV (CTV), OTT involves streaming video content through applications and media services via the internet without the need for a cable box or satellite.

By 2027, the OTT market will have approximately 4.2 billion users. With so many people flocking to OTT entertainment, it’s important that you weave this channel into your performance marketing strategy.

The question is, how do you ensure your content reaches the right audiences? The answer: OTT targeting. Here are eight OTT audience targeting strategies that you can put to work for your brand.

1. Demographic Targeting

Imagine being able to place your brand directly in front of your ideal customer. Demographic-based OTT targeting makes this possible by sorting viewers based on age, gender, income, and more. It’s like having a billboard in a virtual world that only your chosen demographic can see, ensuring your advertising dollars go further and make a bigger impact.

2. Geographic Targeting

Whether you’re opening a new store in Miami or launching a product in the Pacific Northwest, geographic targeting lets you localize your TV ads with laser-like precision. You can pinpoint a specific neighborhood or target an entire region. This strategy ensures your products or services are actually available to the people you are marketing to.

The geographic-based OTT targeting approach is ideal for regional brands, service providers, and franchises. However, national and global brands can also benefit from this strategy. For instance, if you operate nationally but find your products are underperforming in a specific region, you can target that area to boost sales.

3. Behavioral Targeting

Behavioral targeting takes cues from viewers’ past online activities — like the websites they’ve visited or the products they’ve searched — to show ads that align with their interests. It’s a strategy that says, “We know what you’re into,” and delivers ads that reflect those interests.

More than three out of four (78%) U.S. internet users state that personalized content increases their purchase intent. A staggering 87% state that personally relevant content positively impacts how they feel about a brand.

4. Interest-Based Targeting

Do your customers geek out on tech gadgets or live for the next big game? Interest-based targeting reaches viewers according to their hobbies, passions, and entertainment choices. This approach taps into the power of personal preference, connecting your brand with audiences engaged in content they love.

When you let audience interests guide your OTT targeting efforts, you can connect with customers using content they’re most likely to engage with.

5. Retargeting (Remarketing)

Retargeting allows you to circle back to individuals who’ve interacted with your brand but haven’t made a purchase. It’s an opportunity to nudge viewers in the right direction, reminding them what they’re missing out on and why they were interested in the first place.

OTT retargeting is particularly useful when you place your streaming ads in the middle of content. Typically, mid-roll OTT ads come in 90 to 180-second groups. If your 30-second ad runs at the beginning of that commercial break, users might just check out your site while they are waiting for their programming to return.

6. First Party Data Targeting

First party data targeting involves using your own data to address customers with personalized content. You can use email lists, CRM data, or any other information you’ve gathered directly to connect (or reconnect) with prospective customers.

First party data targeting is becoming increasingly popular with the fast-approaching demise of third party cookies. Adding first party, data-based OTT targeting to your marketing strategy now will help you adapt to the cookieless future and gain an edge over the competition.

7. Cross-Device Targeting

The modern consumer bounces between devices, so why shouldn’t your ads? Cross-device targeting allows you to maintain a conversation with your audience whether they’re on a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or watching CTV. It’s an orchestrated approach that blankets all touchpoints, offering a seamless brand experience.

Customers are rarely going to make a purchase after just one ad. In most cases, you’ll need to connect with them about seven times to get a sale. Cross-device targeting helps you rack up those interactions and draw customers deeper into the sales funnel.

8. Dynamic Creative Optimization (DCO)

Dynamic creative optimization (DCO) is your secret weapon in the fight for consumer attention. This OTT targeting strategy combines multiple types of consumer data, including behavioral, demographic, and geographic information, to adjust ad imagery in real-time.

Tailoring an ad’s imagery, message, and CTA in real-time allows you to take ad personalization to the next level. With DCO, you’re not just targeting an audience — you’re speaking directly to a person.

Reach Your Audience With MNTN Performance TV

MNTN Performance TV is the premier Connected TV and OTT ad solution. MNTN serves on CTV and OTT inventory, enabling you to apply these strategies to your streaming-based advertising campaigns. Take the guesswork out of OTT advertising and target specific audience segments in accordance with your brand goals.

With MNTN, you can engage in precision OTT audience targeting, obtain real-time insights about the impacts of each campaign, and access premium CTV inventory. MNTN Performance TV also offers auto-optimization, powerful integrations, and other cutting-edge tools designed to empower your OTT targeting efforts.

Get a demo to learn more.

OTT Targeting: Final Thoughts

OTT audience targeting allows you to place your brand in front of the right audience at the ideal stage of their purchasing journey. Through OTT targeting, you can control when and where your content appears, sharpen your advertising focus, and boost campaign performance.

Whether you want to increase brand awareness, drive sales, or engage with a new segment, MNTN Performance TV’s premium OTT inventory is your gateway to achieving your goals.