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Connected TV (CTV): Your Secret Weapon

  • Colin Williams
  • Apr 24
  • 3 min read

If you're not using it, your cometitor most certainly is.

A woman sitting on the floor with her arms resting on a yellow TV set.
Retro vibe meets modern fashion as a woman in a red plaid dress and yellow heels poses with a vintage TV against a vibrant turquoise background.

Introduction


Television is not dead. It just moved to a new zip code: streaming.


As small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) struggle to cut through the noise of modern advertising, Connected TV (CTV) has emerged as a powerful—and surprisingly affordable—weapon in the digital arsenal. If you're still thinking of TV advertising as something reserved for national brands and Super Bowl budgets, it’s time for a reality check. CTV has democratized access to highly engaged audiences.


A 2024 study by eMarketer estimates that over 92% of U.S. households now access streaming video through smart TVs or connected devices [1]. More importantly for SMBs, CTV advertising spend among local businesses has grown over 38% year-over-year [2].

This article is your strategic breakdown of why CTV matters, how it works, and how to wield it without wasting a dime.


What Is Connected TV, Really?


CTV refers to any television that connects to the internet to stream video content. Think Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, Apple TV, or built-in Smart TVs running Netflix, Hulu, YouTube TV, and more. ​As of 2024, approximately 83% of U.S. TV households own a smart TV, indicating a significant shift toward Connected TV (CTV) adoption.  This widespread ownership underscores the growing importance of CTV platforms in reaching audiences effectively.

For small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), this trend presents a valuable opportunity to engage with consumers through targeted, affordable, and measurable advertising on platforms where audiences are increasingly spending their time.


But more importantly, CTV advertising delivers:


  • On-demand targeting (age, gender, income, behavior)

  • Non-skippable inventory (your ad gets seen)

  • Premium content adjacencies (ads during shows people actually watch)


Why CTV Is Built for SMBs


  1. Local Targeting Like Never Before You can now run TV ads only to people in your zip code, your city, or households that fit your ideal customer profile (ICP).

  2. Affordable & Flexible Budgets Minimum spend requirements have dropped significantly. You can test campaigns for under $3,000/month and scale only what works.

  3. Performance Metrics Are Finally Here Thanks to advancements in attribution tech, you can measure ROAS, site visits, and even foot traffic. Services like Placer.ai and JamLoop make this possible.

  4. Unmatched Attention Nielsen reports that viewers are 2.6x more likely to pay attention to CTV ads than social video ads [3].

  5. Omnichannel Tie-Ins You can retarget CTV viewers with follow-up ads on mobile, desktop, or audio. Sequential messaging made easy.


What Makes a Great CTV Ad for SMBs?


  • Tight Creative (15–30 seconds)

  • Clear Local CTA (phone, map, website)

  • Emotive Hook in the first 3 seconds

  • Simple Branding - think logos, not essays

  • Sound On - music and VO matter


Don't overcomplicate it. Think: a drone shot, a happy customer, a smiling owner, and a direct offer.


How Much Should You Spend?


Here’s a sample tiered approach for an SMB with a $3K - $10K media budget:

Budget

Monthly Impressions

Target Area

Notes

$3,000

120,000

Zip-code

Perfect for hyperlocal blitz

$5,000

200,000

City-wide

Layer in mobile retargeting

$10,000

400,000+

Multi-region

Add sequential storytelling

Source: Q12025 Advu Media planning benchmarks based on multiple DSP platforms' data.


Attribution and ROI: Can You Measure It?


Yes. You can:


  • Track site visits post-view

  • Measure foot traffic via device ID match-back

  • Monitor conversions via unique URLs or QR codes

  • Compare performance vs. display/social ads


Advanced tools include the following ad tech solutions:

  • Real-world footfall attribution and measurement

  • Impression-to-action modeling

  • Campaign mapping


Common Mistakes to Avoid


  • Reusing social media creative (TV needs cinematic flair)

  • Too many messages (one ad = one message)

  • Skipping frequency planning (1x impressions rarely convert)

  • Ignoring retargeting (the real win is after the first ad)



Soft CTA: So, Should You Try It?


If you’ve tried digital, social, SEO, and print but you’ve never seen yourself “on TV,” now’s the time. CTV doesn’t require a production house, a $50K budget, or a national audience. It requires smart strategy, sharp creative, and a clear business goal.


That’s where we come in.


At Advu Media, we plan, produce, and place modern TV ads for modern businesses—starting small and scaling fast. You’ll see the data, feel the impact, and know exactly what your dollars are doing.


Let’s put you on the (connected) big screen.



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