Is your client’s video advertising strategy evolving with the times? Sure, a lot more people started watching TV because of the pandemic, but a lot of that viewing was done via connected TV rather than traditional. And many consumers prefer watching online videos compared to TV. That’s why many agency clients are prioritizing online video and connected TV advertising. Should your client be doing the same?

YouTube and Connected TV Advertising in 2023

YouTube Advertising

In spite of mass fears of recession, research from Pixability says that 71% of marketing agencies report that their clients plan on maintaining their YouTube ad spending. In fact, 55% of agencies’ YouTube investment for 2023 will increase as a part of their strategy. Why? YouTube helps agencies’ clients fulfill important ad campaign objectives such as:

• Ad Performance
• Measurement and Reporting
• Audience Targeting
• Efficiency
• Reach and Scale

What percentage of your client’s target audience actively uses YouTube? Check out their audience profile on AdMall by SalesFuel to learn the answer and see which percentage of that audience has taken action after seeing an online video ad within the last year. You can also see how long in a typical day, on average, the audience spends streaming online videos. If the percentages are high enough, it may be time to consider either establishing or enhancing your client’s YouTube ad strategy.

Connected TV Advertising

Connected TV advertising is exceedingly popular among agencies, both big and independent. According to Pixability, 76% of agencies plan on investing more on connected TV ads in 2023. Another 20% plan to at least maintain their spending, while only 4% intend to invest less. Those are FAR better numbers than linear TV is seeing. This year, 41% of agencies plan to invest less in linear TV advertising and 45% will maintain their spending. Only 14% plan on increasing their linear TV ad spend.

However, just because most agencies are investing more in connected TV advertising this year doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best choice for your client. Want to find out for sure? Head back to AudienceSCAN on AdMall by Salesfuel. In the Marketing tab, you can discover which percentage of your client’s target audience took action after seeing ads on streaming TV channels within the past year. You can also look up what subscription or streaming services the audience uses for TV programming to give you an idea of where your client should be placing their ads.

Where Connected TV and YouTube Meet

Now, before you go grouping in YouTube with linear TV and think, “Why should I bother with YouTube when there are connected TV services like Netflix, Hulu, etc. for ad buying?” there’s something you should know. According to Pixability, 46% of agencies consider YouTube to be a connected TV platform. Not only that, YouTube is where 72.5% of agencies, on average, plan to invest their connected TV advertising dollars. In fact, YouTube is the top connected TV platform advertising agencies plan to invest in this year.

The top connected TV platforms that the Big 6 agencies plan on investing in ads for this year include:

• YouTube: 75% of agencies plan to invest in this platform
• Roku: 70%
• Peacock: 68%
• Amazon Fire TV: 57%
• Hulu: 57%

The top connected TV platforms independent agencies plan on investing in ads for this year include:

• YouTube: 70% of agencies plan to invest in this platform
• Hulu: 67%
• Roku: 55%
• Amazon Fire TV: 37%
• Pluto TV: 32%

So, investing in YouTube ads can benefit your client as both a social media channel, as well as a connected TV option. But don’t forget to include platforms that are more commonly viewed as connected TV channels, such as Roku and Amazon Fire TV.

Photo by Joyce Busola