YouTube view-through rates generally fall within the 50-60% range, but YouTube CTV stands out with a significantly higher potential, achieving up to a 96% video completion rate. As of Q1 2024, CTV view rates consistently exceed other device placements. Despite being a relatively new ad placement, audiences are more inclined to engage with CTV ads due to the comfortable home viewing experience. This presents a significant opportunity for media buying teams to leverage Connected TV advertising.

The increasing popularity of CTV means that advertisers and media buyers face the pressing task of converting Connected TV ad viewers into frontline customers. Given the prevalence of high view-through rates on CTV, media buyers can capitalize on this opportunity to move audiences further along the marketing funnel.

Breaking Down the Numbers for YouTube Connected TV Ads

With YouTube Connected TV present in just 39.3 million US households by 2022, its immediate dominance compared to other YouTube ad placements is quite surprising. 

One of the initial adopters of Connected TV advertising includes major TV manufacturers like Samsung and LG, along with streaming services such as Roku, Amazon, and Apple. YouTube TV swiftly joined the trend, experimenting with longer advertising breaks on Connected TV. Soon, over half of YouTube CTV viewers experienced extended viewing sessions, lasting 29% longer, before encountering the next ad break. 

This serves as additional evidence that an ad will always garner attention if shown to the right viewers, regardless of its placement.

To illustrate how YouTube CTV ads outperform the charts, we analyzed our YouTube ads’ device placements in Q1 2024. Our findings revealed that CTV had the highest view rates and lowest costs during this period:

Regarding impressions and views, Connected TV is competing closely with mobile devices in terms of market share. This trend is supported by the anticipated rise in ad spending for Connected TV advertising, which is expected to reach $30.10 billion in 2024, marking a 22% increase from 2023.

How Advertisers Can Shift YouTube CTV Viewers and Turn Them To Paying Customers

Now that you’ve seen the impact of YouTube CTV ads in capturing audiences’ attention and promoting brand awareness, it’s time to capitalize on this information and put it to work for your brand. 

The ultimate goal is to guide your audience from the marketing funnel to the sales funnel, encouraging them to make purchases, schedule appointments, or take actions that align with your business objectives. Here are the strategies to effectively convert YouTube CTV ad viewers into leads and customers:

Analyzing Consumer Behavior to Understand Their Next Steps

It is widely acknowledged that ads on linear TV channels often appear seemingly unrelated to the content being aired. Take, for example, the juxtaposition of a sports betting advertisement during a medical drama on cable TV. 

The ad’s relevance to the show is secondary to the allure of the prime advertising spot with its large viewership. Consequently, numerous advertisers vie for this coveted space, and the highest bidder secures the opportunity to showcase their product or service.

Given the precise targeting capabilities of YouTube Connected TV ads in contrast to traditional linear TV ads, Connected TV viewers have expressed overwhelming positive sentiments. These viewers find the ads more relatable, inspiring them to engage further with the products or services they see. Armed with this data, the challenge is guiding them to the next phase.

Maximize the Ability to Target Diverse Audiences

While connected TV ads may primarily focus on households and individuals staying at home, other numerous audience targeting strategies can be explored. YouTube’s targeting capabilities have expanded beyond demographics to contextual targeting, location targeting, and more:

• Utilize YouTube remarketing: By linking your brand’s YouTube channel to Google Ads, you can use valuable data from audiences who have viewed and interacted with your videos, regardless of whether they were organic or promoted. 
  
  This allows your ads to be strategically displayed to these highly engaged audiences, creating a more natural advertising experience.

• Build your funnel from awareness to consideration to conversion: Utilizing Google TV and YouTube TV ads is a fantastic way to increase your brand’s visibility and kickstart your marketing funnel. This strategy allows you to target individuals who have viewed your connected TV (CTV) ads or visited your website through those ads. This effectively moves them up the marketing funnel, leading to greater engagement and potential conversion into leads or sales.
  
  Moreover, by employing Video Action Campaigns, you can continue to engage and nurture individuals who have already expressed interest in your brand. These campaigns can guide them toward consideration or conversion-focused ads. This approach moves them further along the marketing funnel, encouraging engagement and leading them to become potential leads or valued customers within your sales database.

• Take Your Audiences through a Journey: The average US adult spends 1 hour and 51 minutes daily on CTV devices, so media buyers must capitalize on this screen time to lead viewers through a journey.
  
  Our Q1 2024 YouTube report shows that shorter YouTube ads (15 seconds or less) generate the highest view rates. Ads that run between 16 and 30 seconds come second. While longer ads (60 seconds or more) may have a slightly lower view rate, they offer an excellent opportunity to tell a compelling story about your product or service, resulting in a higher retention rate.