Making TV Screens Shoppable With YouTube Video Action Campaigns

The holidays are coming early to direct response marketers on YouTube. The platform recently announced an important update to its inventory, making YouTube ads in the living room more shoppable by expanding video action campaigns to Connected TV devices. Now, marketers that want to drive down-funnel results like online purchases or leads can include video action campaigns for TV screens in their YouTube strategies.

While Connected TV screens have been great drivers of awareness and engagement, tying back down-funnel results has proven a little more complicated. The rollout of this updated ad format, however, helps position YouTube on TV Screens as a one-stop shop for marketers looking to take advantage of the massive surge in viewership of YouTube and Connected TV — driving upper-funnel awareness and down-funnel actions.

Audiences have flocked to YouTube and Connected TV in the recent past, as pandemic lockdowns in 2020 led to more consumers staying in and watching video. Total viewership on YouTube continues to increase, with eMarketer estimating a 4.4% increase in 2021, reaching a total of 223.5 million viewers. Following the dramatic spike in living room viewing by nearly 63% last year, more than half of YouTube viewers now watch on TV screens.

With this update, direct response marketers will be able to take advantage of the largest ad-supported platform in Connected TV through video action campaigns for TV screens, driving and measuring conversions of customers through YouTube. When viewing the ad, consumers will be encouraged to visit a URL on their mobile or desktop device. The viewing experience will remain uninterrupted, while video action campaigns enable marketers to seize the second screen and motivate consumers to take action — whether visiting a website to learn more, signing up for an offer, making a purchase, or another down-funnel outcome.

Want to learn more about how video action campaigns for TV screens could elevate your YouTube strategy? Let’s get in touch — we’d love to hear from you and walk through Pixability’s approach to driving actions across YouTube and Connected TV.