Key takeaways: 

1. Amazon OTT (Over-The-Top) advertising allows brands to display video ads across streaming platforms like Prime Video, Fire TV, Twitch, and IMDb TV. As more consumers shift from traditional TV to online streaming, OTT ads provide a major opportunity to reach large, engaged audiences.
2. Through Amazon’s Demand-Side Platform (DSP), advertisers can target audiences based on shopping behavior, demographics, interests, and competitor interactions. 
3. Amazon OTT ads appear not only on Amazon’s owned channels but also across third-party streaming apps and devices.
4. OTT ads are non-clickable, so performance is measured using metrics such as Reach, Brand Lift, Branded Search, and New-to-Brand conversions.

If you've ever streamed live sports, you've most likely come across an OTT video ad or content. 

OTT ( Over-the-Top) video ads or content, also called streaming TV, refers to content or advertisements that are displayed to viewers through a streaming video service.

Amazon OTT advertising allows brands to target a wide audience and improve brand performance. It is also one of the ways to increase revenue in business. 

In this ePlaybooks guide, we will look at what Amazon OTT advertising is and how you can use it to build your brand.

What is Amazon OTT advertising?

As we mentioned earlier, OTT advertising stands for over-the-top advertising. This type of advertising solution is used to reach audiences who stream content over the internet. 

This form of advertising has become popular over the years as many consumers now consume content over the internet as opposed to cable TV. 

According to statistics, around 8.2 billion hours of content were watched in the third quarter of 2021. Also, Twitch, which is one of the largest live-streaming platforms, has an average of 30 million daily users. 

Amazon OTT was established in 2019 under Amazon Advertising. Some of its OTT streaming services include Prime Video, FireTV, Amazon Music, Amazon Studios, Twitch, IMDb TV, and Audible.

With Amazon OTT, advertisers can reach a wide range of audiences in the Amazon marketplace. 

You can find Amazon OTT ads in video streaming apps, streaming platforms like Twitch, gaming consoles, streaming devices, smart TVs, and so on. 

How does Amazon OTT work? 

You can create Amazon OTT ads using the Amazon DSP (Demand-Side-Platform). This platform is available to advertisers selling on Amazon or not. 

Amazon Fire TV is a leading OTT platform with millions of viewers worldwide. You can buy video placements on various apps on Fire TV. 

These ads can potentially reach millions of live-stream users on Amazon’s streaming platforms. 

OTT ads are not skippable and will be shown on a full screen at the beginning of the live stream or in between streaming live content. They are non-clickable ads and so cannot be measured by click-through rates. Amazon OTT ads are paid for per thousand impressions. 

Also, Amazon explains that managed service advertising options like OTT ads will require a monthly spend of $15,000. For budgets under $15,000, Amazon refers you to try other Amazon Advertising solutions like Amazon PPC ads, Sponsored Brands ads, Sponsored Display ads, etc.

Benefits of using Amazon OTT advertising 

Now we know what Amazon OTT is all about. Let's look at a few benefits of using Amazon OTT advertising: 

Specific targeting.

With Amazon OTT ads, you can target specific audiences interested in your products. 

The Amazon Demand Side Platform will give you unique insights to help you target potential customers that can translate to product sales. These insights are based on factors like product interests, shopping patterns, behaviors, and demographics like gender, age, income, and more. 

Unique to Amazon OTT ads, you can also target customers who have viewed your competitor's products and convert them into customers. 

Target difficult-to-reach audiences. 

OTT ads are non-skippable and can help you reach audiences that are difficult to reach. For example, you can access customers who do not have an active TV subscription. 

Build your brand on and off Amazon.

With OTT advertising, you can reach audiences both on Amazon platforms and third-party apps that are accessible to Amazon. This gives you the opportunity to increase brand awareness and lead potential customers to buy your products. 

Cheaper than TV ads. 

Over the years, viewers of traditional media like TV have declined. Running ads via television now costs more than ever. Running OTT ads is a more cost-effective way to create visual advertisements. Plus, you can easily track these ads and obtain relevant data to track your results after the ad campaign is over. 

Getting started with Amazon OTT.

With more people consuming video and live stream content, OTT ads are one way to reach more customers. Thankfully, anyone can take advantage of this marketing and advertising solution. Here's a quick guide to help you get started with Amazon OTT:

1. Start with your goals. 

As with any advertising campaign, you need to start with your goals. What do you intend to achieve with OTT ads? Who are you targeting? How do you want to measure the success of your advertising campaign? It is important to set clear and concise goals and KPIs to help you measure your success after the campaign. What's more, it will help you determine your target audience, video placements, and other factors. 

2. Identify and create audience segments.

As we mentioned earlier, your goals will help you determine the type of audience you are targeting. For a successful campaign, it is important to identify and segment your target audience. This will help you create ads that are more specific to a customer's demographics and interests. 

There are three segments for behavioral targeting on Amazon: 

• In-market targeting: In-market targeting looks at customers who have searched for products within your product category on Amazon. 
• Lifestyle targeting: This reaches customers based on their interests. This includes their hobbies, preferences, habits, and so on.
• Retargeting: This type of audience segmentation looks at customers who looked at your products on Amazon but did not make a purchase. 

3. Create and submit the ad.

After identifying your target audience, you can create and submit your ad. To submit your ad, simply create an Amazon DSP account on the Amazon Video ads page. Visit the Amazon Video ads page and click on Get Started. Next, register your account and start creating campaigns.

4. Launch campaign and optimize.

Now it's time to launch your campaign. Once launched, continue to optimize your campaign to get maximum results. You can tweak your strategy, create more segments, test your bids, and so on.

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Best practices for creating Amazon OTT advertising 

If you want your OTT ads to translate to product sales, you need to create high-quality ads that customers are interested in. Here are a few best practices for creating high-quality OTT ads: 

1. Focus on an objective: As we mentioned earlier, it is important to define your goals clearly. Focus on an objective. It could be to build brand awareness or to create a deeper connection with your audience. Fully understand your target audience to ensure you create relevant ads that resonate with them deeply. 
2. Tell a captivating story: Stories leave memories that could last a lifetime. With OTT ads, you only have a few minutes to grab the attention of your customers. You can tell a story about the benefits of using your product or what your brand stands for. 
3. Include your brand's logo: Ensure your brand’s logo is included in your video ad to increase your brand awareness.
4. Limit on-screen text: Amazon recommends using the least on-screen text as this can reduce the quality of a viewer's experience. Instead, use short, easy-to-read sentences that quickly pass the message across. 
5. Voice-overs/ music: While this is not compulsory, you can invest in voice-overs and add music that matches your ad. 
6. Optimize for multiple devices: Amazon OTT ads play across Fire TV, Prime Video, IMDb TV, and other streaming apps. You want to ensure your content looks great on TV screens, tablets, and mobile devices. Use adaptive design principles and avoid text or visuals that may appear too small or cluttered on different screens.
7. Add a Call-to-action(CTA): After a captivating ad, you want to include a call-to-action to encourage viewers to visit your website or even make a purchase. This can be helpful as viewers may have a nearby device while streaming. 
8. Maintain high production quality: Quality matters in video advertising. Poor-quality ads can reduce trust and viewer engagement. Invest in professional visuals, clean audio, and strong storytelling to reflect your brand’s credibility. 
9. Integrate OTT with other Amazon Advertising channels: To get the best results, combine OTT ads with Sponsored Ads, Display Ads, and DSP campaigns. This multi-channel approach keeps your brand visible at every stage of the funnel. Consistent messaging across channels reinforces your brand story and drives better ROI. This is why, at ePlaybooks, we leverage all Amazon Advertising solutions to deliver customized advertising strategies that help our clients reach their business goals. 
10. Test, measure, and optimize: Treat your OTT campaign as an ongoing experiment. Run A/B tests with different ad creatives, messages, or audience segments to see what performs best. Track key metrics and use these insights to continuously refine your campaigns.

How to measure success with Amazon OTT advertising. 

Like with any other advertising campaign, you want to ensure you are getting positive returns on investments. Here are some metrics that can help you measure your ad performance: 

• Reach Metrics: The Reach Metrics will help you quantify how many people your ad was able to reach and its impact on your business. 
• Branded Search Metrics: The Brand Search Metrics will tell you just how many people are in search of your brand after the ad campaign. With this metric, you can quantify how compelling your ad was in getting people to take action. 
• New to Brand: With the New to Brand metrics, you will be able to quantify the percentage of people who were exposed to your ad and took the step to make a purchase. With this metric, you can determine if your ad was effective at driving sales. 
• Brand Lift: The Brand Lift metric helps you measure the changes in brand perception, purchase intent, consideration, etc. It also reveals your audience demographics.

Start creating Amazon OTT ads.

We have seen over the years, with the decline of television, that video streaming is the future.

With Amazon OTT, you can explore various advertising opportunities and move many steps ahead of the competition. 

Ready to create ads that truly connect and convert? Partner with the experts at ePlaybooks to unlock the full potential of your Amazon OTT campaigns.If you want your OTT ads to translate to product sales, you need to create high-quality ads that customers are interested in. Here are a few best practices for creating high-quality OTT ads: 

1. Focus on an objective: As we mentioned earlier, it is important to define your goals clearly. Focus on an objective. It could be to build brand awareness or to create a deeper connection with your audience. Fully understand your target audience to ensure you create relevant ads that resonate with them deeply. 
2. Tell a captivating story: Stories leave memories that could last a lifetime. With OTT ads, you only have a few minutes to grab the attention of your customers. You can tell a story about the benefits of using your product or what your brand stands for. 
3. Include your brand's logo: Ensure your brand’s logo is included in your video ad to increase your brand awareness
4. Limit on-screen text: Amazon recommends using the least on-screen text as this can reduce the quality of a  viewer's experience. Instead, use short easy-to-read sentences that quickly pass the message across. 
5. Voice-overs/ music: While this is not compulsory, you can invest in voice-overs and add music that matches your ad. 
6. Add a Call-to-action(CTA): After a captivating ad, you want to include a call-to-action to encourage viewers to visit your website or even make a purchase. This can be helpful as viewers may have a nearby device while streaming. 

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How to measure success with Amazon OTT advertising 

Like with any other advertising campaign, you want to ensure you are getting positive returns on investments. Here are some metrics that can help you measure your ad performance: 

• Reach Metrics: The Reach Metrics will help you quantify how many people your ad was able to reach and its impact on your business. 
• Branded Search Metrics: The Brand Search Metrics will tell you just how many people are in search of your brand after the ad campaign. With this metric, you can quantify how compelling your ad was in getting people to take action. 
• New to Brand: With the New to Brand metrics, you will be able to quantify the percentage of people who were exposed to your ad and took the step to make a purchase. With this metric, you can determine if your ad was effective at driving sales. 
• Brand Lift: The Brand Lift metric helps you measure the changes in brand perception, purchase intent, consideration, etc. It also reveals your audience demographics.

Start creating Amazon OTT ads

We have seen over the years with the decline of television that video streaming is the future.

With Amazon OTT, you can explore various advertising opportunities and move many steps ahead of the competition. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What are the 4 Ps of marketing on Amazon?

The 4 Ps of marketing (Product, Price, Place, and Promotion) can apply directly to selling on Amazon:

• Product: Optimize your listings with quality images, detailed descriptions, and relevant keywords.
• Price: Use competitive pricing strategies and tools like automated repricers to keep your prices competitive and stay ahead.
• Place: Amazon acts as your “place” or distribution channel, giving you access to millions of global customers.
• Promotion: You can boost visibility through Amazon Ads, deals, coupons, and effective product reviews.

How does OTT advertising work?

OTT (Over-The-Top) advertising delivers video ads directly to viewers through streaming services like Prime Video, Fire TV, or other connected devices, bypassing traditional cable. It allows brands to target specific audiences using Amazon’s rich shopper data, ensuring ads reach the right customers at the right time.

What are the three types of Amazon advertising?

Amazon offers three main types of ads:

• Sponsored Products: With Sponsored Products, you can promote individual listings in search results and on product pages.
• Sponsored Brands: With this ad, you can highlight your brand and multiple products with customizable banners.
• Sponsored Display: With Sponsored Display ads, you can retarget and reach shoppers on and off Amazon using display ads based on shopping behavior.

What is the advertising strategy of Amazon?

Amazon’s advertising strategy focuses on data-driven personalization, audience targeting, and full-funnel marketing. It uses its vast customer data to deliver relevant ads across shopping, streaming, and display channels. Amazon sellers can leverage Sponsored Ads, Amazon DSP, and OTT campaigns to reach customers at every stage of the sales funnel, from awareness to purchase.

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