OTT Advertising Continues to Engage Potential Students

If you want to reach students in the U.S., putting your message on television is a smart idea. But don’t start writing checks to your local broadcast station just yet. Mobile and streaming options, collectively known as OTT or Connected TV, are redefining television. Over the last year, savvy education marketers have used this to their advantage with promising results. If you haven’t already made OTT advertising part of your education marketing strategy, now might be the time to start. 

Pandemic changes still influence video consumption habits

American’s watch a lot of TV: An average of 10+ hours a day across live, connected and digital platforms according to Neilsen. In 2019, they spent an average of 1.35 hours per week watching streaming television. By mid-2020, that number had jumped to 2.38 hours. Where did the extra hour come from?

Credit for the spike in view time goes to stay-at-home orders and the effects of a global pandemic. People were forced to spend more time at home and had fewer entertainment options. They ended up watching TV not just in the evenings after work, but while working from home or during their lunch hour. 

Many choose to consume content via YouTube, Hulu, and Roku. As a result, these services account for about half of connected TV ad dollars. In fact, 25% of homes have added a new streaming service in the second quarter of 2020, with an average of 3-4 streaming services per household. New platforms are creating more choice for consumers and more visibility for brands. 

This combination of technology and circumstance has pushed OTT revenue to new heights. By 2024, the global OTT market is expected to top $159 billion. Nearly double the 2019 number.  

What this means for colleges and universities

All of this means that audiences are shifting more of their attention to OTT services and colleges might want to consider doing the same. Whether you’re trying to reach traditional students or post-traditional audiences, your future students are using OTT to engage with video. 

Figuring out OTT now can keep your marketing in front of them and ahead of the curve. According to a Pew Research survey, 61% of 18-29 year olds use streaming services as their primary way to watch TV. So even when the pandemic passess, the trend is likely to continue as this age group matures into the market. 

If you already have linear TV advertising or digital video ads in place, you’re halfway there. Explore OTT marketing best practices so you can make the most of your video marketing content. 

With opportunities for precise geotargeting and dynamic creative, OTT enables you to precisely target your audience. For online programs, OTT is likely to attract students who are comfortable in the digital space. So they’re better candidates for online learning. 

Our clients continue to see positive results from OTT advertising. If you haven’t already added OTT to your marketing mix, now might be the time to explore this growing opportunity. We can help, reach out to the EducationDynamics Marketing Services team for support with your OTT marketing campaigns.