Sharpen your Marketing Edge with Dual-Screening

Television viewing behaviors have evolved as much as television content and distribution services. Our unshakable dependence on mobile devices and staying connected at all times has given rise to a behavior called “dual-screening” while watching TV. 

Polls show that more than 80% of viewers in most age groups interact with content on another screen while watching TV. Most often these screens include a CTV (Connected TV) or OTT (Over The Top) device and a mobile device (such as a smartphone or tablet) or a computer. 

In our modern “always-on” culture, we prefer to multi-task instead of focusing solely on a TV program for entertainment. Admit it, we’ve all scrolled through social media, checked email, or reviewed top headlines while watching our favorite shows. 

The dual-screening paradox

Some advertisers may be concerned that dual-screening dilutes viewer attention and the performance of TV ads. However, research indicates that dual-screening actually heightens engagement. TV viewers can’t help themselves – they are commenting on related social media posts, looking up information about the programs, as well as shopping real-time for products advertised on TV. 

Dual-screening represents a new opportunity for marketers to leverage content on one screen to prompt actions on another. Connecting with high-value viewers when they are engaged often stimulates the action to purchase, subscribe, download, or tune in. A prime example is a viewer streaming a sporting event on CTV, who begins to receive ads on their phone about an upcoming sporting event or to download a sports team app. 

Multi-channel ROI

Wurl’s latest report, in partnership with AppLovin, explores how CTV delivers viewers on a massive scale and is highly effective within a multi-channel marketing strategy. Dual-screening creates more touchpoints to drive engagement and motivate consumers to take action. The probability of consumer action improves with each touchpoint – the industry standard is 8 touches for a conversion. 

CTV is the best large screen for capturing consumer attention – and advertisers pay premium CPMs for the opportunity. Running ads on a mix of mobile and CTV helps to reduce conversion costs or CPA. By diversifying the media spend, advertisers can invest in cheaper mobile ads yet still increase the ROI on their ad campaigns. 

Know your audience 

Synchronized, complementary content and ad experiences across devices – in a relatively timely manner – keep your brand fresh in consumers’ minds. A key element in planning a dual-screening campaign is understanding your audiences. Map out the dual-screening user journey by defining who you are trying to reach, as well as where each message should be displayed.

Although critical to so many marketing campaigns, success or failure can be magnified with dual-screening audiences. Consider the difference in how reality show fans interact with social media versus history buffs watching documentaries. 

There are many options for cross-platform advertising. Ads with complementary content for each stage in the journey create a seamless experience to convert. But – if you haven’t defined your target audience or their motivators – you will miss this golden opportunity to connect with highly engaged audiences. 

Make CTV ads actionable

Dual-screening unlocks the potential of CTV by enabling marketers to connect directly with CTV audiences through the mobile phone in their hand. Increasing these touchpoints helps consumers remember your brand and accelerate the conversion process. 

Savvy advertisers capitalize on dual-screening behavior and lower mobile ad rates to connect better with audiences. With smart planning and clarity of your target audiences, digital marketers can accelerate conversion across screens. At the end of the day, the more touchpoints you create for consumers, the more likely they are to engage with your brand and purchase. Discover more about how Wurl can help your CTV and mobile advertising efforts with ContentDiscovery.