Have you ever seen an ad for chocolate cake or fries that made your mouth literally water? Some ads make products look so appealing you want to reach through the screen and grab them.
No one has found a way to beam products directly into your living room (yet), but the advertising world has taken a significant leap forward. With shoppable TV ads, consumers can act on their desires immediately—though, for now, they’ll still have to wait for standard delivery.
Here’s how to start driving sales with shoppable TV ads.
What is shoppable TV?
Shoppable TV ads are interactive advertisements with embedded product links. With shoppable ads, consumers can use their remotes to purchase products directly from the TV screen without using a second device or disrupting their viewing experience. These ads provide a more user-friendly shopping experience while also helping businesses collect valuable engagement data.
How does shoppable TV work?
Shoppable TV works by layering a clickable display ad over streamed video content on your smart TV. Smart TV technology, also known as connected TV (CTV), connects your TV to the internet.
Pressing a button on your TV remote takes you to an in-app product page. There you can learn more about the product and use the arrow buttons on your remote to make your selections.
When you’re ready to buy, a checkout window will pop up, and you’ll get the opportunity to verify your shipping and billing information.
If you’re on Shopify, it’s easy to get started with shoppable TV ads. The Roku Ads integration from the Shopify App Store allows you to sync your product catalog with Roku Ads Manager to easily build and manage shoppable TV ads.
You can also monitor your ads’ performance from your Shopify admin.
Shoppable TV vs. television commerce
Shoppable TV is distinct from televisioncommerce. Traditional televisioncommerce, or T-commerce, includes infomercials and shopping channel shows. Billy Mays’s iconic OxiClean infomercials are an example of televisioncommerce. These energetic segments urged viewers to “Call now!” and flashed a phone number on the screen.
T-commerce requires access to a second device—whether that’s dialing a phone number, visiting a website, or scanning a QR code with a smartphone—to complete a purchase. Ads with QR codes are still considered T-commerce because they require users to use a second device (in this case, a smartphone) to start shopping.
In contrast, a shoppable ad enables the entire transaction directly on the same screen. CTV users can access product details and shop items with a click of their remote, eliminating the need for additional devices.
Benefits of shoppable TV for ecommerce
The shoppable TV experience is convenient and intuitive—beneficial for both businesses and consumers. Here’s how ecommerce brands can use shoppable TV to engage audiences and increase sales:
Accurate sales attribution data
Attributing sales to traditional TV commercials is difficult. Viewers can’t interact with standard ads, leaving retailers without actionable data. If a user sees a TV ad and completes a purchase later, it’s impossible to pinpoint the ad’s influence.
Shoppable TV helps businesses collect accurate attribution data, offering clear insights into how advertising content drives consumer behavior. With interactive content, advertisers can track how many customers click on ads and complete orders. This helps marketers refine their strategies and build more effective marketing campaigns.
Increased conversions
Shoppable TV ads turn traditional commercials into direct conversion vehicles, introducing a seamless, user-friendly path to purchase. They let viewers act on impulse—enabling an instant purchase the moment your ad sparks interest.
Not only does this offer convenience, but providing a simple purchasing experience can lead to a lower order drop-off rate and higher overall conversions. Providing an easy tool for immediate engagement can help businesses drive sales.
Reach a new audience
Airing television ads can help introduce your product to your target audience, including viewers who don’t spend time on social media.
Traditional TV advertisements are broadcast at a specific time and displayed to anyone watching. Streaming ads, on the other hand, are targeted, allowing businesses to serve ads to relevant audience segments.
Shoppable TV FAQ
What are shoppable TV ads?
Shoppable TV ads are interactive advertisements with embedded product links. With shoppable ads, consumers can purchase products directly from the TV screen without using a second device or disrupting their viewing experience. Shoppable TV provides a convenient shopping experience that can help businesses drive sales and collect valuable data.
What is shoppable media?
Shoppable media is a digital format that allows customers to purchase products directly from the featured content. Shoppable media includes images, videos, recipes, and TV ads.
Is shoppable TV an effective advertising strategy?
Running shoppable TV ads during popular programs or live events can grant access to a large audience, giving viewers an easy opportunity to purchase every time they see your ad. Shoppable TV also provides enhanced data collection, helping you better understand consumer preferences and refine your marketing strategies.
