CTV targeting: Tips, types, and strategies for marketers

CTV audience targeting: How to reach the right audiences

TL;DR: Connected TV targeting

For years, advertisers have used broad audience demographics to decide where to place linear TV ads based on the types of channels or programs their target audience was likely to watch.

TV ratings and audience research could help advertisers identify which programming was most relevant, but because it was impossible to target individual viewers or households, you never knew if running an ad during a popular block like TGIF might put you in front of the younger viewers you wanted to reach or their parents who happened to be watching alongside them.

CTV advertising changed that.

Because CTV ads are delivered through internet-connected streaming devices, which can be linked to households using signals such as IP addresses, advertisers can use audience, geographic, behavioral, and first-party data to target ads with far greater precision than previously thought possible.

As a result, a 2026 study found that 26.4% of US CTV ad buyers cite accessing precision targeting not available in linear TV as one of their top priorities for CTV advertising.

But to make the most of these targeting options, you have to know how to use them.

Read on to learn more about CTV audience targeting and best practices for reaching the right viewers with your campaigns.

What should you consider when planning your CTV advertising targeting strategy?

Before you begin deciding which CTV targeting capabilities to use in your programmatic campaigns, it’s important to determine who you want to reach (and why).

Generating broad awareness for the launch of a new running shoe, for example, may require a different set of targeting tactics than a campaign that’s aimed at gaining incremental reach or re-engaging a B2B buyer who filled out a web form to learn more about your software, but never moved forward.

To narrow down which targeting tactics make the most sense, ask yourself questions like:

Answering questions like these can help you choose the right mix of targeting tactics and ensure they align with your campaign goals.

What CTV targeting options can I use for my campaigns?

CTV gives advertisers several ways to control who sees an ad and where it appears. Choosing the right targeting strategy ultimately depends on your campaign objectives, the data you have access to, and how much scale you need to achieve those goals.

Before going in-depth, here’s a quick breakdown of the main CTV targeting options available to advertisers:

Targeting approach What it uses Best suited for Key consideration
Inventory targeting Publisher or inventory packages Choosing specific publishers or broader run-of-network inventory Available inventory varies by publisher and platform
First-party data targeting CRM lists, website activity, and other first-party audience data Reaching known audiences and staying visible across the customer journey Requires usable first-party data and may be more limited in some regions
Lookalike targeting Existing first-party audiences Finding new prospects who share characteristics with known audiences Audience quality depends on the data used to build the original audience
Geographic targeting Household location Local and regional campaigns; market-specific promotions Greater geographic precision can sometimes reduce audience size
Demographic targeting Characteristics like age, income, gender, or household composition Targeting broad audiences based on common characteristics Demographics alone may not reflect interests or purchase intent
Behavioral targeting Browsing, purchase, interest, and intent data Reaching new audiences based on activities The source, quality, and freshness of third-party data impacts precision of targeting
Contextual targeting The content being watched Aligning ads with the types of content viewers are watching Content-level data isn’t always granular enough for highly specific targeting compared to other options
Retargeting Previous brand interactions or ad exposure Re-engaging audiences and moving them further down the funnel Audience size depends on how many have already interacted
Device targeting Smart TVs, streaming devices, or platform ecosystems Controlling which devices or platforms ads appear on Certain inventory may only be available through specific platforms or devices

Inventory targeting

Inventory targeting combines the precision of CTV targeting with the one-to-many scale of traditional TV. Using programmatic advertising platforms like StackAdapt, advertisers can choose curated inventory packages from publishers like Disney or Tubi to access specific, high-quality inventory across different streaming services and geographies.

First-party data targeting

One of the biggest benefits of CTV targeting is the ability to reach specific households using first-party data. In StackAdapt, advertisers can leverage data from CRM lists, custom audience segments, and StackAdapt’s proprietary Interest & Intent segments, which capture users’ behaviors and intent signals across devices.

Lookalike targeting

Building on first-party data, lookalike audience targeting uses an existing audience, such as website visitors captured through a pixel placed on your website, to find new users with similar behaviors or characteristics.

Geographic targeting

Geographic targeting allows advertisers to deliver CTV ads based on where viewers are located, whether that’s broad regions or more specific locations, like cities and even ZIP or postal codes.

Demographic and behavioral targeting

Demographic targeting focuses on broad audience characteristics, while behavioral targeting looks at what people do across devices.

Contextual targeting

Contextual targeting uses information about the content itself to deliver ads based on what’s being watched instead of relying on audience data about who’s watching it.

Retargeting

Retargeting allows advertisers to re-engage audiences who have already interacted with their brand—whether that means they visited a website or were previously exposed to a CTV ad while streaming.

Device targeting

Device targeting focuses on which devices or platforms your ads appear on rather than just who sees them or what they’re watching.

What are some common CTV targeting mistakes to avoid?

For CTV advertising to be effective, campaigns have to be set up the right way. Here are a few CTV targeting missteps that might cause your campaigns to stall or reach the wrong audience.

Over-layering different types of targeting

Layering on too many targeting criteria can significantly shrink your audience, especially when building awareness requires scale.

Over-restricting geographic targeting

Getting too granular with geographic targeting can limit your available audience. Avoid narrowing below the state level unless required.

Not separating prospecting from retargeting

Prospecting audiences typically dominate delivery if both tactics compete for the same budget, making it harder to re-engage high-intent audiences.

Not using lookalike audiences for conversion-focused campaigns

Relying only on broader prospecting audiences can leave possible leads and conversions on the table.

Bidding too low for premium publisher floors

Target bids should take into account the pricing floors depending on the publisher.

Not setting dayparting

Without dayparting in place, budget can be wasted during lower-engagement hours.

Focusing too heavily on walled garden inventory

Concentrating ad spend on familiar walled gardens can limit the range of inventory available to your CTV strategy.

Not using CTV as part of an omnichannel strategy

Treating CTV as part of a broader omnichannel strategy helps increase visibility across multiple touch points.

Get more from your CTV targeting strategy

Effective CTV targeting starts with knowing what you want to achieve, who you need to reach, and what audience data you have available—then choosing the tactics that provide enough precision to make an impact.

To do that, you need the right programmatic partner.

StackAdapt combines premium inventory with audience data and technologies like ACR to help advertisers understand viewing behavior and drive results.

CTV targeting FAQs

How do advertisers target specific households with CTV advertising?

CTV advertising allows advertisers to target specific households using audience data that platforms match through an identity graph.

How effective is CTV advertising compared to linear TV advertising?

CTV advertising provides household-level targeting, real-time optimization, and impression-level measurement, making it easier to evaluate specific audiences.

Are you able to build audiences based on people who have seen CTV ads?

Advertisers can build retargeting audiences from households that were served a CTV ad or reached certain video-completion thresholds.

How do you connect exposure on CTV to other devices or downstream actions?

CTV exposure can be connected to downstream actions by matching ad exposure across devices using a website pixel.