How SMBs Win the Attention Game through CTV Advertising

CTV advertising (Connected TV) has emerged as a strong space for small and midsize businesses (SMBs). TV screens were the forgotten dreams for most mom-and-pop brands. But, in the time of digital reality, big screen games are on, even for SMBs. 

CTV (ads delivered via streaming platforms on smart TVs, set-top boxes, gaming consoles) merges the emotional heft of TV with the targeting and measurability of digital. For SMBs, getting in early is an opportunity to claim prime real estate before the unpredictable prices and competition flood in. 

Between high production costs and limited ad budgets, the luxury of television has remained largely in the hands of big brands. But Connected TV (CTV) is changing and fast. So, what does it translate to? 

The triple edge of access, competition, and cost

As households shift to streaming, viewership is migrating. Digital video is now forecast to capture nearly 60 percent of all TV/video ad spend by 2025. CTV ad spending itself is projected to surpass $33 billion this year, climbing to nearly $47 billion by 2028. That’s where the eyeballs will be. 

Platforms (Netflix, Amazon, Disney+, Hulu, Roku, and others) are all building ad-supported tiers and opening up streaming inventory. The result: the barrier to entry for CTV ads is lower than ever, and the audience is there waiting. 

Streaming platforms are battling fiercely for advertisers and publishers. That means better deals, more accessible inventory, and more sophisticated tools, even for smaller spenders. According to a recent study, 61 percent of advertisers plan to increase CTV/OTT spending, averaging growth of 21 percent. 

Meanwhile, ad tech firms focused solely on streamlining measurement and transaction (e.g. attribution, real-time bidding) are sprouting up, further lowering friction for SMBs.  

Yes, CTV CPMs are higher than some digital formats. Estimates place CTV CPMs between $35 to $65. But that’s still favorable relative to premium linear TV or mass media packages. 

Crucially, early supply is less contested. As competition grows, CPMs will trend upward. Also, in scenarios where advertisers increased CTV budgets, cost per visit dropped ~50 percent, and cost per acquisition dropped ~64 percent.  

 In short: be early, and you buy when the rates are friendlier. 

Why SMBs should care about CTV advertising right now 

The single biggest barrier that kept SMBs away from TV was the black box problem. Traditional TV ran on ratings and approximations — a Nielsen panel of a few thousand households was somehow supposed to represent millions. That doesn’t fly in the age of Google Analytics. 

CTV flips that script. It’s performance marketing on a 55-inch screen. Platforms like Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video now offer campaign dashboards that track not just impressions but also post-view actions — such as clicks to a website, store locator visits, or even app installs. 

According to JamLoop, CTV attribution models today can connect ad exposure directly to measurable outcomes like web traffic uplift, footfall, and purchase intent. Brands can test creative variations, re-target non-converters, and even sync with CRM systems to track conversions. 

For SMBs that obsess over ROI, this means no more burning cash on “awareness.” You can justify every rupee or dollar with hard data. It’s TV, but with the accountability of Google Ads. 

Then, there is affordability.  

Producing a 30-second TV commercial once costs upwards of $25,000–$50,000, before you even pay for the airtime. That’s why legacy TV was never a playground for SMBs. But CTV, powered by AI, changes economics. 

Generative AI tools (like Runway, Synthesia, Pika, and OpenAI’s Sora) let marketers create video ads from text prompts or repurpose social content into streaming-quality spots. You can test 10 ad variations in a day for less than the cost of one traditional shoot. 

This gives SMBs two massive advantages: 

Speed: You can align creative with fast-moving trends — a local event, a product drop, or even a viral meme. 

Scalability: You can tailor the same ad for different audiences — geo-targeted, language-specific, or interest-based — all without ballooning your budget. 

Remember how social media gave small brands a fair shot at competing with national players through clever content? CTV is that moment again — just on a bigger screen. 

And when AI meets CTV’s precision targeting, you’re no longer throwing money into the void. 

While we focus on production and cost, the economics of advertising are simple: the early stage is always the most cost-effective.  

As adoption grows, these prices will spike.

Why? Because the big players haven’t gone in at all yet. Once they do, they’ll buy premium inventory — the Friday night streaming shows, the sports events, the “just-one-more-episode” binge sessions. 

Early SMB adopters can grab those slots now, build brand familiarity, and cement audience recall before the floodgates open.  

Being early also builds algorithmic trust. Streaming platforms reward consistent advertisers with better inventory and optimization data. That means SMBs who start now will have cleaner targeting, historical performance insights, and easier scalability when the competition thickens. 

SMBs are already dominant in other channels 

But CTV is the next frontier. 

In digital, SMBs have long owned Google Ads, Facebook, and marketplace channels. They’ve optimized performance campaigns, refined keywords, and mastered target audiences. But those are mainly confined to phones, desktops, or tablets—small screens. 

CTV brings SMBs onto the big screen stage. Imagine your small local brand showing in the same ad break as a national streaming show, yet targeting just your city or ZIP. No mass spray, no waste. You gain reach and precision. 

Given that digital dollars will increasingly migrate to video and streaming, SMBs that remain solely in search and social risk being squeezed out of attention. CTV is the next frontier—and early entry is the high ground. 

Cut to the chase 

CTV advertising is the evolution of TV that finally speaks SMB language: measurable ROI, affordable production, and first-mover advantage. 

For brands that learned how to dominate the Facebook Marketplace, then cracked Google Ads, CTV is simply the next smart step — the living room takeover.