How Long Does CTV Advertising Take to Work?

The honest answer: longer than you want it to.

CTV is not paid search. You won't launch a campaign Monday and see phone calls Tuesday. The timeline is measured in months, not days.

The 90-Day Minimum

Mark it: 90 days minimum before you can evaluate CTV performance fairly.

Why 90 days:

• Frequency takes time to build (multiple exposures per household)
• Brand recognition develops gradually
• The gap between ad exposure and needing a lawyer can be weeks
• Attribution patterns need data accumulation
• Platform optimization improves over time

Campaigns that run 30-45 days never reach sufficient frequency and never generate enough data to evaluate.

Month-by-Month Reality

Month 1: Foundation

What's happening:

• Ads delivering across platforms
• Impressions accumulating (400-600K depending on budget)
• Algorithms learning your audience
• Frequency building toward 2-3x per household

What you'll see:

• Impression reports
• Completion rates (95%+)
• Very few direct conversions
• Maybe some "I saw your ad" comments

What to feel: Concern is normal. Panic is premature. Quitting is a mistake.

Month 2: Early Signals

What's happening:

• Frequency reaching 4-6x per household
• Multiple exposures registering
• Platform optimization improving

What you'll see:

• Slight increase in branded search volume
• Direct website traffic may tick up
• More "I saw your ad" mentions
• Some leads mentioning TV exposure

What to feel: Cautious optimism. Commit to month 3.

Month 3: Patterns Emerge

What's happening:

• Frequency at 6-8x for core audience
• Real brand recognition building
• Compounding effect starting

What you'll see:

• Clear branded search volume increase
• Sustained direct traffic increase
• Leads mentioning TV exposure regularly
• Possible improvement in lead quality

What to feel: Confidence in data. Ability to evaluate continuation.

Month 4+: Compounding

What's happening:

• Frequency building further
• New households reached, existing audience reinforced
• CTV lifting other channel performance

What you'll see:

• Sustained branded search lift
• Improved conversion rates across channels
• Strong brand recall in intake
• Clear attribution patterns

Why CTV Takes Time

The Frequency Requirement

One exposure does nothing. Research suggests 6-8+ exposures needed before a brand sticks.

The math:

• Target audience: 150,000 households
• Monthly impressions at $20K: ~650,000
• Average frequency: 4-5x per household

It takes months for enough households to reach the frequency threshold.

The Need Gap

People don't need lawyers daily. The gap between "sees ad" and "needs lawyer" can be weeks.

Example:

• Tuesday: Sees your CTV ad
• Two weeks later: Car accident
• Next day: Searches "car accident lawyer"
• Result: CTV did its job IF you're there in search

The Attribution Delay

CTV doesn't produce direct-call attribution like radio. The path is:

CTV exposure → Brand recognition → Need arises → Search or direct visit → Lead → Case

Each step takes time. Attribution only becomes clear with enough data points.

Leading Indicators to Watch

Don't wait 90 days staring at nothing. Track leading indicators:

Indicator	When to See Movement	What It Means
Branded search volume	Month 2	People searching your name
Direct website traffic	Month 2	People typing your URL
"Saw your ad" mentions	Month 1-2	Awareness building
Search conversion rate	Month 3	Warm leads convert better
Lead quality scores	Month 3	CTV-influenced leads differ

When to Call It Not Working

After 90 days, if you see:

• No branded search lift
• No direct traffic increase
• Zero TV mentions from leads
• No improvement in any leading indicator

Then something is wrong. Possible causes:

• Creative isn't resonating
• Targeting is off
• Frequency is too low (budget issue)
• Market is too small
• Tracking isn't properly configured

Diagnose before quitting. Often the issue is fixable.

What Kills CTV Campaigns Early

Impatience

Pulling budget at day 45 because "nothing's happening" is the most common failure mode. You never gave it a chance.

Wrong Expectations

Expecting CTV to work like paid search — direct attribution, immediate calls — sets up inevitable disappointment.

No Search Coverage

CTV generates demand that flows to search. Without search presence, competitors capture your investment.

Insufficient Budget

$5K/month doesn't generate enough frequency in most markets. You're spreading too thin.

Poor Creative

A bad commercial running 500,000 times is still bad. Creative quality matters.

The Patience Payoff

Firms that commit to 90+ days and proper budget typically see:

• 20-40% lift in branded search
• 15-25% increase in direct traffic
• Improved conversion rates on all lead sources
• Stronger brand recall in client conversations
• Compounding returns as awareness builds

CTV is an investment in future demand, not today's phone calls. The firms that understand this timeline succeed. Those that expect immediate gratification quit too early.

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Ready to discuss realistic CTV timelines for your market? Let's talk expectations before you launch.