What is Local TV Advertising: Types, Benefits & Costs

Local TV advertising gives small businesses the big-screen impact, the efficiency of location-based marketing, and helps build brand awareness without breaking the bank.

But there’s a major difference between traditional broadcasting ads and streaming TV ads. And media buyers need to understand targeting and measurement to run successful local TV campaigns.

In this guide, we'll explain what local TV advertising is and how to place commercials on traditional linear and connected TV.

Let’s get right into it!

What Is Local TV Advertising?

Local TV advertising means showing your ads on TV channels that only air in a certain city or area. It helps businesses reach people nearby, like potential customers in their town or region. This is great for promoting local stores, services, events, or special offers.

For example, Miami-based window installation service wants to run a campaign targeting affluent homeowners in the area.

Through the precision of CTV, the company could narrow down its ideal audience, targeting ads based on household income, recent purchases, lifestyle triggers, and geofencing at the zip code level.

These ads would then be served to those specific viewers on whichever streaming apps they tuned into, giving the company detailed insight into campaign performance data.

Why Advertise on Local TV? The Benefits

Since the dawn of television, commercials have captured our attention and become a part of our culture. This is because TV audiences often concentrate on what’s on the screen and co-view these ads with their friends and family. 

For local businesses looking to reach a targeted audience, TV advertising proves to be a compelling choice for several reasons.

1. Audience Reach and Engagement: Local TV advertising holds the unique opportunity to target specific demographics and geographic areas.

And in the case of live sports broadcasts or must-watch TV shows, these viewers are often more engaged than they are when scrolling through social media.

1. Multi-Media Delivery: Thanks to catchy jingles, easy-to-remember slogans, and repeat characters, TV ads can bring brands to life and make a memorable impact on viewers.
2. Big-Screen Effect: Despite the era of multiple devices, viewers remain highly attentive to TV content. And unlike other video ads such as those that run on YouTube or Instagram, TV ads can’t be skipped or swiped.
3. Credibility: Local TV advertising helps build credibility by reaching viewers while they engage with programming that holds significance for them, whether it's the news, entertainment, or sports. The big-screen exposure also fosters trust.
4. Cost Effective: When placing local TV ads using CTV, smaller brands can connect directly with their customer base within the local market. This helps minimize ad waste and boost performance.

Which Industries Benefit From Local CTV Advertising?

Local TV advertising has long been a powerful tool for businesses to connect with customers in their immediate vicinity. However, the rise of connected TV (CTV) has breathed new life into this strategy.

Unlike traditional linear TV, CTV boasts superior targeting capabilities, allowing advertisers to reach specific demographics and tailor messages with laser precision.

At Strategus, we work with companies in the following industries to design and execute local TV campaigns:

1. Automotive: TV advertising is an important touchpoint for auto dealers, and with CTV, car dealerships can pinpoint in-market buyers with dynamic ads that highlight real-time inventory.
2. Art and Entertainment: From college sports to Broadway musicals, CTV is a perfect fit for entertainment brands because it showcases the sights and sounds of an event on the biggest screen in the house.
3. Education: CTV offers education providers a targeted way to connect with high school graduates, professionals seeking career advancement, alumni, and more. 
4. Home Services: Home services like plumbers, electricians, and landscapers can leverage CTV to reach local homeowners with targeted ads based on their needs.
5. Law Firms: Modern legal marketing is all about being in the right place at the right time. And with CTV, law firms can identify prospects in need of expertise by customizing their audience based on recent auto collisions, urgent care visits, or occupation type. 
6. Political: Political advertisers are turning to CTV's targeted reach to deliver hyper-focused messages to specific voter demographics.
7. Retail: From furniture stores to luxury goods, CTV allows retailers to target local consumers with product-specific ads, influencing purchase decisions at the peak of home entertainment.

Types of Local TV Advertising: Linear vs. CTV

Media buyers have two main choices for local TV ads: traditional linear TV and programmatic CTV. Many now use both, combining traditional TV’s focus on content with programmatic CTV’s precise audience targeting.

Knowing what each option does best can help you decide how to split your budget between them.

Now. Let's take a look at the other one:

How to Buy Ad Spots on Linear for Local Advertisements

When purchasing local TV ads on legacy TV networks, the process works as follows:

1. Identify Your Target Audience

With legacy TV, the onus is on media buyers to figure out where their audience is tuning in. As such, the first step is to understand your target audience and make some assumptions about the shows and time of the day they’re most likely to watch TV.

2. Contact the Station

Next, you’ll want to contact your local stations for details on price and viewership numbers. Some stations can target ads based on a specific demographic (such as viewers aged 50+) but that’s the extent of their targeting capabilities, so you’ll need to be comfortable with a large portion of your ad impressions being served to people who don’t fit your ideal buyer persona.

3. Negotiate Ad Rates and Schedule Your Ad

Ad rates are dynamic based on the network, time of day, day of the week, and number of ad spots purchased. Most stations also have a minimum ad buy, so you’ll want to start there. Once you’ve settled on a station and time of the day that makes sense for your target audience, you can schedule your ads to run based on the specific programming they’ll accompany.

4. Track Your Results

Measurement capabilities are quite limited on linear TV, so calculating ROI will be a bit of a guessing game. You’ll want to pay attention to any metrics prompted by the call-to-action (CTA) used in your ad (e.g., phone calls that resulted from an ad telling viewers to call your branch directly), and also review the station's affidavit of performance.

How to Buy Ad Spots on CTV With Strategus

If you’re looking to run local ads on CTV, Strategus can help you as your managed service provider. Here’s how the process works:

1. Onboarding: We get to know you, your brand, your goals, and your audience. We’ll work with you to build custom audiences based on a mix of tactics such as retargeting website visitors, modeling lookalike audiences from CRM data, finding in-market buyers that match specific demographics, and more.
2. Planning and Strategy: Once your target buyers and KPIs have been pinned down, we’ll develop a strategy that’s personalized to your business needs. We provide access to countless publishers and marketplaces — giving you that agility to reach viewers wherever they are and adjust your campaigns on a dime.
3. Campaign Activation: Our CTV experts execute customized campaigns and monitor the data, so you can focus on what you do best. Most of our campaigns also incorporate cross-device retargeting to drive performance across additional touchpoints.
4. Reporting and Attribution: We’ll provide all the tools needed to quantify ROI and understand your customers’ journey, including a 24/7 dashboard and an evolving roster of attribution solutions. You’ll gain insight into the entire buyer’s journey, from first ad exposure through purchase.
5. Continuous Optimization: CTV ads can be adapted on the fly, so we take a hands-on approach to monitoring performance and optimizing accordingly. What’s more, we’ll schedule reporting calls as needed to make personalized recommendations and discuss alternative tactics.
6. Ongoing Support: Because our team of experts becomes an extension of your team,  you’ll have resources to ask questions, make changes, and scale your campaigns as your local TV advertising needs grow.

Ready to Launch High-Performing Local TV Campaigns?

Partner with Strategus and get everything you need to win your local market with precision and scale:

• Hyper-targeted CTV ads based on real-time data
• Access to premium inventory across 800+ deals
• Full-funnel attribution and 24/7 performance dashboard
• Expert strategy, optimization, and ongoing support

Take the guesswork out of local TV advertising and start driving real results.

Contact us today!

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do I Advertise on TV with a Limited Budget?

Start with connected TV, which lets you target specific households and avoid wasted impressions. Use short, repurposed videos to reduce production costs. Focus on one geographic area or audience segment to keep spending low and results focused. Platforms like Strategus help you run lean, efficient campaigns.

How Can You Better Target Your Audience Through TV Advertising?

Use first-party data, geolocation, and online behavior to build a custom audience. Connected TV platforms let you target based on zip codes, purchase history, demographics, and interests. You can also retarget website visitors or model audiences based on your customer list to reach the most likely buyers.

What Do You Need to Have Ready Before You Launch a TV Campaign?

Gather your creative assets, define your target audience, and set campaign goals. Prepare any first-party data, like emails or CRM records, for audience matching. Outline your call-to-action and choose key performance metrics. Having a clear plan helps you launch quickly and track results effectively.

How to Evaluate the Performance of a Local TV Advertising Campaign?

Use metrics like impressions, completion rate, and site visits after ad exposure. For connected TV, track conversions, store visits, or lead form submissions linked to viewers. Compare these metrics against your campaign goals. Use attribution tools to connect ad views with real customer actions.

How Do TV Stations Measure Viewers and Impressions?

Linear TV uses Nielsen ratings to estimate how many people watch each program. These ratings come from panel data and reflect average viewership. Connected TV platforms measure impressions directly based on device-level delivery, offering real-time data on who saw your ad and how they engaged with it.

What’s the Difference Between Regional and Local TV Advertising?

Local TV ads target smaller areas like a city or specific zip codes. Regional ads cover larger markets, often including multiple cities or counties. Use local campaigns for precise targeting and regional ones to reach broader areas while still avoiding national costs. Choose based on your audience and budget.

How to Advertise on Streaming TV Platforms Like YouTube TV or Pluto TV?

Use a programmatic platform or work with a managed service provider to access ad inventory on YouTube TV, Pluto TV, and other apps. Define your audience, upload your creative, and set a budget. These platforms support advanced targeting and real-time performance tracking, making them ideal for local reach.

What Are the Different Types of TV Ad Placements (Pre-Roll, Mid-Roll, Sponsorships)?

Pre-roll ads play before content starts. Mid-roll ads appear during natural breaks within shows or videos. Sponsorships include branded segments or sponsored content. Use pre-roll for short messages, mid-roll for high engagement, and sponsorships to build long-term awareness. Each format suits different goals and attention spans.

What Makes a Good Local TV Ad Creative?

Keep the message clear and direct. Focus on one offer or benefit and highlight your brand early. Use strong visuals, short scripts, and a clear call-to-action. Make sure the ad looks good on a large screen and fits the local audience’s interests, values, and viewing habits.

What Are the Best Data Sources for Targeting Local TV Ads?

Use your CRM or customer list for direct matching. Add third-party data like income, interests, or past purchases. Website pixel data helps retarget recent visitors. Location data shows where people live, shop, or visit. Combining these sources lets you create accurate, high-performing audience segments for local campaigns.