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How to monetize your Roku channel

The Roku platform is a popular streaming video service that provides over-the-top content across various Internet-connected devices. There are Roku-enabled TVs, Roku sticks for regular TVs, and Roku app on smart phones. It is an easy-to-use media player with a huge library of entertainment and other video content. As of January 2023, Roku has over 70 monthly million active users and billions of streaming hours per year. Users can install additional apps and many interesting niche channels that match their interests. Because of that, these viewers are highly desirable because they are more likely to watch and engage with the channels they specifically chose to add into their account. Channel publishers can earn ad revenue from their audience because Roku allows publishers to use their own ad server to display ads from direct-relationship advertisers and ads from other third-party sources. If you are interested in monetizing your channel, here are a few things you can do to make it happen.

Sign up for video ad networks

Finding advertisers on your own, especially in the early days of your channel, might be tough and time consuming if you do not have any experience in selling ads or have some established relationships with advertisers. Therefore, it might not be a bad idea to go through a third party and sign up with a respected video ad network or exchange. The video ad network or exchange will take a significant percentage of ad revenue as their commissions. Nothing is free here so make sure you understand the revenue sharing arrangement to avoid surprises. There are many different ad networks and exchanges to choose from. Some are good but many are bad and down right scammers running a fly-by-night operation. Therefore, do not just choose one because of its high advertised rates or a fancy website. Look for one with a proven record of paying out their revenue share on time, have high-quality advertisers and offer more controls that allow you to show the type of ads you want. Remember, Roku allows you to have your own video ad server so there is no rule against mixing and matching ads from your own advertisers and ads sourced from third-party video adservers. Actually, it is recommended to serve ads from your own advertisers as a premium group first before serving third-party ads as a secondary group.

Product placement

Another good way to run ads that is a little more organic and even more natural is to go with product endorsement, infomercial, or product placement. This is something that has become very common in the social media world, with influencers introducing new products to their followers, many of whom are keen to use the products and services of the people that they follow and trust. You can choose products and services that are high-quality, proven, and that you really believe in. It is a good tactic to offer up a unique link, coupon code, or phone number that helps you and your advertiser track conversions. You need to collect and present all possible ad metrics during ad serving so that advertisers see the value of your channel and renew their ad campaigns into the future.

Part 2: Use your own video ad server and find your own advertisers

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