Most first-time CTV advertisers blow it before their ads even go live.

Why? Because they rush to launch. They skip the basics. They treat CTV like a “set it and forget it” channel. And then they wonder why the results don’t add up.

Let’s fix that.

Here are the three boxes you must check before you ever hit “launch.”

01. Audience and Goals: Who + What

Start with clarity. Who do you want to reach—and what do you want them to do?

Break it down by geography, interests, demographics. Then tie it to a goal: drive to your website, spark phone calls, push an offer.

If you can’t clearly state “this is who we’re after, and this is the action we want,” you’re not ready to launch.

02. Budget and Flighting: Stay in the Game Long Enough

The biggest rookie mistake? Underspending and pulling the plug too early.

You need at least 30–45 days of consistent budget to collect usable data. Ninety days is even better.

Why? Because without enough time and spend, you don’t get patterns—you get noise. And you can’t optimize noise.

03. Tracking and Measurement: Pixels or Bust

CTV’s real power isn’t just getting on a big screen. It’s tracking exactly what happens after.

That only works if your pixels are placed properly—and tested. Run a few test fires before launch to confirm.

If your tracking is broken, your campaign is blind. And blind campaigns waste money.

The Bottom Line

Before you ever press “go,” check these three boxes:

• Audience + Goals
• Budget + Flighting
• Tracking + Conversions

Skip them, and you’ll join the long list of advertisers who burn cash without answers. Nail them, and you’ll start ahead of 90% of first-time CTV buyers.

At Adduro, we build campaigns smarter, clearer, and more effective from day one. Because no one should pay tuition to the school of hard knocks when launching CTV.

This is Part 1 of our “Getting Started with CTV” Series. Follow along to learn more.