The Roku Ads app on Shopify can connect your merchant store with your account in Roku Ads Manager.
Connecting the app allows you to:
See marketing spend and performance of your ad campaigns in Shopify.
Integrate your merchant store events with a single-click integration allowing you to create and track campaigns driving to a specific marketing goal (e.g., store purchases).
Develop interactive TV ads (action ads) that let Roku viewers purchase products from your online store directly from their TV.
Keep reading to dive deeper into how and why to use the Roku Ads app:
How do I connect my Roku Ads Manager Ad Account to my Shopify store?
If you don't have one already, create a Roku Ads Manager account.
Download and install the Roku Ads app from Shopify.
Once you have installed the app, click the Connect button in the Connect to section of the Overview page.
Sign in to your profile and select an ad account to connect.
Once the account is successfully connected, the Connect button will change to Connected.
How do I promote my Shopify store and products with Roku?
After you connect your account, be sure to:
Enter Privacy Policy and Terms of Service: Provide your privacy policy and applicable terms of service through your Shopify store Settings
Activate Shopify Payments: Enable Shopify Payments to process transactions
Sync your products: Select the products you want to create ads for and synchronize them with Roku Ads Manager
Step 1 - Set up your store policies
To create interactive, shoppable TV ads with Roku Ads Manager, your Shopify account must establish your privacy policy and terms of service. You can enter both items in your Shopify store under Settings (gear icon) > Policies.
Step 2 - Activate Shopify Payments
To allow Roku viewers to purchase directly on their TV, you'll need to activate Shopify Payments. This setting can be found in the Roku Ads app on the Overview tab.
Tip: Without Shopify Payments, you can still run ads with Shopify content, but viewers will need to use their phones to make a purchase. Roku strongly recommends activating Shopify Payments to help with store sales.
Step 3 - Sync your products
To connect your Shopify products to Roku, go to the Products tab in the Roku Ads Shopify app. Find the Sync Your Products section and click Select Products. From there, choose which items you want to promote on Roku.
You can either sync all your products at once or select specific ones. To choose individual products, check the boxes next to them and click Sync Selected.
Your selected products are now syncing to your Roku Ads Manager account. Some products might need a bit of extra info before you can create ads for them. Follow the instructions in the app to provide this information.
Tip: Filling out the Warranty and Specifications fields for each product is a great idea. This information will show up on Roku TVs when someone sees an ad for your product.
Build your Shopify action ad in Roku Ads Manager
Step 1: Create an Action Ad
Navigate to your account in Roku Ads Manager. Start a new campaign or go to an existing one. Scroll down to the Creatives section and select Action ad, then Shopify, and finally click Continue.
Step 2: Upload your video
Upload the video commercial you'd like to use for your Action Ad, and update any meta data about your creative under Advanced settings. Click Continue.
Step 3: Define your call to action
Now the fun starts! It's time to turn your standard video into an action ad by customizing the interactive elements that prompt users to take an action. Once complete, press Continue.
Product: select the product image to be displayed on the overlay and featured on your purchase screen should use select Purchase on TV (next bullet).
Any products you've synced with us will be available, but it's best to use one that relates to the video ad you are running.
Action: select the action you want users to take. You can decide to allow users to Purchase on TV or Purchase via text link (SMS).
Element: select both the background color of the overlay and the call-to-action text that will show atop it.
Be sure to use an (a) background color that stands out from your video and (b) a call to action that aligns with your ad objectives.
Content: input the copy and positioning for your overlay message along with product image or logo you'd like shown next to that copy on the overlay.
We will pre-populate product images from the parent Product you selected in earlier steps but we may also upload your own image.
While not required, we do recommend all action ads use a logo or product image, helping to prompt user engagement.
Step 4 will differ based on the Action (Purchase on TV or Purchase via text link) selected. Follow the steps that make sense for your creative.
Step 4a, Purchase on TV: Review product page
Review the sample product product page to ensure your details on the righthand side are accurate. Go back to make adjustments or if happy, move on to step 5.
Step 4b, Purchase via text link (SMS): Define action
Create the text message copy you'd like to send, including your brand name and a link for users to click.
It's a good idea to talk about offers or specials to help incentivize a click, like free shipping or first-time customer discounts. Dive deeper on action ads here.
Step 5: Submit for review
When complete, click Submit for review.
Your ad will be reviewed within 2-3 business days and once approved, will go live on your campaign (providing the campaign is published and there's a method of payment assigned).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to install the Roku Ads Shopify app to run ads on Roku? No, you don't need to install the Shopify app, but it is highly recommended. Here's why:
Using the Roku Ads app from Shopify and connecting your Shopify store to your Roku Ads Manager account is required for creating ads featuring your Shopify store products.
Connecting the Roku Ads Shopify app to your Roku Ads Manager account makes it easy to connect your store events, measure ad effectiveness on your business, optimize ads for specific events, and improve your targeting.
What is the cost of advertising on Roku? Using the Roku Ads Shopify app and connecting it to Roku Ads Manager is free. If you want to run ads on Roku, you can set a campaign budget to fit your marketing goals. Campaigns can be published for as little as $500, and budgets can be adjusted at any time.
Can I still use Roku Ads Manager if I don't use Shopify for my store? Yes, any brand can use Roku Ads Manager! However, only Shopify brands can download our Roku Ads Shopify app to use with their Shopify store, which adds some increased functionality.
Will I receive any Roku Ads Manager reporting within Shopify? Yes, you will receive spend, impression, and conversion data within Shopify. You will also find even more comprehensive reporting with Roku Ads Manager itself.
Does Roku take any commission for purchases driven through ads? No, we do not. Any sales you drive with your ads on Roku are entirely yours. We do not take commission.