The Law of Diminishing Cume … So What Can You Do?

October 13, 2020

Forget the Nielsen Audio estimates, you are losing cume every day. Sometimes, for reasons outside of your control, a certain portion of those who have tuned into your radio station in the past stop listening.

Why?

It might be because:

• Their lifestyle changed
• Their media habits changed
• They moved out of your market
• They died

While that last reason is tragic, it’s still lost cume. Every PD needs to realize that, if they do nothing, a certain part of their listenership leaves, never to return. And none of these reasons can be blamed on Nielsen Audio or their sample.

This is just a fact. If you do nothing, the loss of these listeners will eventually appear in the ratings.

So what does a smart PD do?

The only true solution to cume departure is replacing them with new cume. Arguably the best method for bringing in new cume is to market … and to market big. However, most stations have limited (or zero) dollars for this all-important task. Just realize that zero marketing dollars does not necessarily mean zero marketing opportunities. It means that you need to be more creative.

Latch on to events and occasions that potential new cume may attend. Be involved in the community and work to get your name in front of those potential listeners. Be involved. Also, focus on expanding your social media ties. It comes down to successfully self-promoting your radio station to expose it to new cume.

Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook are great ways to touch your existing listeners. However, you can also use these tools to impact new listeners. Again, find hashtags or groups where your ideal new cume hang out. Make participation in these groups a must for your entire team. Promote yourself in these groups. Make an impression on these future cume where they live – at least socially.

For those with limited (rather than non-existent) budgets, your options are better. Be smart with how you allocate your limited dollars. Make every dollar count. Use outlets that fit the profile of your listeners. When was the last time you looked at cable? Find channels that fit your audience profile. Use your van and street team to be at all events that potential listeners might attend. With social media, don’t go after Adults 25-54 in the metro. Narrow your scope so your impressions hit listeners in neighborhoods in which likely listeners live. Focus on your real target demo, not the sales demo that advertisers are looking for. The secret is to know where and who you want to touch. If you are unsure about that, use your present audience reported by Nielsen Audio as your model. Fish where the fish are.

Remember, you always need to be attracting new listeners because part of your listenership is always eroding.

Need more information or help on where to focus your marketing efforts? Reach out to us here.

-Charlie Sislen, Partner

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