(By Charlie Sislen) To most veteran radio advertisers, weekends are perceived as a bonus. Worse, a throw-in that helps to bring in the primetime cost per point. This creates the perception that weekends have no value.
To coin an old phrase, “There’s gold in them thar hills.”
So why are weekends so valuable?
For many potential advertisers, weekends are their make-or-break time. It is tough for a retailer if their cash register is not ringing or for a restaurant if their tables are empty on the weekend. They need Saturday and Sunday to be successful.
Here is where you and your station can get these non-radio advertisers to successfully use your station. Plus, you could get new dollars for a daypart that is often used as a bonus. Build a spot-heavy Sat-Sun 6A-12Mid rotator. You may also want to consider including Friday 7P-12Mid into the rotation. The concept is simple.
The advertiser would reach my station’s audience near the time they are going to make their purchase. By using a broad rotator for the entire time period, the spot load will be big enough to achieve an effective frequency to drive the advertiser’s message on your station.
The one objection that is often voiced is the belief that nobody is listening on the weekends. Simply put – this is fake news. About 40% to 50% of a typical radio station’s total week cume listens on the weekend. However, do not talk about a “typical” radio station. Talk about your radio station, focusing on the demographic group the advertiser is looking to reach.
The math is simple. To determine how much of your total cume can be reached on the weekends:
Sat-Sun 6a-12m Cume
Mon-Sun 6a-12m Cume
Few advertisers realize that close to half (and in some cases over half) of your total audience can be reached on the weekend!
The right schedule on the weekends can reach a significant portion of your audience with an effective frequency right at the time that the potential advertiser needs new customers.
Charlie Sislen is a partner at Research Director, Inc. He can be reached at 410-956-0363 or by e-mail at [email protected]. This essay is part of a series titled “Growing the Radio Pie.” To view past articles, visit The Ratings Experts at Research Director, Inc. online here.
