Cookouts, s’mores, fireworks, swimming, friends, and music. That can only mean one thing...it’s officially summer! According to Nielsen, this seasonal change into summer brings about a change in radio listening habits. So, it may just be time to curate some summer playlists!
Changes in Radio Listening Habits:
Country Music
Country music listenership is on the rise. Surprisingly, the age group that is most likely to listen to country music is 18-34, which Nielson defines as millennials. And, country listening continues to climb in 2017, so that's something to keep in mind for knowing and growing your audience.
Millennials
Speaking of millennial listeners, it seems that their favorite genre to listen to is top 40, which Nielson defines as Pop CHR.
What does this mean for your station?
If your station falls into the country or top 40 category, push your content out on social media and other avenues to draw in more listeners! If your station falls into any of the other equally great categories, be on the lookout for your own trends, or consider adding in some seasonal programming if that makes sense for your station. Where are listeners coming from? What shows perform the best for you? If you have a website outside of your directory listing on Live365, Google Analytics is a great tool to gain insight on your visitors and listeners. Your station’s Facebook page will also give you some audience insight. Keep in mind that your Facebook audience isn't necessarily who actually listens to your station, although there should certainly be overlap.
On the topic of summer, you should also keep in mind summer holidays! This coming Tuesday isn’t your typical weekday Tuesday. It’s the Fourth of July, in which Americans celebrate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence! As a national holiday, many Americans have the day off work and will likely treat the day like a weekend. As a broadcaster, consider treating this Tuesday as a weekend as well. Do something fun and creative like a special promotion (free gift card/ticket/product giveaway for the tenth caller?) or have a show that folks can only catch on the day. Promote it this weekend and get the hype going.
Remember all of this for future holidays as well. Labor Day is in early September. Although it always falls on a Monday, it’s not your typical Monday. To top it off, it’s basically a three-day weekend for a lot of folks! Because of this, there are lots of opportunities to hype your station’s shows up and draw in large crowds.
If you plan to be away from your desk on these holidays, don’t forget that you can use AutoDJ to manage your station so your listeners always have something to tune in to. You can customize your playlist for the day by creating a playlist and scheduling an event.
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Article Image: A hat, sandals, and sunglasses with starfish and monstera leaves on a yellow wooden table. (5seconds via DepositPhotos).
