What is Audience Flow?
Audience flow in marketing means how many people watch a certain TV station before, during, and after a show. It’s super important for TV stations to keep track of this stuff. They want to know where people are coming from and going to.
Audience Flow Diagrams
To help figure this out, they make these things called audience flow diagrams. They’re like maps that show the path people take when they’re choosing what to watch. So let’s say you’re watching your favorite comedy show. The diagram would show what you watched right before that, and then what you watched right after.
Why Audience Flow Matters
Okay, so why do the big wigs at the TV stations care so much about this? Well, it’s all about the benjamins, baby. They need to know what shows are popular so they can sell more ads. And they need to put the right shows in the right order.
Prime Time is Money Time
The most important time for them is called “prime time.” That’s when most people are plopped down on the couch, ready to watch some TV. The stations go all out to get the best shows in those prime time slots. They want to suck you in and keep you glued to their channel all night long.
Lead-In, Lead-Out
Another thing they think about is the “lead-in” and “lead-out.” The lead-in is the show that comes on right before. They want that show to be a good match, so people stick around. Same goes for the lead-out, the show that comes on right after. They don’t want you to be like “well that was fun, time to switch to another channel.” Nope, they want you to stay put.
The Flow Zone
When a station gets the audience flow just right, it’s a beautiful thing. People are flowing from one show to the next, barely even touching the remote. The ratings are through the roof and the ad money is pouring in. It’s like the station has entered the flow zone.
Creating the Perfect Lineup
So how do they create this perfect flow? They put their best minds on it. These are the programming gurus who know the audiences inside and out. They look at the audience flow diagrams and they tinker with the lineup until they get it just right.
Testing, Testing
But they don’t just go with their guts. They test this stuff out. They’ll try a new lineup for a bit and see how it goes. If people are digging it, great! If not, back to the drawing board.
When Flow Goes Wrong
But sometimes, even with all that careful planning, things can go sideways. Maybe a new show just isn’t hitting like they thought it would. Or maybe some big news event comes along and shakes up the usual viewing habits. When the flow gets messed up, it can be a real headache for the stations.
The Dreaded Drop-Off
The worst thing is when there’s a big drop-off. That’s when a bunch of people tune out at the same time, usually right after a popular show ends. It’s like a mass exodus. The next show just can’t hold onto the audience. That’s a big red flag for the station.
Fixing the Flow
When this happens, they have to do some fast fixing. They might shuffle the lineup around, or even yank a show off the air if it’s really tanking. It’s all about damage control and getting that flow back on track.
The Future of Flow
So that’s the deal with audience flow. But the TV game is always changing. With streaming and on-demand viewing, people aren’t tied to the TV schedule like they used to be.
The Streaming Shake-Up
Platforms like Netflix and Hulu have really shaken things up. People can watch what they want, when they want. They’re not stuck in the flow of the TV lineup. This has made audience flow a bit trickier to track and control.
New Ways to Flow
But the stations aren’t giving up. They’re finding new ways to create flow, even in this wild west of streaming. They’re looking at data on what shows people binge watch, what they watch next, all that good stuff. The flow is still there, it just looks a little different.
