Not all traffic hours are created equal. Many publishers see their eCPMs drop significantly during night hours when advertiser demand is low. This case study shows how one publisher turned their night traffic from a liability into an asset.

The Problem

A publisher running an entertainment website noticed a clear pattern in their earnings:

Daytime performance was strong - Good fill rates, competitive CPMs, steady earnings
Night traffic underperformed badly - Same visitor volume but fraction of the revenue
Low fill rates after midnight - Many impressions went unsold
Advertisers paused overnight - Most campaigns had scheduling that excluded late hours
Wasted opportunity - Thousands of visitors generating almost nothing

The publisher had significant night traffic - their audience included night owls, different time zones, and users browsing before bed. This traffic was real and engaged, but advertisers werent buying it.

What They Did

Instead of accepting low night revenue as inevitable, the publisher implemented a multi-pronged strategy:

Step 1: Analyzed the Data

First, they dug into their statistics by hour:

Mapped exactly when CPMs started dropping (around 11 PM local)
Identified the lowest-performing hours (2 AM - 5 AM)
Noted which days had the worst night performance
Calculated how much potential revenue was being lost

Step 2: Adjusted Floor CPM by Time

They created a time-based pricing strategy:

Peak hours (9 AM - 10 PM) - Maintained premium floor CPM
Off-peak hours (10 PM - 9 AM) - Lowered floor CPM to attract more buyers

The logic: a lower CPM that actually fills is better than a high CPM with no buyers.

Step 3: Targeted Night-Friendly Advertisers

They researched which types of campaigns typically run 24/7:

Crypto and trading platforms (global, always-on audience)
Gaming offers (night owls are gamers)
VPN and security products (privacy-conscious users)
International campaigns targeting other time zones

They reached out to these buyers for direct deals with night-weighted terms.

Step 4: Configured Smart Fallback

For traffic that still didnt fill on PopTrade at night:

Set up fallback to a network known for accepting 24/7 traffic
Configured the fallback to only activate during specified hours
Ensured no impression went completely unmonetized

Step 5: Created Night-Specific Placements

They experimented with placement variants:

More aggressive ad formats during low-competition hours
Higher frequency caps when fewer campaigns were competing
Different placement positions optimized for night browsing patterns

The Result

The combined strategy transformed their night traffic economics:

Higher fill rates - Night impressions that previously went unsold now generated revenue
Better blended eCPM - Overall daily average improved significantly
Consistent 24-hour revenue - Earnings curve flattened instead of crashing at night
New advertiser relationships - Direct deals with night-focused buyers
Maximized inventory value - Every impression working harder

The key insight: night traffic isnt bad traffic - its just traffic that needs different handling.

Key Takeaways

Time-Based Pricing Works

Rigid pricing leaves money on the table. Adjusting floor CPMs based on demand patterns captures revenue you would otherwise miss.

Know Your Audience Segments

Night visitors might have different demographics and interests than daytime users. Understanding this helps you find the right advertisers.

Fill Rate Matters More Than CPM Sometimes

A $0.50 CPM on 90% of impressions beats a $2.00 CPM on 20% of impressions. Do the math for your specific situation.

Layered Monetization is Key

Combine platform optimization, direct deals, and fallback networks to ensure every impression has a buyer.

When to Apply This Strategy

Consider time-based optimization if:

Your analytics show significant traffic during off-peak hours
Fill rates drop noticeably at night or on weekends
You have international traffic spanning multiple time zones
Your current setup treats all hours the same
You see unfilled impressions in your statistics

Implementation Tips

Start With Data

Before making changes, gather at least two weeks of hourly performance data. You need to understand your current patterns before optimizing them.

Test Gradually

Dont slash your floor CPM by 80% overnight. Make incremental adjustments and measure the impact on both fill rate and total revenue.

Monitor Cannibalization

Make sure your lower night prices arent stealing traffic from higher-paying daytime campaigns. Time boundaries should be clear.

Review Regularly

Advertiser behavior changes seasonally and with market conditions. What works in January might need adjustment by June.

Your night traffic is an asset waiting to be properly monetized. With the right strategy, those off-peak hours can contribute meaningfully to your bottom line.

Case Study: How a Publisher Monetized Low-Value Night Traffic Profitably