How to be more consistent
If you struggle with “consistency” in your marketing you are definitely not alone.
Consistency overwhelmingly tops the list of marketing challenges I hear about from the solo, creative business owners that I work with and have in my personal network and it’s often accompanied by a shame spiral that they aren't doing enough.
Now here’s the thing: inconsistency is only a problem if it’s a problem. If your marketing efforts ebb and flow but you’re meeting your goals, then it’s probably not an issue. But if you’re struggling, there is something to be said about sustained efforts over time; it can support success.
What are we talking about when we say consistency?
If we’re going to get technical, the definition of consistency is “a level of performance that doesn’t degrade in quality over time.” But I don’t think it's the quality of their marketing these entrepreneurs are fretting about so much as the frequency and/or regularity of it.
The content marketing model, often the gold-standard for online service-based businesses, has a real more is more vibe demanding a high volume of content to fill the funnel - multiple posts across multiple channels multiple times a week or even a day. So of course, achieving anything less is going to feel like it’s not enough – even if releasing a podcast once a month or sending a bi-weekly email is consistent.
But what if trying to keep up that high frequency schedule is doing more harm than good?
Many solopreneurs struggling with consistency feel stuck in a cycle of doing all of the marketing, then doing the bare minimum – or nothing at all – and feeling bad that they’ve fallen off the proverbial marketing wagon… again.
Frankly, it’s giving diet culture energy. Just like a binge and restrict cycle, we put everything into the perfect new marketing plan that is going to be the one that breaks through only to end up burning out on doing too much or end up with a vulnerability hangover from putting ourselves out there.
Or better yet, the marketing worked and now we’re booked and busy.
So how do you get more consistent with your marketing efforts?
Do just enough.
Here’s what that can look like:
Getting really clear on your business goals and objectives to determine what just enough marketing looks like for your business, in this season
Focusing on one or two primary channels instead of spreading yourself too thin across every platform and medium
Creating a sustainable publishing schedule that is within your capacity
Plan for scheduled breaks so you can recharge before you burn out
Creating systems and leveraging technology to automate or simplify admin tasks to create more time and space to prioritize marketing activities
Reusing, recycling and repurposing what you have instead of starting from scratch each and every time
Honouring seasons and cycles within your business and yourself - there are times when you’ll need more or less marketing, and times that you’ll have more or less energy for putting yourself out there
Invest time or budget if you can in diversifying your marketing to include activities that don’t rely on your energy or creativity such as optimizing your website for SEO, paid ads or a referral program
Audit your current marketing activities and lean in to what’s working; stop doing what doesn’t
Keep this list of low-energy ideas in your back pocket for when you can’t even
At the end of the day, marketing is hard especially when we’re doing our own thing and doing it all. So above all, give yourself lots of compassion and a little bit of grace when we’re not doing all that we want to – it’s probably more than enough!
