One topic comes up repeatedly when I am talking to people about creating content: Consistency is key. When companies struggle to create a strong brand or to effectively engage their customers, a lack of consistency is usually the root of the problem.
Consistency is important in two core areas of your business. Today's blog will cover the areas your company should make sure it is consistent with.
Have a consistent identity and brand message
It is imperative you are consistent with what you say about your company and the way you communicate. While it is important to share a variety of information on unique mediums, it needs to be easy for your customers to quickly identify that the content is coming from you. Whether you are posting on a blog, publishing a newsletter, or sharing an update on Facebook, you should be confident your reader can identify your company values. You should always be sure your identity is clear and you carry a recognizable tone throughout all of your content.
As you build your brand, the goal is that your current and potential customers will trust you as a valuable resource. To do this, the content you create and share must stay true to who you claim to be. Beyond your content, all of the different platforms (Facebook, Pinterest, website, blog, newsletter) should have a common look and feel. These various pages don’t have to be identical, but readers should be able to quickly identify that it is your brand.
Publish content on a regular basis
The other side of consistency is how often you publish content. To boost engagement, your customers need to know when to expect new content. The goal is that your customers will eagerly wait to read what you have to say. If you are going to write a blog, be sure to post on a regular and frequent basis. A calendar is the single most important tool to make this happen. One of the worst things you can do is engage readers and then disappoint them on a regular basis by not posting when you said you would. By following a schedule, your readers will know when to expect the next post.
As you get started, you may only be able to consistently post once a week. The more frequent and consistent you are with the days and times you post, the more diligent your readers will become in visiting your site regularly. This will help boost your readership and reader engagement. The same goes for e-newsletters or other customer communication. If you say you are going to publish a quarterly newsletter, don’t forget and only publish it twice a year. Inconsistency reflects on your business and will not help build your customer's confidence in you.
What habits are you practicing to be more consistent with your communication? Have more questions we didn't cover about improving consistency?
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Photo credit: Sonja Langford