I get it, Consistency on Social Media is Hard.

Keeping up with all the million things you have to do as a small business owner is a LOT. Like… you have to regularly be like six people, at LEAST. You’re a social media manager, a marketing manager, a designer, a virtual assistant, an accountant, you’re a data entry specialist, an administrator – and that’s all before we actually get to the things you do for your clients/customers.

And keeping consistent with all of those things while also trying to manage to deliver the products or services that got you INTO business ownership in the first place… it’s a lot.

We Don’t Have Consistent Energy

That’s especially true if you’re a woman in business – because it’s well known that we don’t have consistent energy throughout the month. Even writers for Forbes recommend that we sync up our monthly schedules to our cycles, because there are non-negotiable hormonal shifts that we go through that impact everything from our sleep, to our nutritional needs. And since we’re trapped in these meat prisons… we can either figure out how to work WITH those patterns, or be forever ruled by them. Because they’re not going anywhere anytime soon.

The same is true though, for men – not necessarily because of their menstrual cycle, for obvious reasons, but because life is bonkers. And things will come up. And when those things come up, energy fluctuates. That’s normal, and to be expected.

But… you Should Aim for Consistency Online

The thing about having a business though, is those fluctuations, even if we’re working with them, can look a LOT like inconsistency. It might not be what we’re aiming for, but it’s what comes across. Or worse – what DOESN’T come across, because no one is noticing your content when it’s being created and posted inconsistently. It sounds harsh… but that doesn’t make it any less true.

So… when there are literal biological UNAVOIDABLE components of our existence working AGAINST us in the realm of consistency, why is it so important to think about and create failsafes for?

Consistency = Know, Like, Trust

Consistency is the overall key to the “Know, Like, Trust” factors that we all know are the first stages of getting investment from clients or customers online. Whether that means they’re purchasing a product, or signing up for a service – before they’re going to work with you or buy from you, they have to know, like, and trust you. Even if that “trust” is just “I will receive the product I’ve ordered in good condition” and “like” translates to “their vibe is really drawing me in.”

When you’re consistent online, and posting regularly on your active accounts, you’re contributing positively to your “know, like, trust” with new customers. And that’s POWERFUL stuff!

Consistency = Reliability

As a bit of an offshoot from “Know, Like, Trust” – your future clients need to know that you’re reliable. And that is absolutely communicated via online consistency. Even if that consistency isn’t what it looks like for other businesses! It doesn’t need to look like posting every day, or putting up video content aggressively. Maybe it’s just a few posts a week – or even ONE – and then updates via stories in the gaps. But whatever it looks like, it’s important to communicate that you can be relied on to keep a schedule.

This isn’t necessarily something people note on a conscious level, either. Much of what’s communicated via our business activities is actually working at the level of subconscious – very similarly to the way that branding colours evoke different emotional responses from our client bases.

Consistency = Brand Recognition

A more direct, less subconscious communication element of consistency, is brand recognition! It’s pretty straightforward how this happens – when you’re posting consistently, people see your content. When people see your content, on repeat, on a regular schedule, you become memorable. And being memorable means when someone needs what you do… you come to mine. Whether that’s creating gorgeous custom handbags, or teaching yoga locally. And brand recognition goes a long way to helping with the core goal of consistency for your business. SALES.

Consistency = SALES

With all of those factors combined, you end up with a business platform that helps you to make more consistent sales, and that’s the overall goal, right? Because let’s face it, we’ve all got bills to pay. So creating structures in your business or hiring professionals that can help you stay consistent is a MONEY MAKING activity, no matter how you look at it!

Struggling to Stay Consistent?

But consistency isn’t always easy, like I mentioned before. So how do you stay consistent, when your energy is maybe-not-quite-always-the-same? LOTS OF WAYS! Consistency is supported by all kinds of activities in your business, from outsourcing things that aren’t in your personal zone of genius, to starting your social media graphics with branded templates that speed up your process.

Like so many things that are part and parcel to running your own business, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to staying consistent online, which I know you don’t want to hear. Everyone will need a different “template,” so to speak. You might be most consistent when you batch your content ahead of time. Or maybe it works best for you to hire someone to do a portion of the work that trips you up. It’s about finding what works for you, and sticking with it!

If you need a little support in the figuring-it-out department though, I’m always here to have a chat about your processes, and how they can be more streamlined for you. Just reach out, and we can get a process audit booked for your business! That way, you can get well on your way to creating content more consistently, that will translate to ROI. Because staying consistent is difficult, and unfortunately… we’ve all gotta do it!