September 27, 2021
Social media and marketing: Why consistency is key for success
Success as an entrepreneur is a marathon, not a sprint. And this is particularly true when it comes to using social media to market your business. Consistency equals success.
The trouble is, consistently doing anything – maintaining a workout routine, keeping up with your inbox before it implodes, devoting time every day to a big project – is hard.
Why is that – especially when we desire that very thing which consistency will help us create?
Maybe it helps to think of it this way… While going to the dentist for a teeth cleaning is not something I look forward to, I know it’s necessary. I mark the appointment in my calendar, I go at the appointed time, and then it’s done. Now, think about the necessity – the consistency – of brushing your teeth every day, and what would happen if you didn’t.
You may not brush your teeth perfectly every day, but what matters is the consistency. It’s the value of the accumulated action over time on your oral health. Unless you want to see (and pay) your dentist a lot more, you just got to do that task consistently.
So how does this relate to your business and community building on social media?
Why a consistent social media presence matters
To succeed in business, especially when you’re starting out, you have to market yourself. There’s no getting around it. One of the best ways to do that is by creating and consistently maintaining a social media presence.
When you start to consistently show up on social media as the face of your brand, you begin to form relationships with potential clients and customers. Of course, relationships bloom when you feed them (and die when you don’t).
As you consistently post on social media, people learn to recognize, remember, and relate to your brand and your unique voice and personality, whether it’s funny, intellectual, or something else. They begin to get to know you, and you get to know them as you ask questions or ask for feedback in your posts.
Conversely, when you take a scattershot approach, posting randomly with big gaps in between, or you post in ways that don’t consistently communicate your brand or voice, you lose that valuable opportunity to become memorable and build a community that wants to learn more about you and your business.
Social media consistency is in the numbers
When I coach new business owners, I often get asked questions like these: How many social media posts is too many? How many are not enough? According to my experience and the inbound marketing sales experts at Hubspot, the answer is: it depends.
For example, the more you post on Twitter’s chronological platform, the more visibility you get. Facebook, on the other hand, is an algorithm-based platform and it ranks quality content higher than quantity. So, three to four quality-focused posts a week is a good strategy.
And then there’s the question of timing. For social media consistency, Hubspot research shows that the day of the week or time of day you post on Twitter doesn’t seem to matter. There are no statistically significant findings that suggest anything else.
Their research on Facebook likewise points to any day as a good day for posting on that platform, with a slight uptick on Sundays. Again, quality is more important that quantity.
Social media consistency can boost your business
When you consistently show the world (and your potential clients or customers) through social media that you’re active in your business, something interesting starts to happen.
Whether you call it luck, serendipity, or destiny, opportunities start to appear. New inquiries about your product or service materialize. You can get unexpected invitations to speak at events. Connections that improve your business in unexpected ways appear.
Why? Because showing up consistently (there’s that word again!) on social media makes you visible, approachable, and relatable.
So back to our initial problem: How can you build consistency, especially on social media, into your day-to-day business activity?
How to ramp up your posting game
Consistently publishing on social media doesn’t have to be difficult. It’s really a matter of building habits that stop procrastination in its tracks. Here are some guidelines.
- If you’re a new business owner, you may be struggling with fear and reluctance to post on social media because of judgment from others. Remember that your content isn’t for everyone. Those who can’t relate can just scroll on by. Ignore your fear and share your message so those who can relate will benefit!
- You can help yourself get past self-sabotaging mental blocks by taking baby steps toward consistency. Set social media posting micro-goals that don’t feel so scary or paralyzing.
- Remember that your execution of these goals doesn’t have to be perfect. If you’re new to promoting yourself and your business on social media, acknowledge that you’re a beginner, keep an open mind, and know that you will improve. The operative word here is simply “do.”
- Keep your goals focused and simple. Create a social media posting calendar that works for you and your current schedule. Make sure the calendar includes time to develop quality ideas and content and mark down the day or time you want to post.
So, is consistency worth it?
Like every entrepreneur out there, I have moments when I feel like I’m working on something that isn’t going anywhere. When that happens, I think of a famous quote by C.S. Lewis, who wrote The Chronicles of Narnia. It says:
“Isn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes but when you look back everything is different?”
This is how I feel about consistently marketing on social media. Day by day, it doesn’t seem like it matters very much. Sometimes a post will get a few likes or a few comments. But then there are times when the feedback is overwhelming.
Now I know what matters in the effort is the consistency.
With time, I’ve found my voice and personality on social media. I’ve learned to create messaging that lets my audience know who I am and how I can help. In turn, they’ve shared a part of themselves and their dreams with me. They’ve identified with me, kindly chosen to spread the word about my business, and have become clients, friends, and in some cases even partners on my business journey.
Now that’s a community worth building!
Do you have questions about how you can succeed in your business and accelerate your journey toward reaching your goals? I invite you to learn more about From Startup to Success coaching packages. Begin with a no-cost 30-minute consultation to discuss where you are with your business and where you want to go.
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