As a consumer, and as a business owner, you understand the importance of trust. I remember first hearing the statement “People do business with people they know, like, and trust.” at a business conference. I have heard it so often since that it has crossed over into “cringe-worthy” territory. However annoying, it is largely true. Building the “know-like-trust” factor, as I have heard it described, takes consistency. Consistency in business, as with anything, is measured over a period of time, so you could throw time in there as a factor too. Let’s summarize by saying that when building a business, your consistent actions over time will influence those who are aware of you to know, like, and trust you and your business, and then invest their hard-earned money on your products and services.
But… isn’t consistency boring?
“But,” you might say, “consistency is boring.” I hear you. It is boring for you, but not boring for your customers. There is only one of you and you are with you, and your brand, all the time. Your customers, on the other hand, have a lot of choices and if they choose you and your creations, they have chosen to ignore someone else. They are in the mood for what you offer, and they want, on some level, to know what to expect, within some acceptable range.
Your brand, message, and products can stand out by virtue of excellence, impact, or the Wow factor, and still be a cohesive and consistent whole. Think of Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates. You may not know what you are going to get, but you know it’s going to be chocolate-covered, and, if the chocolatier has a strong “know-like-trust” factor, that it will be deliciously satisfying. There aren’t going to be any freeze-dried broccoli florets or spiders in the box. (If, on the other hand, you are going for a “Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans” type of experience, your customer might like the thrill of possibly encountering a hot pepper or booger flavored jelly bean once in a while. That chance is half the fun and a distinctive part of the brand. That brand is based on inconsistency, and is therefore consistent. Get it?
Consistency in business, here we come!
Here are seven areas of your business activities that you should aim to be consistent with. These are equally important whether you are just starting out or have been in business a while, whether you are full time or working on a side hustle. With each are tips for overcoming inertia and becoming more and more regular. Sometimes this is done by sheer willpower, and sometimes by paying for help. [Please note that this post contains affiliate links.]
Be consistent in your design
Your business name and logo is at the center of your brand. Along with those, there should be only a few colors which make up your business color palette, and one or two fonts. By sticking with these religiously you will develop an identity that customers and prospects will remember. These are the basics of your Brand Guidelines. You can also include a style guide for content, which might contain examples of your brand’s voice and personality in written communication.
When you are just getting started, it might take a little while to find your brand’s groove, and you might be tempted to change these things frequently. As soon as you can you should settle on a fairly narrow range of options. Print these up in an official Brand Guidelines document and post it prominently. Then if you grow to the point of outsourcing, you can hand the brand guidelines over to a virtual assistant.
Can’t give up playing with logo design, fonts, and colors? Maybe your true calling is to be a graphic designer or brand consultant. You could experiment with that idea by applying for some gigs on Fiverr or Upwork. Want to offer Brand Guidelines creation as a service? Check out my ebook Content Plus! Seven Profitable Service Add-ons for Freelance Content Creators.
Publish content consistently
If you have a website, it needs fresh content. Websites are like a work wardrobe. There should be some basics that are worn (read) often, and then some fresh pieces that change with the seasons and fashions. If your website content isn’t freshened up, your ranking on search engines will decline over time.
What does “consistently” mean? How often should one publish new content? The consensus seems to be that more is better, but quality is better than quantity. It is better to include a few really long posts that will rank on search engines and drive organic traffic to your site than to have more shorter and less relevant pieces of content.
Whatever frequency you are publishing now, aim for consistency first, and then increase the frequency while maintaining a regular schedule. If you are publishing once a month but skipping some months, try first for regularity and then try ramping up the schedule to every three weeks, then every two weeks. Primarily a content creator, (i.e. a blogger)? Then creating fresh content should be your focus. If you are a primarily a coach, consultant, service provider, or product creator, then your content output can be less frequent but you should still strive for regularity. (It is hard to keep up consistent output of your own content while serving clients.)
Here’s a trick: Start with PLR Content
How to get help with consistent content creation? You could hire it out, but a more cost-effective way to streamline your content production is through buying PLR (Private Label Rights) content. With PLR or White Label content, you are buying the rights to use pieces of writing. PLR providers vary on the terms of their licenses, which you can and should read prior to buying content.
Think of PLR content as a cake mix. You will need to add your own eggs and oil, or at least water and bake it. Then, if you want it to not taste like it was made from a mix, you can add in your own special ingredients. It is still easier than starting from scratch. Add in a personal anecdote, a case study from a client, a related quote or statistic from an article on another website, and maybe a link to a related article on your site. Your finished product won’t read like it was made from a mix.
Sometimes the sticking point of content creation is coming up with ideas in addition to the actual writing. If so, you might want to invest in a PLR subscription or membership. If your site is in the Business and Marketing, Self-Help and Personal Development, or Health and Wellness niche, consider a full or mini-membership from Piggy Makes Bank. The mini-membership will supply you with 5 high quality PLR articles, the text of 5 emails and 5 social media posts, 5 social friendly images plus an ebook compilation of the content each month. You can offer the ebook as a lead magnet/content upgrade to your posts. Learn more about the mini-memberships here: Mini PLR Memberships from Piggy Makes Bank
Email your list consistently
Do you know those friends who you, even if you haven’t communicated with in ages, you can pick right back up with as if it was just yesterday? Your customers aren’t like that. Sorry about that. Think of how long it took to build those relationships you can pop in and out of. Chances are it was a good long while. Or maybe you bonded over a shared traumatic experience. Most of us are just not that charismatic or endearing that a single online encounter will cause someone to fall in love with us and our message. You have to keep in touch. The best way (i.e. the way you have most control over) is through email.
Let’s send some emails!
How often to email? If you aren’t yet consistent, strive for weekly. Some people mail daily or even several times a day. Being consistent is more important than the exact frequency. You want to email often enough that if you skip one, or your reader doesn’t open one, that the connection will still be there. They won’t forget about you.
What to email about? If you have new website content regularly, you can email about that. And ask readers to go to your website which will then improve rankings for driving organic traffic.
How to email consistently? Some like to write emails in batches. Email service providers will enable you to schedule emails in advance. Others like to write about current events or what they are doing, or include affiliate offers and thus like to write each post on the day they send it. If so, schedule time on your calendar to do this. Figure out the average time it takes to write an email, and schedule it as you would a client call. Be a good client for yourself and your business. (A bonus of a content mini-membership is that you get email verbiage included.)
Post to social media consistently
A good piece of advice is that you don’t have to be everywhere on social media. But, where you do have a presence, you should be consistent. If your customers are on a platform, it is beneficial to be on that platform too. The more consistently you publish, the more trustworthy, shareworthy, and “top of mind” you will be. Have trouble coming up with content to post? Consider joining a Social Media membership which will provide you with done-for-you content. Take a look at the Publish for Prosperity Social Media Booster membership.
There are a ton of social media tools that enable you to schedule posts ahead of time. Some have additional features, like being able to import a spreadsheet of posts, or use RSS feeds from your favorite blogs to schedule content automatically. One tool to consider is SocialBee.
Create new products and offers consistently
All the pieces of your consistent online presence work together. If you publish content consistently, and share that content with people who have signed up to hear from you, then you are positioned to… drumroll please… ask them to spend money with you. If you are in business, and not just blogging for fun, this is the goal. (And if it is really only just for fun, getting paid might be a nice surprise and open up new opportunities for you.)
It is easier to create and sell smaller products than large ones. If you are asking someone to invest hundreds of dollars in your program, the trust factor has to be pretty high. On the other hand, a smaller product can be an impulse buy.
If you are looking for a good course on creating small products and courses, I recommend Cindy Bidar’s Tiny Course Empire.
Did you know that the Private Label Rights model is available for course creation and product creation too? By creating new products and offers “with a mix” you can get over what might be a daunting hurdle of indecision and overwhelm. When you buy the rights, you are entitled to use the “mix” as the license describes. Improve it and embellish it as you see fit. Here are some PLR sources to take a look at:
Courses:
Ecourses:
Low Content Publishing:
(For a more comprehensive list of resources, please see the Resources page.)
Give away free stuff consistently
People like free stuff! While you want to be careful not to build a mailing list of “freebie seekers” who will never invest money in their businesses or themselves, rewarding subscribers with free resources which will help them succeed will keep them engaged while their trust in you builds.
What kinds of freebies should you give away? When you publish a new blog post, consider creating a related checklist of action items to implement your teaching. For those who arrived at your post organically through search or social media, requiring an opt-in to receive the checklist will get them on your mailing list. You might give subscribers a direct link to access without the trouble of opting in to your list again.
Other freebie ideas: short ebooks, printable worksheets or workbooks, planners, quizzes, or an invitation to a livestream or video premiere. You might even link to free resources or articles which you have found helpful or inspiring.
How to get these freebies together with limited time? Again, Private Label Rights content can help. You might also share freebies from your network, or from creators for whom you are an affiliate.
Last but not least: Practice Self Care Consistently
It is easy for small businesses owners, solopreneurs, and freelancers to get discouraged. Keeping your spirits up and your mental health strong will enable you to keep putting in the consistent effort which will eventually lead to success.
Effective self-care varies from person to person. Finding a mastermind group or forming an accountability group with a few business friends can provide connection and motivation to keep going even when your efforts seem to be unrewarded. Taking time each day to meditate, exercise, prepare and eat healthful foods, and prepare for a restful night’s sleep is as much an investment in your business as the business activities listed above.
Conclusion: Consistency matters.
Consistency in your outward and visible marketing builds trust with your audience, enhances your credibility and authority, and enables you to grow and maintain your subscriber list. Consistency will then, over time, allow you to increase your revenue as more people engage with your content and are sold on the benefits of working with you and buying your products.
How does the busy business person achieve consistency before they are able to invest in hiring help from a virtual assistant? Entrepreneurs can save valuable time with minimal cost by starting content creation with private label rights resources, and by using scheduling software. Be sure to include your personal needs on your to do list, because if you don’t invest in taking care of yourself, you won’t be able to perform as efficiently.