If you have a business or nonprofit, you have a marketing plan. You probably have all kinds of components to that plan, right? There’s print, websites, social media, etc., etc., etc. The list goes on and on. The one thing people tend to avoid that rings more important than anything else? Marketing consistency.

You have goals… we all do! It’s no secret that consistency is the key to meeting them. Do you want to be healthier? Be consistent in diet and exercise. Hoping to get out of debt? You must show consistency in spending and saving. In fact, I could come up with these alllllll day long. Guess what is the key to meeting any goal? You guessed it… consistency!!!

Why You Need Marketing Consistency

Business owners have a lot to do. We wear a ridiculous number of hats on any given day. As a result, many live in a constant state of overwhelm. Something has to give. Unfortunately, marketing consistency is what often takes the hit. You meant to write that blog post, but it kept ending up on the back burner. That social media post showcasing your latest project keeps almost getting posted, but other things got in the way. You know you need to send out an email update… you get the idea.

So your digital marketing ends up on the back burner. As a result, you have a casualty. What’s the casualty, you ask? Your credibility. I’ll say it louder for y’all in the back and even make it easy for you to tweet. The cost of a lack of marketing consistency is your credibility.

First Impressions Matter

Picture something for me, please. You walk into a high-end retail store with high expectations. This is a store in one of those super fancy outdoor malls. You know the kind. In fact, they don’t call this a mall… it’s a “fashion park”. Pretty swanky, right?

Let’s say that it’s late February or early March. When you look around at all the promotional materials, they still feature Christmas. What would you think? I’d probably head right back out the door with the feeling that these people don’t take themselves (or their brand) very seriously. They certainly don’t care about me as the customer and what products I likely want or need. That’s a pretty rotten first impression.

I have a feeling that whoever heads up that store’s marketing would be fired, and with good reason. Well, since your website is your most valuable employee, maybe you should hold it accountable, as well.

Digital Marketing Consistency

In keeping with the above example of a physical store, how does that translate to your online marketing? What impression do you have when you visit an out-of-date website where the calendar only shows events that happened weeks ago? What do you think when you come across a blog that hasn’t had new content for months or even years? I think I’ve made my point.

We plan to revisit this topic a lot this year. Above, I touched on making sure your website is up to date (we have a free tool you can use to assess your site’s effectiveness.) It extends, however, way beyond just your website. We’ll discuss social media, email marketing, and more.

So stay tuned for more about marketing consistency, and keep swimming along!