When you are thinking about your social media marketing strategy, a word that always comes up is ‘consistency.’  If you’ve done any research into this topic, you may encounter this word so often that you start to ignore it.  But you do this at your own peril!  There is a good reason that businesses who are initiating social media marketing are encouraged to be consistent in their efforts. Some of the primary functions of social media marketing just simply don’t work as well without consistency.  Consider these four vital functions:

1. Introduce Yourself – Name Recognition. Social media marketing lets you get your name out there.   If a prospect has never heard your company’s name before, chances are they will not give you a second thought.  Social media gives you a chance to introduce yourself.  But in the noisy, crowded atmosphere of social media, you have to be consistent in keeping your name in front of your target customers.  If you post every day for 6 weeks and then disappear for a month, you will become a distant memory for many prospects and will lose any ground you had gained.
2. Show Who You Are – Brand Identity. Your brand identity is who you are as a company and what your prospects think of when they hear or see your name.  Social media marketing gives you an opportunity to communicate the strengths and values that set you apart from your competition.  Now the need for consistency here should be obvious.  You do not want prospects to think of you as schizophrenic.  You need to present a consistent, unconfused identity so potential customers can get a solid understanding of what your company does and who it is for.
3. Demonstrate What You Know – Technical Expertise. Social media marketing can help you impress your prospects with some of your industry knowledge.  Putting out helpful content that your target market is interested in will often win you a following.  Readers will look forward to what you have to say as they begin to trust your expert advice.  As you demonstrate what you know, you better know what you know…and what you don’t know.  There needs to be an internal consistency in your social media message.  If your social media is sending mixed messages, your followers will soon distrust your advice and they won’t remain a follower for long!
4. Prove You’ve Got Solutions – Product Offerings. Everybody has a problem, and social media is the place that you can give potential customers a peek at the solution you have to offer.  Followers need to understand what you are selling and why it is beneficial for them.  To achieve this, again you need consistency.  It is okay to write about your product from different angles – in fact that’s good.  On the other hand, you don’t want to post content that is misleading or confusing or that conflicts with other messages.

I hope you see why consistency is an important element of a social media marketing strategy.  But maybe this post has just raised more questions for you.  What does consistency look like in this area?  How can you become more consistent in this area?  What kinds of results can you expect from more consistency?  If these are your concerns, you will be pleased to know that this post is just the first part in a series.  Check back for more about consistent social media marketing.  Or call Wade at 317-683-7578 (ext. 707) with specific questions.