Welcome to the second blog post! You’re now considered an early adopter and a trend-setter!
Last week I wanted to share a bit about me and Signify, so you’d have a little context for our budding relationship. So, I hope you had a chance to read that post, but if not, you can do that first by clicking here.
Now, we’re going to get right to work!
I’d like to spend the next six weeks on a series I’ll call “Foundations.” These are my go-to pieces of advice. They are the things I continually talk organizations through, both for- and non-profit, and I believe they are, well, the foundations of any successful business. (Clever name, huh?) Some of them will probably be easier for you than others, but all will be well worth your time. Whether your organization has been around for many years, or you’re still in the concept stage, consider this your “Start Here” series because you likely need improvement in at least one of these areas.
Okay, so straight out of the gate, I’ve decided to give you my number one tip for just about everything. That’s right: Business, personal, relationships. Pretty much anything except sugar and carbs can benefit from this advice, which is really unfortunate for me, and sugar, and carbs. But it’s so important that it tops my list. And that is . . . drumroll, please . . .
CONSISTENCY.
That’s right, repeat after me, consistency. It’s one of the top mistakes, if not the top mistake, that I see people making. And that could show up in a number of ways, but for this purpose, we’ll discuss it in relation to your marketing and communication efforts.
I don’t have to tell you that good intentions really don’t get you anywhere, and they’re certainly the enemy of consistency. I’ve spoken with scores of well-meaning individuals who had good intentions for a weekly blog post, daily social media content, an updated website, new head shots, monthly white papers, or ______. (Feel free to fill in the blank.) But every day, our To Do list spirals out of control, co-workers drop by with the latest news, customers or donors call to complain, coffee breaks or lunches linger—and on and on and on. So, before you know it, all you’re left with is a pile of ideas and no time left to execute them.
IF YOU WANT PEOPLE TO PAY ATTENTION TO YOU AND YOUR CAUSE, YOU NEED TO BE CONSISTENT.
Your supporters want updates. Did you hear that? They WANT updates. They don’t need them, they want them!
Now, if you consider yourself a business that doesn’t need any more fans, followers, supporters, donors, customers or friends, you have my full permission to stop reading now. You’re nailing it, and we’re all looking forward to your upcoming class. But if you find yourself lacking in any of those categories, you probably need to work on your consistency.
Think about it: Do you want to know when your favorite brands are having sales or launching initiatives or holding events or celebrating milestones or building wells or rescuing survivors? Yes—you do! And that’s because you’ve signed up for their updates. So, why wouldn’t you return the favor for your fans?
Maybe you’re great at Facebook, but not so much with Twitter. Maybe your email list hears regularly from you, but your social media is quiet. Maybe your website is new and beautiful, but you haven’t actually directed anyone there. Maybe you have an event coming up in a few months, but have done nothing to promote it.
Take a moment to assess your strengths and weaknesses. Write it down somewhere, physically or digitally. And then make a plan to start making small, regular improvements.
If you’re just starting out, don’t get caught up in what you’ve heard about how frequently you should be doing any of these things. That will lead to overwhelm and frustration if you start falling behind. To begin, just figure out what is realistic for you and build from there. Then, make adjustments as you go.
CONSISTENCY BUILDS CREDIBILITY.
Work toward consistency. Your fans will take notice and grow. And you’ll be able to deepen your relationships with them as well. Because let’s face it, if you’re only talking to them when you need something, you’ll become a bad taste in their mouths.
One of the push-backs I often hear in regards to this strategy is, “What if I don’t know what to say, or run out of things to say?” Good question!
I used to work at a public relations firm. And I spent a lot of time both announcing news, and making it up. The latter is because we didn’t want to be out of sight, out of mind with the fans of our clients. I know you don’t want that either, and I realize it’s a valid concern. But the truth is, you can always make something up. I don’t mean to be deceptive, of course, but there is likely information you’re sitting on that you didn’t think about releasing. For example, you can give a shout out to your employee of the month, show a photo of the company office, relay a famous quote that fits your mission, or remind people of other places they can follow your brand online. There really is always something.
No one knows your brand like your employees, but often we treat fans as if they are employees, disregarding that they need further education, or at least a reminder.
So, there you go: Consistency is key. It’s my number one tip. And if we had a conversation, I can almost guarantee that it would come up at some point.
Do yourself a favor and take a look at your current marketing and communications efforts to spot the areas lacking in consistency. This one concept can be a game-changer! Yes, it’s hard to do, whether you run solely on volunteers or have 5,000 employees. But it’s something you owe your organization and your fans.
And if you are consistent at something, by all means, brag about it! Share it in the comments below.
By the way, I also touch on this idea in my guide to the "5 THINGS TO STOP DOING THIS WEEK" to jumpstart your marketing and communications if you’d like to dig a little deeper.
Read the other posts in this series:
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I'm Kristi Porter, and I started Signify to provide writing, consulting and strategy services to nonprofits and for-profit organizations with a social mission, primarily through copywriting, marketing and business communications. I believe that cause-focused organizations like yours are the future of business. You're proof that companies can both make money and do good. And I'm here to help you get noticed and grow. When you succeed, we all win.