In 2021 my word of the year was consistency.
Having a word of the year can help to keep you focussed and make sure that all of your goals line up with your chosen word.
Consistency was really important for my business this year. There were new marketing tools that I wanted to try like podcasting, or continue doing like my newsletter and I knew that being consistent would make it easier to keep them up.
I started the year posting my daily #TeaBreakTips and ended it sharing daily in #TheBest90DaysEver. It set me off to a great start and built foundations for my business that I know will help me going forward.
After a year of consistency there are a few things it taught me about marketing, here are my top 3 lessons for you!
Rules aren’t always made to be broken
When I was thinking about my newsletter and podcast I knew that without having a plan and some rules for myself I’d find it hard to stick to a routine of posting.
With a newsletter there are so many options of when to send it, how often and what should be in it.
To start I sent the newsletter a few times to see if there were any patterns and I noticed that I mainly sat down to write it on a Sunday. This might feel like a pain for some people because it’s the weekend but I love getting a cup of tea and having a quiet hour to write.
After a few weeks sending it out on a Sunday, The Social Sunday Newsletter was born and I realised it made sense to put the podcast out on a Sunday too.
Setting the rule that the podcast and the newsletter go out once a week on a Sunday means that other options are taken away and it’s harder to procrastinate. I don’t have to decide when to send it, that’s already been decided for me.
If you find you're procrastinating with just getting started, pick a day, topic and frequency and plan to send your content out on that day.
Lesson - Decide what consistency means for you in all areas of your business, for example social media, newsletters, client work or calls and stick to it throughout the year.
It’s easier to be consistent if you enjoy it
If the idea of writing a newsletter on a Sunday fills you with dread, what would get you excited to do it?
It’s so much easier to be consistent if you can find a way to enjoy it.
I noticed it this year when it came to marathon training. Running a long way on your own can be really hard but it feels much easier when you do it with someone else, download your favourite podcasts and fuel up along the way.
If you’re struggling to be consistent with a part of your business, how can you change it so you look forward to the time when you get to do it?
It could be something as simple as lighting a candle and getting a cup of tea before you write your social media posts or seeing it as time you get to yourself. Consistency isn’t about forcing yourself, it’s about doing it because you want to.
Lesson - Experiment with new ways of doing your work and find the one you really enjoy.
You are only accountable to you (but it helps to have other people there)
If you’re still struggling to be consistent just remember, it’s only you that you are accountable to.
But having other people who become your cheerleaders really helps!
There was nothing more motivating than seeing a green tick on my TrueCoach because I’d completed a run and knowing that Sian my personal trainer would be pleased.
I also knew that if I missed a newsletter there are people who read The Social Sunday every week and I’m not suggesting they would be upset if I didn’t send one, but I don’t think it would go unnoticed if it was missing.
Use others as your motivation to stay consistent. Your audience wants to see your posts and read your content!
Or you might find it easier to set yourself rewards as you go. If a new book or an afternoon at the cinema would motivate you to post every day on social media for a month use treats like that to keep you going.
Lesson - Have an accountability partner or reward yourself when you stay consistent
A year of consistency has taught me how important being consistent in my business is and how quickly it can get you results. Starting and continuing a newsletter and podcast has lead to so many new opportunities and I'm excited to see what else will come from them in 2022.
If you're looking to be more consistent in your social media marketing this year and you want to start January as you mean to go on, sign up for my new course Be Your Own Social Media Manager.
