When you look at the messaging you use to promote your business, are your communications always in line with the brand identity, values, and strategy you set ahead of time with intention, or have the messages almost accidentally changed over time? Not because it was time to update things, but because you’re reaching and scrambling for something new to say.
One of the biggest mistakes I see entrepreneurs make is a lack of consistency in their messaging, but unfortunately, constantly changing your mind on how you describe your business makes it nearly impossible for anyone to actually understand what you do.
It’s already difficult enough to break through all the noise out there in order to get anyone to pay attention, but if you want to get noticed, being clear and intentioned in the message is vital. And you have to say it over and over again.
I understand how challenging this can be. As someone with a degree in journalism I had to battle myself into being repetitive in my marketing efforts.
And, I will tell you; it wasn’t easy. I had literally been trained to say something once and then quickly move on to the next topic. I was uncomfortable repeating myself because I thought that once I talked about something it was basically “yesterday’s news”. Seriously, I would have lost my job if I kept submitting the same news stories to my editor at the daily paper where I worked.
Not only did this keep me from making traction in the marketplace but it was majorly stressful trying to come up with the next way to talk about what my company did for our clients! Stressful enough that it often kept me frozen and not saying anything at all. Not very helpful when you’re trying to grow a business, right?
When it comes to business, and especially marketing, you must say the same things over and over to your target audience so they are exposed to your brand’s core messages. The trick is to not make this tedious for them or for you, but intentionally consistent in the way that makes you recognizable. The idea is to remind your audience what you do and who you do it for. This is your company’s unique value proposition and it should be communicated loud, clear, and frequently. Even if it feels awkward to be repetitive, this is how to get people to truly understand what you offer.
And it’s not just about the words you use but the things that you do. And since you know me, you know I’m all about taking action with your business. Being consistent in actions is equally important. Many entrepreneurs try a new marketing strategy but give up on it the moment they think it isn’t going anywhere. Doing this hurts your business because you aren’t giving it time to work. Trying something once and not seeing an immediate reaction isn’t a reason to give up. I’ve talked before about needing to measure everything you do. Giving up too soon makes it impossible to measure anything accurately.
One way to hold off disappointment if your desired outcome does not happen instantly is to predetermine the length of time you will devote to an action before understanding if it works for you. This way, you prevent giving up too soon and prevent your fear or panic from holding you back.
A good example of the need for extended consistent action is networking. Join a networking group and commit to staying in it for at least six months before deciding if it works or not. But you must be active in the networking group by showing up on a regular basis, meeting new people, and by following up with those people.
I know it can be frustrating and confusing to stick to something that you don’t know will work, but you’ll never find out if you don’t try. If you truly want emotional and financial freedom, being consistent in your message and your actions is the way to build a business you can be proud of.
Check out Conquer Your Business events to learn about opportunities to more deeply understand your business, and build a better brand based on consistent messaging and actions.
