Key Takeaways (TLDR)
Topic: Why consistency in marketing is widely misunderstood, how consistency differs from frequency, and how to find a sustainable version of both that actually works for your unique business.
What you’ll learn: Consistency has gotten a bad reputation online, but the backlash is largely aimed at the wrong thing. This post untangles consistency from frequency, two concepts that get conflated constantly, and makes the case that true consistency is about quality, reliability, and showing up in alignment with who you are, not about posting every day or doing more than is realistic. It covers what consistency actually looks like in practice, why comparing your frequency to someone else’s is a trap, and three concrete action steps for finding your own sustainable level of consistency in your marketing.
Who this is for: Entrepreneurs, coaches, service providers, and small business owners who feel guilty about not showing up constantly online, are burned out from trying to keep up with an unmanageable content pace, or simply want a more realistic and honest framework for thinking about consistency in their marketing.
Written by: Emily Aborn, Small Business Copywriter for home trade professionals, event planners, non-profits, podcasters, and small business owners. Host of the Small Business Casual Podcast, based in NH.
The Myth of Consistency
Is marketing messaging giving you the wrong idea about consistency?
For every one person singing the praises of consistency and proving that with some sticktoitiveness you can accomplish just about anything under the sun…
There are twice as many out there trying to take down the concept of consistency and give it a bad name.
Because I’m always game for protecting the reputation of words by helping us to see the deeper meaning, this blog will show you why it’s not so bad and encourage you to give consistency a second chance.
If you want to dive into a few more misconstrued marketing messages being tossed around the online space, make sure to check out this episode of Small Business Casual where I give you some action steps to start applying consistency in a way that feels realistic for YOU!
Being Consistent Seems Exhausting
But it doesn’t have to be!
Currently, I’m working on being the BEST in a few key areas in my life: I want to be the best service provider in offering copywriting to my clients. I want to be the best podcast host, and I want to be the world’s best spouse, friend, sister, auntie, and daughter.
Perhaps you’re competing for some of those same titles in your own life?
Good news: We can both win! Because being the “best” at something is entirely relative.
Guess what else is relative? Consistency!
(You probably knew I was going to say that already because you’re pretty smart if you’re reading this)
Consistency is relative.
Right now, the cool kids are online tearing down the word “consistency”. They claim it doesn’t allow for the ebbs and flows of life, tired days, flat tires, kids crawling all over you, and the Covid brain fog.
But wait… I think we’ve got this a little misunderstood. If you despise consistency and it makes you tired just thinking about it, consistency is probably not what you think.
Consistency vs. Frequency
I see consistency being confused with frequency on a regular basis.
When someone tells you to “Be consistent,” it doesn’t need to mean go faster, pick up the pace, post more, do more, or do something every day.
Consistency doesn’t equal frequency.
Consistency is layers deep and multi-faceted and it has more to do with:
- Quality over quantity
- Following through on what you say you’ll do
- Holding yourself accountable and being accountable to others
- Maintaining a standard for your business and life
Consistency is, for me, more about being reliable and also being in line with who you are and what you stand for. It’s about regularly reminding people of what you offer, who you are, and who you help. And it’s about being cohesive.
Consistency helps build trust and familiarity and ensures that what you’re saying, doing, and sharing sounds like YOU at all times.
Consistency looks different for everyone.
It’s relative. It’s relative to what you can feasibly do, what your business is, what your marketing platforms are, or aren’t, and what you’re focusing on right now in your business. Consistency has all different levels.
Consistency could look like this:
- Working on your tone and style right now
- Setting a cohesive message and look for your brand
- Networking or speaking or pitching to podcasts regularly
- Working on your health
- Pouring into your relationships
- Creating content on a consistent basis
There are times, seasons, and periods in which we’re consistent in one area but might not be in another.
You can put consistency down and you can pick it back up.
Onto frequency…
Frequency can be measured by hours, days, weeks, months, any time frame. It’s the rate at which you’re doing a thing.
It’s only after you decide what you want to focus your attention on and be consistent with that you can determine any sort of frequency. And, I don’t believe you can be consistently frequent with everything.
Consistency and frequency both have their place.
Doing tasks at a certain frequency helps you improve that thing exponentially.
When it comes to your message, it helps you be seen, heard, visible and keeps you top of mind when you’re frequently showing up in your content. Too much frequency can be a bad thing though.
You can be overly frequent and tap out your particular audience or community.
Example: If I were to start sending out seven emails a week and releasing seven podcasts a week, I think I’d start getting some annoyed-a-grams and people would say, “Emily, cool your jets.”
Or maybe I’d just lose people entirely.
More isn’t always more, it’s often just more.
“More is only more, if it’s better.” – Chelsea Pietz
Don’t compare your frequency to someone else’s, please!
Just because they’re doing more doesn’t mean they’re reaching the right people, growing faster, getting more reach, or creating genuine connections. Maybe they are… who cares! Stop comparing.
They are not you. It has to be realistic for YOU.
There’s a lot of shame I hear wrapped in the word “consistency”.
When people aren’t consistent, they express feeling bad about themselves, not good enough, like a failure, etc. etc. But often what’s happened is that they burned themselves out going fast and furious and realize they can’t keep up the pace they’ve set. Then they beat themselves up and berate themselves for not showing up daily, three times a day, in all the places.
They choose a frequency that’s totally unattainable for them to be consistent with.
Often, I think this is because the frequency was determined by looking at what others are doing, rather than starting from within and getting realistic about what you should be doing.
The only person you need to rate yourself against is YOU.
Three action steps to determine your level of consistency:
- Choose your marketing tasks from social media to coffee chats to podcast guesting on a schedule that works for you
- Know your message and how to express it clearly so you can rinse and repeat it often and in similar ways. Let a consistent message really sink in
- If you want to amp up your frequency or increase your output, try repurposing things you’re already doing into more!
The goal is to strike a balance between the right level of frequency so you can keep going at a consistent and steady pace without feeling like you’re drowning. In fact, when you choose a frequency at which you can be consistent and the areas in which you want to focus – you will THRIVE.
Want help determining where your consistent efforts are best spent? Book a Strategy Session with me HERE.
In my strategy sessions, we dive into your unique business and help you make those decisions around your marketing, messaging, and visibility efforts that move the needle in your business.
Frequency is how often you show up: the number of posts, emails, or episodes per week. Consistency is the quality, reliability, and cohesion you bring when you do show up. Someone who posts three times a week, every week, with a clear and recognizable voice is more consistent than someone who posts seven times a week in bursts and then disappears for a month. Consistency is about maintaining a standard and following through on what you say you’ll do. Frequency is just the rate at which you do it.
Usually because the frequency someone has set for themselves is unsustainable, often borrowed from watching what someone else is doing rather than starting from within and getting honest about what’s actually realistic. When you choose a pace you can’t keep up, you burn out, fall off, and then feel ashamed about it. The exhaustion isn’t from consistency itself. It’s from choosing a frequency that was never right for you in the first place.
There’s no universal answer, and that’s the point. The right frequency is the one you can maintain without burning out, while still showing up with quality and intention. For some business owners that’s daily. For others it’s twice a week. What matters more than the number is that you’re clear on your message, showing up reliably at whatever cadence you choose, and not disappearing for weeks at a time. A steady, moderate pace almost always outperforms an intense burst followed by silence.
Yes. Consistency is not the same as perfection or permanence. You can put it down and pick it back up. Life has seasons, and your content output will too. What consistency really asks of you is that you maintain your standard and your message over time, not that you never take a breath. The goal is a sustainable rhythm, not an unbroken streak.
