The third mistake most companies make in content marketing is not being consistent.

Most company blogs follow this pattern: an opening “Welcome to our blog!” post, 2-4 mildly interesting posts within a two-month period, then nothing.

For these companies, Content Marketing is just another campaign to try for a while until they realize that it actually takes a lot of work. They rarely push through long enough to see any results. Their content sits on a digital platform somewhere as a signpost to everyone – “We tried this, but it didn’t work.”

These content ghost towns are not only depressing, they’re a huge waste of time and money.

 

Why is consistency important?

The core principle of Content Marketing is building a stronger relationship with a targeted community. It takes time to attract an audience, gain credibility, and build a relationship with your audience. Often, the only way they know you are worth their time is if you show up again and again.

Consistency is what earns you the right to command authority. One article, one newsletter, or one podcast doesn’t establish anything. It is only after you write 100 articles that you start to be noticed as an authority in a field.

Showing up every time you say you will has some auxiliary benefits as well. First, it shows that you are professional and organized. If you are capable of putting out a publication on a regular schedule, you likely have the rest of your business similarly organized.

Second, when you publish consistently, you are forced to deal with a large variety of topics. You have to look for new stories and trends. It pushes you to think more deeply about things you wouldn’t have bothered with. It makes you better.

 

Think like a publisher

If you decide to start using Content Marketing, you need to start thinking like a publisher. The local paper doesn’t miss a day and neither should you. The nightly news comes on at the same time and you know what to expect. As a publisher, you have a deadline, and you need to ship on time.

Any company that has succeeded in Content Marketing can measure their longevity in years, not months. Whatever you decide to do, commit to a year of it. If you can’t see the value after a year, you probably never will.

 

Consistency in Time

There isn’t one right answer on how often to publish. As always, it depends on the community you want to reach. As a rule of thumb, it is nice to do it slightly more often than they would expect, but don’t commit to something you don’t think you can achieve. Keeping your promise is more important than wowing them at the start.

If you publish more often, you will get more traction, exposure, and attention. Doing a monthly podcast will take a lot longer to reach a large number of people as compared to a daily one. However, if you publish less often, you can focus on creating higher level content, and it may be more anticipated. People look forward to seeing the latest edition of the Economist and the New Yorker, but no one necessarily anticipates a new Buzzfeed article.

 

Consistency of Tone

The tone of your content should also be consistent. If you typically write in a casual or conversational style, don’t all of a sudden change to something serious and formal. Pick the tone you think will resonate best with your community, given your strategy, and stick to it.

This is especially important when you have a show or blog with guests. Don’t let the guests dictate the tone of the show. If you think of any well-run talk show, the interviews are similar no matter who the guest is.

 

 

Consistency is vitally important for effective content marketing, and it may be the one thing that distinguishes you from the pack. You know you are a success when your community expects to hear from you and gets upset when you aren’t there.