By Christopher Smith, account manager, Sha-Izwe Communications
Part 5 of 5
In Part 5, and the final part of this series, we will look at one of the key elements of a successful marketing strategy, Consistency.
Many times l have seen people start off with enthusiasm, but this quickly dwindles if the correct foundations are not in place. These foundations are what we have covered in the previous four articles. Having a plan will ensure that your marketing efforts will continue, based on a strong foundational strategy.
Consistency Sells
Research has shown that people need to hear something seven times before the message starts setting in. This is why consistent marketing is needed to be effective. Placing an advert once in a magazine or online will do little. Numerous adverts will reinforce the message.
We live in a society where we are continually bombarded with information from all angles, and as a result businesses are looking for ways to better targeted their advertising. Hence the opportunities with social and digital media abound.
Each and every company has a target audience, either small or large. Either way, people are looking for results and value. We need to give our audience reasons to digest and follow the content we show them. This is why we need to be consistent in providing information and content that is not simply reused across platforms. Ideally, content should be created individually for each platform. This is covered in Part Two of our series.
For example, you may want to record a video and upload it to YouTube. Or do a quick video for Instagram, or reuse some highlights on Twitter, and link this content back to your website. Be careful not to duplicate exactly the content on each platform.
There are ways to reuse your content in a way that it doesn’t look like it was automated and that little attention was put into it. Consistency requires effort, and when your audience sees effort, it gives more reason to follow you on social media. Also use a spread of content, covering as many digital platforms as you can handle.
Don’t post to a platform if you can’t manage it
I saw a YouTube video that had numerous views, but the link for people to access the offer was broken. People commented about this but no one from the company followed up. Companies fall short of managing their platforms, and old, static websites, turn people away.
There is a link between Consistency and Content. To ensure Consistency it is important to plan content, even weeks in advance, or even only the topics, to ensure Consistency.
