So here we are, day 2.
Last night I woke up just after midnight to the sound of my heart pounding outside of my chest. My mind was swirling, racing with thoughts, one louder than the rest: I’ve always done things the hard way – and I’ve overcome every obstacle in my path.
The thought sent me reeling back, until I landed in a scene from my past. My first business, Dot Media Solutions, 2009, the days I closed that office early, the pubs I visited, the steps I took, the ones I didn’t, the distractions I allowed and the impact of those around me. One word, above all others stood out: consistency.
Struggling with consistency
As a kid, I had a very structured upbringing. I’d go to school, I’d come home, play video games, occasionally do my homework, eat and sleep. My whole family are very structured, I could time my mother to the minute.
For me, though, whenever things got tough, I’d drop the ball on the one thing that mattered: being consistent. Whether it was showing up or holding the line against tempting food, I’d let the momentum slip, and wind myself right back to square one, time and time again.
When it comes to your business, and to my own success, marketing isn’t just an action. It’s not something you do when or if you feel like it, but rather it’s about showing up every single day.
Its more than showing up
Marketing is more than just posting the occasional post on social media, or sending out an email when I remember. It’s about proving your own value, showcasing your expertise, drawing on real life testimonials, case studies and consistently delivering messages about how you are different to others in your industry.
It’s about answering that one question for your ideal client:
Why should they choose you?
Why me?
We live in a busy and noisy world, we are bombarded with texts, calls and emails every single day.
However, consistency isn’t just about you, it’s about your audience, your current clients, prospective clients and the people you may influence. The moment that you stop showing up, your audience will stop noticing you and when that happens, you’ve lost. In some cases that could mean an unfollow, unsubscribe but it could also mean losing a client or a referral.
Lessons from my first business
Thinking back to my first business in 2009, I see the pattern clearly.
Whenever I landed a client, I’d stop marketing and shift the focus entirely to delivering the project.
Whenever things got hard, I’d shut the office early and go home. Marketing would stop, networking, something I didn’t like much back then anyway, would stop, the whole business would just stop. I was no longer hungry to hunt for clients.
Looking back I should have hired someone or outsourced the technical work, leaving me to focus on the growth of my first business. I ended up in a series of feast or famine, more than that I ended up shrinking my world to the confines of the office, never understanding why the phone didn’t ring.
A lack of consistency shielded me from uncomfortable experiences, like business networking and marketing, and exposed me to a world of no responsibility, the price I paid was high.
The present reality
Even now, I’m by no means a champion of consistency.
I am, however, more consistent on social media, yet there are times I still drop the ball and when I do, you can see the effects first hand.
- The organic reach declines
- Website traffic stalls
- Momentum slides
- I decide it’s not for me.
As for the other forms of marketing I engage in, email marketing and networking, let’s not even go there.
Since May, I have barely sent one email a month to prospects. To my existing clients, they hear from me once a quarter if they are lucky. No updates, no value-adds, no touch points.
What’s worse, I know better. I didn’t get to running my first 34 mile race by showing up to my morning run when I felt like it. I got there through showing up when I felt like absolute hell.
And yet I happily let myself off the hook when it comes to my own business or personal growth. I know that consistent communication builds trust, and trust is the foundation of a long term business relationship.
Flipping the script
This blog, this 365 day challenge I have embarked on is about changing the narrative, so that in 12 months I am not saying the same thing.
I’m not saying that this is going be easy. Staying consistent never is. However I have learned the hardware that its the only way to truly grow, whether its your business, your personal brand or yourself.
So here’s my plan:
- Show up, personally on LinkedIn every single day
- Find and attend at least one physical networking event this month
- Prove the value I bring to my audience
- Keep marketing, even when its uncomfortable, inconvenient or hard
Because doing things the hardway? That is how I grow and I believe it’s how you will grow too.