We are creatures of habit. We eat our meals at recurrent intervals, we go to bed and wake up in cyclical patterns, and our days flow according to our regularly choreographed routines. How we interact with social content is no different. There is a general ebb and flow in which consumers engage with brands and social media; it fits into their daily routines and tends to be repetitive. As a business, there is great value in understanding your audience’s digital tendencies and expectations. In this article, we’ll dive into the importance of posting consistently. Spoiler: that doesn’t just mean how often you post.

GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT

A study by McKinsey & Company reveals consistency is the secret ingredient to making customers happy across their entire journey with your business. Consistency consists of communicating with your audience in a strategically established schedule. It also requires extra attention to your brand’s voice and style to ensure the personality your audience knows and loves shines through. Remaining dependable in voice and communication regularity establishes trust between you and your audience.

SOCIAL MEDIA CONSISTENCY

Social media is constantly changing and has always been fast-paced by nature. As a result, content becomes obsolete quickly. To keep up, brands need to post consistently to make an impact. According to a study by Qualtrics, it was determined that, while awake, almost half of Millennials can’t go five hours without checking social media. Based on that standard, going weeks without posting content won’t cut it. If your target consumers are checking in on social media at five-hour intervals, any content you put out organically has essentially disappeared from their feeds in less than a day.

CONSISTENT STRATEGY

While posting frequently on social media is key, other forms of content don’t fall into the “daily” category. Branded digital content such as blogs or email blasts requires consistent *strategy* as opposed to day-to-day posting. To create a better customer experience, develop a strategic schedule based on your target audience’s habits, and stick to it. Doing so will help your brand build credibility, relationships, and trust with clients/customers. According to Techipedia, consistent brands are worth 20% more than those with inconsistencies in their content. Why? It gives their audience something they can depend on. It proves reliability through actions rather than words, and consumers take note of that.

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER  

When it comes to strategy, the most important aspect is finding the sweet spot in which your audience is most likely to engage with your posts. It’s not always an easy task and may require some trial and error. But in the end, it will greatly pay off. The best way to tackle this process is by utilizing systems that were designed to determine when your audience is most active. That knowledge can then be used to create a schedule based on when your audience is most likely to be active and ready to appreciate your content.

BUILD THAT CRED

Creating consistent, high-quality content is a great way to build your authority on all digital platforms. If your brand is established as a credible place to get information, you’re more likely to rank higher in search engines. As a result, you generate more leads and create more trust with your customers; all while staying ahead of competitors.

IT’S MORE THAN JUST HOW OFTEN YOU POST

Staying on top of posting is hugely important. However, keeping a consistent voice and aesthetic is also key to establishing trust between yourself and your audience. Each brand has a personality and a unique voice, or at least it should. Each follow gained comes with a set of expectations by the follower. They’ve seen your content, have determined it is valuable, and are signing on for future content of similar worth. Brand loyalty and community are the results of brand consistency. Without it there is little for your audience to depend on; therefore giving them little reason to engage regularly.