The Fallacy of Consistent Marketing
There's this "marketing rule" that says the key to business success is -
My commitment to CONSISTENCY.
Which makes sense, kind of: the more consistently I show up in your social media feed, the more consistently you'll think about my work. The more consistently I send valuable content to your inbox, the more consistently you'll have the opportunity to purchase.
(Which is also to say, I’ve failed on all counts - and will likely continue to fail.)
There's this "marketing rule" that says the key to business success is -
My commitment to CONSISTENCY.
Which makes sense, kind of: the more consistently I show up in your social media feed, the more consistently you'll think about my work. The more consistently I send valuable content to your inbox, the more consistently you'll have the opportunity to purchase.
(Which is also to say, I’ve failed on all counts - and will likely continue to fail.)
BUT, let's also remember that business owners, big and small, who rely on online marketing are primarily dealing with social media algorithms that prioritize whichever companies pay for ads (and pay the most for ads).
And we're all dealing with information overload, inside our email inbox and everywhere else.
(If you’re not sure about this (yet), watch The Social Dilemma on Netflix for a deep dive into the incredible problems with technology companies.)
Is CONSISTENCY really what people want? (Is it, maybe, what we’ve been “trained” to want?)
The idea behind this “Rule of Marketing” is that a business owner's consistency invites customer/client loyalty - because "consistency builds trust," right?
But actually, customer/client loyalty (like all kinds of loyalty) stems from the trust that develops as you follow-through with your promises - whatever they are.
What if I choose to make different promises to you than "consistency"?
What if I promise to take care of myself first, so whatever I create for you is top-notch?
What if I promise to hold boundaries with social media - for myself and my family, but also so that YOU can do the same?
What if I promise to "market to you the way I’d like to receive marketing"? (See what I did with that Golden Rule, Mom?)
My battle with consistency is ongoing (I’ve previously written about my devotion to practice v. my consistency)
But I’m starting to understand that my consistency is “allowed” to wane, much like the moon is “allowed” to wane for a quarter of every month.
Like the moon, I have phases of my month, my week, my day. Like the moon, I have phases of my effort, my enthusiasm, my confidence.
And this is our Natural Creative Cycle - it mirrors that of the Moon:
the new moon: for resting, intending
the waxing moon: for planting, embracing
the full moon: for growing, enjoying
the waning moon: for harvesting, releasing
Like the moon, I am forever reliable, trustworthy - but never consistently the “same.” Like the moon, I am always changing, always moving in cycle.
That’s the kind of consistency I hope you embody, too: the kind that’s not “sameness” but evolution.
So here’s your invitation (if you need one) to wane, to rest, to release if necessary - or to embrace, to grow, to enjoy.
You, like me, mirror the phases of the moon; and I hope you, like me, hold reverence for all of us.
If you’re interested in embodying your Natural Creative Cycles (in business and in life), you might consider one-to-one Copy Coaching with me!
The Other Side Of Abundance (let's talk about collective wealth)
Our abundance conversation should forever consider what's necessary for the collective.
By which I mean, the global breakdown of wealth is, at the very least UNFAIR - but also deeply + intentionally OPPRESSIVE.
We've created this "value" system that says the more money you have, the more valuable you are to society - but also you have zero rights to a basic standard of living, whether or not you work (and I haven't even touched the conversation of whether or not people *can* work, or what's considered "work" worth pay to our current world).
ABUNDANCE is a hot topic in the world of online business (for better, and worse).
If you consider SEO keywords for even a second: anything to do with money gets all kinds of clicks. Because people want more of it!
And many of us need more.
BUT/AND.
It cannot only be about financial abundance for individuals.
Our abundance conversation should forever consider what's necessary for the collective.
By which I mean, the global breakdown of wealth is, at the very least UNFAIR - but also deeply + intentionally OPPRESSIVE.
We've created this "value" system that says the more money you have, the more valuable you are to society - but also you have zero rights to a basic standard of living, whether or not you work (and I haven't even touched the conversation of whether or not people *can* work, or what's considered "work" worth pay to our current world).
AND, to say one person is "worth" more than another? That my work is "worth" a different amount than yours?
Or to say that each person's ABUNDANCE is simply a matter of working harder, manifesting more intentionally, etc.
That's the unfair and oppressive system at work - one we've also imposed on ourselves + each other.
Changing this system starts, I think, with envisioning abundance on a micro-level: What amount of money do you need, and WHY? What does that money provide for you and your family?
(This is the difference between, “I want to make X amount” + “I want to afford ballet lessons for my daughter, date night dinners, and worry-free trips to the grocery-store.” The more specific the better!)
If you can envision your abundance first (which, for many oppressed groups is the opposite of familiar), you can also envision abundance for the collective; and that's the real work.