How to Build Consistency in Your Content Marketing Strategy (Even When You Don’t Feel Like It)

When I work for my clients, I stress consistency. We discuss how much content they need, when to schedule it, and how often to repurpose it. We set a strategy. I create the content. Then, I schedule and automate what I can and do it all again.

And it works. The more consistent you are, the more you can get in front of your prospects and customers. Google gives you more cred. People see you pop up on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and anywhere else you happen to be. The world is your content oyster.

If you’ve been paying attention, though, you might have noticed that I haven’t been following my own advice. This blog hasn’t seen any new posts. Several hashtag holidays have passed with not a word from me on any social platform. Essentially, unless you’re a current client, you’ve had radio silence from Team Valkyrie.

Frankly, that’s unacceptable. So, as I get back on track with this, I thought I’d share the things I’ll be doing to bring Valkyrie back into the public eye — with a few tips that you can use for your own content strategy.

1. To-Do Lists Make Great Frenemies

I love a good to-do list. The physical act of checking things off is just so gratifying. And I pick up momentum as I get going and keep going. Nearing the end of the list gives me even more motivation to get it all done.

But this can backfire. If I list out every single thing I want to get done for the day, including the things I don’t want to do, the list can start to build and build until it’s a monster. I get a few things done, but then I put off the rest because it’s just too much. The things I want to avoid continue to languish, neglected somewhere in the middle. I put them off for another day, and another and another.

When I started Valkyrie, I found a trick to make my to-do lists work for me — instead of making them a comfortable retreat for uncomfortable tasks. I start each day with a four- to five-item list. When I cap the list at five (six on days when I’m feeling rebellious and productive), I don’t allow it to grow hiding places for the things I don’t want to do. Doing this also forces me to choose the biggest, most important tasks for the day. I have to keep my priorities in line, and I have to get sh*t done.

2. Do the Hard Thing First

Next, I start with the hardest thing on the list, the thing I most don’t want to do. Knock it out. If you watched the last season of Orange is the New Black, you might recognize this as “eating the frog.”

It’s a good strategy. When you start with the thing you least want to do, three things usually happen. One, it wasn’t nearly as bad as you thought I was going to be. Two, you have the whole day left to do the things you enjoy working on more. And, three, you feel more motivated to knock out the rest of your to-do list because you’ve already killed your monster for the day.

3. Identify Your Best Times to Work

I’m one of those insufferable people who wake up before dawn every week day (and barely after dawn on weekends). Younger me would be appalled at my current lifestyle, but she doesn’t get a say, so here we are.

This means I start working before most people get to the office. Then, most days, I take a mid-morning break to go to the gym, run errands, head out to client meetings, grab coffee that I didn’t have to brew myself, or whatever else gets me out of the office for a bit.

If I leave for the gym at 9:00, I could convince myself that I won’t get anything worthwhile done in the morning, so why start until I get back? NOPE. I can always get something done, even the hard thing, especially the hard thing. If I can bite the bullet, eat the frog, or just send off a few emails before I pack it in for my morning break, I know I’ll be set up to get back at it in the afternoon.

But you’re not me. You don’t necessarily work in the same rhythms and times I work. Figure out when your best times are for creative work, admin work, talking to clients, etc. Then arrange your day around those as much as you can. The more you structure your work around your life, your habits, and what works best for you, the more productive you’ll be.

4. Set Your Schedule and Stick to It

This is a bit of an extension on number three.

When I have a call with a client, I don’t blow it off because I’d rather be working on something else. So, why do I keep blowing off the time I need to create social posts and write blogs? If I get as serious about my business as I am about my clients’ businesses, I won’t ever miss a blog deadline or hashtag holiday.

So, how can I do that? I can tell myself all day long that I’m serious about my business, but that’s too abstract. Instead, why not schedule meetings with myself and times to work on the things I’ve been putting off? Anticipation is always worse than reality, and sometimes you just have to schedule a lunch date to eat the frog.

5. Create Accountability

Finally, find someone to hold you accountable.

My middle school English teacher was a poet (and she still is. Hi, Ann!). She encouraged everyone in our class to ask her, every morning, if she’d gotten any writing done the night before. She said that she wrote more when we asked her because she dreaded having to tell us “No, I was too tired,” or “No, I watched Star Trek instead…” But she loved telling us about a new project or just saying, “Yes! I spent 20 minutes writing a prose poem about doing laundry instead of actually doing my laundry.”

Like starting a new gym routine, sometimes you need a little help with accountability as you build that initial momentum. For me, that’s you and this post. It’s the vulnerability of saying, “Hey, I’ve been bad at doing this thing for my business. And, if I continue to be bad at it, you’ll see the evidence right here.”

For you, it might be less public, like asking a friend or colleague to check in on you on a weekly (or daily) basis. We’re all figuring this stuff out as we go along, and you might be surprised at just how much value you can gain from a simple check-in with a friend.

Having trouble keeping up with your content marketing strategy, social media presence, blogs, or other content? I’m here for you. Let’s talk!