Consistency. If you’re anything like me, the word conjures up ideas of predictability, refinement- and, yes- maybe even a though of boring. The internet is fast-paced. Stuff happens quickly. We all chase bright, shiny objects- round and round and round we go.
So, in the midst of all this shiny, happy, newness- why should we care about consistency?
Well, for one thing, as the title of this post suggests- consistency builds your persona. Now, if you remember from the lessons in my free ecourse, you know that persona is the view of yourself you put forward to other people. Your persona is how other people see you.
Your persona needs to be thoughtfully constructed, and you need to take care to be what your clients expect. You must be yourself, of course, and I think of persona as being the very best versions of ourselves- this should be the view we bring to our target audiences.
One of the biggest problems online today- and it’s especially vital in the pursuit of Profitable Popularity- is the idea of capturing attention. With all the bells and whistles of the internet, it’s easy for our target viewers or site visitors to get distracted and lose track of who we are and what we’re doing.
And if people are distracted, confused, or not paying attention to you….the worst thing happens. Nothing.
So your #1 focus should be on gaining and retaining attention. And consistency is one way to do that.
Consistency in your persona refers to showing up the same way, all the time. If you decide that you will dress a certain way- you show up looking like that all the time. If you decide you will carry a signature item, or wear a signature piece of jewelry- you do that all the time.
Online, consistency shows up in your choice of username, in your About Me page, in your profile pictures. Your goal with each of these items is to use the same username, same picture, and at least a similar enough bio that people will be able to identify you. This means, too, that you change your profile picture as your looks change, and you don’t veer to widely from the image you desire to portray.
You never want to have the experience of someone following you online, but being unable to identify you in real life because you look so different or aren’t what they expected. This defeats the whole purpose of your branding.
Branding is meant to make you instantly recognizable and easily understood. This is why you must consistently extend your brand, in a consistent manner, with consistent focus.
The hardest thing to do is to get someone’s attention. If you’re able to capture that, then, and only then, do you have a chance of your message being heard.
Look at your own participation on the web, and fix any holes or gaps in your consistency. You will build a stronger brand, and become more memorable in the minds and experiences of your ideal client.
