Let’s talk about consistency, shall we?
(Yes, I did look for a GIF of Gillian McKeith to make a “consistency/pooh” related gag, but you’ll be pleased to know I couldn’t find one – it’s probably for the best)
People talk about the power of being consistent with email, but they never go far enough for my liking.
Here’s what I mean…
When talking about consistency in email marketing, most of the advice is about how often you should show up, and when.
The common advice is to email on the same day(s) every week and try to stay regular.
(Damn! I really wish I had gone with the pooh joke now!).
You get the idea – be predictable.
I get it, but…
… if you think you tick the “consistent” box by appearing in someone’s inbox every other St Swithin’s day at 15:38, you’re mistaken.
To highlight what I mean, let’s take a couple of examples – Seth Godin and Cal Newport.
Seth Godin emails every single day. He has done for the last 3,000 years.
(I think we all remember his predictions for the plague of 1720…)
Most people would put him in the “consistent” camp. Thing is, he’s not consistent because he shows up every day.
If the only metric for consistency was regularity, he could email photos of his most memorable toenail clippings and still nail that.
(My pun game is on form today!)
He’s consistent because he shows up every day AND delivers something you want to read.
Cal Newport has a more sporadic email schedule. He emails when he’s written a new blog post.
He’s inconsistent when it comes to timing, but consistent where it counts – by creating something that I know is going to be worth reading.
I have no idea when he’s going to show up, but I can’t ever recall opening up my inbox and yelling, “Hey! Where the hell is Newport?”
Here’s the thing…
We often get caught up in metrics that don’t serve us.
Most of the time, it’s pretty obvious whether it’s something that counts or not.
(“OMG… I saw a 3% rise in Piscean, Scandanavian hairdressers liking my posts on Insta this week…”)
Every once in a while though, something comes along that blurs the edges.
Consistency is like that, so it’s worth asking yourself what “consistency” means for you and your audience.
For the most part, it’s not about clicking send at a set time…
… it’s clicking send when you’ve got something to say.
Hope that’s useful.
John