There is an interesting case study about the strategies that Microsoft and Apple used to gain market share in the OS market. The most significant lesson we can learn from these companies has to do with the importance of consistency.
While Microsoft focused on “mainstream” users in order to dominate the industry, Apple targeted a relatively wealthier niche audience for their Mac OS.
You will find similar case studies across different industries. To put this in few words, there is no “unique” strategy for succeeding in business. There is more than one way to achieve your goals.
It is not that marketers do not realize this fact. The problem arises when businesses are attracted to different strategies and want to try them all at once.
For instance, a business with ten grand to spend on marketing might want to try out PPC advertising for one month while switching to outdoor ads the next month.
Trying out too many strategies too frequently can pose a serious challenge to business growth. That is why, whatever strategies they choose, businesses must prioritize consistency. Here are a few ways consistency can help your company succeed.
Momentum
Building a business does not happen overnight. It is a continuous process in which growth is compounded over time.
If each one of your customers referred your business to one new customer, then this word of mouth marketing alone could eventually bring in hundreds or even thousands of customers.
The biggest challenge in any marketing process is getting your initial traction. Switching between multiple strategies could mean an absence of traction from any one channel.
Consequently, your overall success is likely to be much lower than what it would have been had you stuck to one specific marketing plan.
Consistency is especially important for SEO strategies, which require you to focus on building the authority of your website bit by bit for months, if not years.
Spreading It Thin
Let us go back to the example of a business having ten thousand dollars to spend on marketing each month. It is never a good idea to put all your eggs in one basket.
And it does make sense to split this budget across multiple channels such as SEO, SEM, or social media. We should note, however, that the resources available for any one channel are reduced each time you add an additional channel into your marketing mix.
It is a good practice to pick three to four channels and stick to them for at least six months to a year before you try other strategies.
Thin resources prevent you from building momentum. A lack of resources can also result in an insufficient budget for effectively completing your campaigns.
Customer Loyalty
Many people believe that a business must “wow’” its customers with exemplary service in order to retain them. That is not always true. Think of the mom and pop store you stop by every other day.
These stores have none of the “wow factors” that will draw you in. So why do customers like yourself visit these stores again and again?
The simple answer is that these stores are open to customers all the time. They are around any time of the day (or even night) you need something.
As a customer, you are loyal to such stores simply because they are consistent in what they offer as businesses and there are no surprises.
Efficient Resource Management
A consistent strategy helps companies establish systems and processes that employees can master. When your employees work on similar tasks over a long period of time, they tend to get more efficient at them. This efficiency helps with your resource management.
A business that frequently changes its strategies fails to create processes that employees can follow. Then the employees do not get better at their jobs. The result is essentially a waste of resources, especially if you are a bootstrapped small business.
Performance Evaluation
Revenue rises and falls all the time. As a business owner, it is important to know not only why revenue falls when it does but also what is causing an uptick.
The absence of consistent processes allows for too many system variables that can contribute to a rise or fall in revenue. These variables make it difficult to evaluate the success of any business strategy.
Consistent processes enable business owners to identify the exact parameters contributing to changes in revenue. Businesses with efficient processes are better at identifying profitable resources.
Evaluate Your Company for Consistency
Consistency is one of the most important factors in any company. How consistent are you as a business? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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I really loved this article, and I find it very educational.
I think being consistent is important in most aspects of our lives. Sometimes we try very hard when we want to accomplish something, but we really don’t keep on trying hard for long enough so that we start to get that initial traction that’s needed to really fly off the ground.
I’ve learned a lesson from this article today.
Thanks a lot, Aakash!
To be consistent in your business you need to read this article many times
Thank you For this great article .
Success momentum genuinely builds up over time Aakash. Smart tips! If you keep sharing success, and helping folks become successful through your dogged consistency, folks respond to your message. Like programming people all through your willingness to keep at it for days, months and years.
Ryan
Ryan Biddulph would love you to read ..By: Ryan Biddulph
Great article,Aakash! Consistency is really important in business. Without dedication to consistency, even the best and seemingly perfect business plan will fail. This is one of the things that start-up businesses should always keep in mind.
Hello, This is nice and profitable post..I think that when people realize the importance of consistency in business they utilize a planner for their business. Having a planner makes you more motivated to get things done . It feels unproductive that to have a planner with no writing in it. So the task you put in it must be task you involve yourself in to keep business animated. Hope you have a good day.
I will also definitely bookmark this page for future reference.
Cause I have worked at new business plan its very help ful me.
True that. Consistency is required in any business. If you are not consistent with your work then it is of no use. Nice article. Worth reading.
If you want to be successful in your business strategy you should be consistent with that, even through every process which requires attention!! By the way it’s a worthy post and described the points very well.
Here all informations are very usefull and important for me and every one. Excellent article. I will bookmark this page for future reference. Thanks a lot for sharing and please keep on posting like this.
Your article is so convincing that I never stop myself to say something about it. Very interesting, good job and thanks for sharing such a good blog. I will definitely bookmark this page for future reference. Keep it up.
Informative post aakash thanks for that…How Social media marketing tool to promote business? i have tried facebook ad lead generation to get leads but i have to spend too much to get a single lead for my cleaning services business… if you have nay idea about how to target audience and please do write article
Hi Aakash, nice article. Though being consistent is important but, there are certain things which might affect the Business in the long run. and that’s why the Business is always works on a risk factor.
Sandeepa Kumari would love you to read ..Comparing Online Shopping and Retail Shopping
Being consistent is really important for businesses specially startups. There are certain challenges you ‘ve to face at early stage and being consistent is really difficult.
How important are SEM and SMM in business? Please write a detailed article on it. I would be very thankful 🙂
Prateek Anand would love you to read ..Top 10 Best Free Beat Making Software for Windows and MAC
Very true….consistency in marketing strategies is very much required. There are people who keep juggling between strategies and do not get any results and the end result being get frustrated in the process.