Consistency VS Frequency, Creatives & Marketers Need To Know The Difference
Consistency is not frequency, yet many creatives think these words are synonymous. Heck, I used to think this was the case until a few years ago, which lead to me leaving all social media platforms for about 2.5 years, but that is a story for another time. To debunk the consistency vs frequency argument, I’m starting with the fundamentals, their definitions:
Consistency: achievement of a level of performance that does not vary greatly in quality over time
Frequency: how often, or the cadence, you repeat an action
For those of you who think showing up and sharing your work is being consistent, you are right and wrong. That is why you are not growing. So, hear me out, by continuing to read, and I will help you understand the difference between these two and how to apply it to your marketing strategy.
Shot on assignment for luxury surf retreat Rancho Santana of Nicaragua. Photo by Dalton Johnson
The concept, consistency vs frequency, came into my sphere when I was chatting with fellow creatives about three years ago. We had all agreed, consistency is what it takes to “become somebody” in this industry. While most of us in the conversation are photographers or filmmakers the concept applies to anyone making content. Now, I know content is a dirty word, but I am using it as a catch all for anyone making movies, photographs, books, songs, paintings, designs, etc.
While we all agreed it was the key, we all had different ideas as to what consistency meant. For those that were not as successful, they were saying things like, “I don’t really get it. I share daily, but nothing really happens.” Meanwhile, the more successful ones were saying things like, “I share about three times a week, putting a lot of time and effort into each one, and it’s helping me grow.” While we were all chatting about posting to Instagram, this concept is universal.
For a writer, sitting behind the computer putting words to a page every day could mean a manuscript, or it could mean a journal entry. Both have different levels of intention.
For an athlete, practicing daily could result in making it to college, meanwhile, dedicating that same time to practice but with more intention, that could mean going pro.
One last example, for a photographer, taking 10,000 images a day and occasionally getting lucky vs taking 10 photos a day, but focused on creating something stunning. Which photographer is going to make out? My money is on the 10 photos a day.
Prints and Books For Sale
Reeling this back in. You will notice all of these talk about frequency; 10 photos a day, daily practice, writing daily, posting 3 times a week. That is the bare minimum to establish what type of consistency we create.
Remember, consistency is the level of performance, not varying greatly, over time. For those of us who are not a walking dictionary, that means we need to set a frequency that we can share and/or create at a high level. Each individual will define high level for themselves. Maybe that is content that is designed to go viral, today. Maybe that is content that is meant to be enjoyed for years to come. Maybe that is a book made to read next to a fire. That is for you to decide, but the key is to create a frequency at which a high level of performance is achieved. The inverse of this, one hit wonders.
Nobody wants to be a one hit wonder and consistency is the key to that success.
So, how do we insure we are consistent?
Allow time for the content to sit and age
Have a series of people who can look over what you are creating and provide feedback
Be honest with yourself AND be willing to throw things in the garbage
Develop your taste and make it exquisite
Shot on assignment in Antarctica. Photo by Dalton Johnson
So, if you are talking about how often you do something and are wondering why it isn’t working, swap your mindset to ask itself the question, “What am I consistently creating?” Maybe what you are creating isn’t working because you are consistently showing up in a poor manner. Sorry to be the barrier of bad news, but start looking at yourself and your work. If you are getting the results you want, why the heck are you reading this article? But, thank you anyways.
If you have any questions about this, I am happy to chat. Drop a comment below.
