The Three Essential Steps to Consistency in Your Marketing Efforts
How a Practical Plan, Simple Systems, and Real Accountability Can Transform Your Marketing Routine
As a marketing strategist, I’ve worked with plenty of business owners facing the same frustrating question: “How do I finally get consistent with my marketing?” I hear stories of perfectionism, burnout from trying to do too much, and aspirations for beautifully batched content that often lead to feeling stalled and behind. The truth is, consistency isn’t about doing the most - it’s about having clarity, manageable processes, and strong support. Let’s dive into the three steps I recommend to anyone struggling to keep up with their marketing.
1. Begin With a Clear Plan
The journey to consistency always starts with clarity. I often meet business owners who try to tackle every marketing channel at once—wanting perfectly polished blogs, daily social posts, email newsletters, podcasts, and more. This impulse for “doing it all” is a recipe for exhaustion and, inevitably, inconsistency. So, the first step is getting laser-focused on what’s necessary.
Ask yourself: What are your most important marketing activities? What truly moves the needle for your business? Just as crucially, what do you not need to do? By defining this, you create a personalized marketing prescription—a roadmap of what success means for you.
This planning not only clarifies your next steps, but also lifts an enormous weight. You give yourself permission to not chase every shiny trend, and instead, commit to a focused set of efforts you can realistically maintain. The energy you save by narrowing your strategy can be reinvested in making those chosen activities work for you.
2. Build Simple, Reliable Systems
Good intentions alone won’t keep your marketing engine running - you need systems. Once you know what to do, the next step is figuring out how to do it in a way that feels sustainable. The best systems are simple and tailored to your style.
For example, maybe you decide to create one week’s worth of social media content in a single afternoon. Or perhaps you record one video each week and turn it into multiple posts using modern tools or AI. Consistency doesn’t require marathon content days; it’s about rhythm and routine.
The beauty of having a system is that it takes the guesswork and decision fatigue out of your marketing. Your system should support your plan and make it easier for you to repeat week after week. When you know what to do and have an approachable method for doing it, marketing becomes less of a source of stress and more of a natural part of your business rhythm.
3. Cultivate Strong Accountability
Even the best-laid plans and easiest systems can get derailed without support. That’s where accountability makes all the difference. In my own journey, I need check-ins to keep me on track. With an accountability buddy, I declare my intentions for the day—often just a quick message listing the marketing tasks I plan to accomplish. At the day’s end, we check in on what we actually did. It seems simple, but the difference is incredible.
Beyond one-on-one accountability, group settings can work wonders as well. I host virtual coworking sessions within my Marketing Support Group, where everyone shares their goals for a focused 90-minute session, then mutes their mics and gets to work. Members are always amazed by how much they accomplish in that dedicated window - progress that rarely happens when working in isolation. There’s just something about committing to others, even in a virtual space, that makes follow-through inevitable.
The form of accountability can vary - whether it’s a business partner, a supportive friend, or a group of peers. The point is to instill a sense of external commitment to reinforce your intentions and keep momentum alive, especially on days when motivation is low.
Set Yourself Up for Success
If you’re struggling to stay consistent with your marketing, step back and check: Do you have a clear plan? Are your systems simple and actionable? Who (or what) is helping you stay accountable?
Start in that order, and watch as consistency becomes more attainable and less intimidating. By focusing on these three steps—clarity, systems, and accountability—you can finally make steady progress, avoid burnout, and build a sustainable marketing presence that grows with your business.