Never underestimate the power of consistency

 The career of the average professional football player is relatively brief. Most only last in the league for just a few years before injuries catch up to them or they're replaced with someone younger, stronger, and faster. So what would you do with your life if you were a professional football player who was forced to retire in your early 30s while you still had most of your life ahead of you?

Would you keep working even though you had plenty of money?

Would you try to get into coaching or some other aspect of the game that wasn't quite as dependent on your age or physical abilities?

Jared Veldheer was an offensive lineman for five NFL teams during the course of his career. He recently retired from the game and was trying to figure out what he wanted to do with the rest of his life, even though he didn't need to make an income. At first, he wasn't sure what to do, but he knew he wanted to serve people. Then he learned of a need at his children's school and he volunteered to meet it.

Jared's children attend the school that's owned and operated by his local church. He learned that the school had a genuine need for a food service supervisor to oversee their cafeteria and lunch program. Jared applied for the job, but as you could imagine, the school administrator was quite skeptical about his application. He convinced her to give him a shot, and everyone has been thrilled with the results.

Jared shows up at that school every day to make above-average quality lunches for the students. He uses fresh and creative ingredients to introduce the children to healthy foods that they might not have tried without a little encouragement. The kids love him and they love the food he makes. The school administration and the parents love him as well. In fact, the news media and the NFL recently picked up on what Jared was doing and they've started telling his story. It's making headlines.

But consider this...

What would have happened if Jared showed up at the school once, but never again?

What would have happened if he only showed up to cook for those children on the days when he felt inspired?

What if he stopped putting forth his best effort and stopped offering above-average food options to the kids?

If that's what he did, there'd be no story. We wouldn't be talking about him, and we certainly wouldn't be holding him up as an example. The truth is, when the day comes and he stops serving the children in this way, there are going to be a lot of sad people because they've learned to appreciate who he is and his consistent service to others.

For those of us who are in the process of developing online platforms, there's a lot we can learn from Jared's consistency. Consistency is one of the primary traits that sets apart content creators who succeed from those who dabble. Consistency is a key to our platforms gaining traction. If you're building an online, message-based platform, never underestimate the power of consistency.

A content creator who consistently serves people, with high-quality content, at predicable time intervals, will reap the benefits of their faithful efforts. Let me suggest six ways consistency will help you build a platform.

1. Consistency trains an audience to show up and consume your content.

We are creatures of routine. We like knowing when things are going to happen. If I tell my audience I'm going to release a podcast on a certain day, they expect it to arrive when I tell them it will. If I promise a book release, blog article, or social media post, I better deliver it when I said I would, otherwise I'll lose the trust of my audience and I'll never train them to show up and consume my content at specific time.

2. Consistency causes your numbers to grow.

When people become regular consumers of your content, your numbers will grow and they'll feel safe sharing it with others. They will make your content part of their daily or weekly routine, and your analytics will eventually show that.

3. Consistency contributes to your sales increasing.

Your biggest marketing arms will be the free content you're sharing on a regular basis. As you consistently offer your free content, you'll be given the opportunity to let listeners, readers, and watchers know about the paid options you offer. I can personally testify to the fact that sales of my products and services are directly impacted by the consistency with which I create and share free content with my audience.

4. Consistency helps build your online authority.

Authority is something you will eventually develop if you keep offering valuable content that meets the needs of a set group of people. If you produce helpful content for school teachers on a consistent basis, many teachers will eventually consider you their go-to authority for educational help. This is true in any field. The authorities in most subjects are those who have the audacity to believe they can create and share helpful content with others and do so without hesitation or reservation.

5. Consistency makes your platform a safer place for others to invest in. 

Several years ago, an advertiser who followed my online platform contacted me. They wanted to advertise their service in my newsletter and on my site, and because I was consistently serving my audience with fresh content, they felt like my platform would be a safe place for them to advertise. Over the course of a couple years, they spent $36,000 advertising on my platform. They never would have done that if I wasn't consistently creating helpful content that served my audience.

I could share similar stories about agents and publishers who were willing to work with me for the same reason.

6. If you're struggling with imposter syndrome, consistency will help convince you that what you're creating online has real value.

Many people struggle to see themselves as a helpful authority on any subject, but that's far from true. You know more than you realize and you have the capacity to help more people than you're probably willing to admit to yourself. The more consistent you are with content creation, the more opportunity you're going to have to help people. Those people are going to give you feedback. They're also going to express their thankfulness to you. Becoming consistent in your content-creation efforts will help convince you that you aren't an imposter. Your content is valuable, and your willingness to share your expertise with others will have a measurable impact on their lives.

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If you're struggling to become a consistent content-creator, let me give you a small suggestion. Write out your ideal content-creation schedule. Is there a time of day you prefer to work? What content are you willing to publicly commit to making available online? Develop a schedule that you're willing to commit to, then keep that schedule regardless of whether or not you feel inspired to do so. Deadlines and accountability to the people you serve will help you gain a sense of consistency if that's been the piece your platform has been lacking.

-John