Your secret weapon for content consistency
Have you vowed to be “more consistent” on Instagram this year?
If you use Instagram (or any social media platform for that matter), to market your small business you have, no doubt, heard that you need to be consistent. Showing up consistently is vital to growing your Instagram account, building trust and helping potential clients understand why they should work with you.
However, constantly creating new content, week in and week out, can feel overwhelming.
When 'life' gets busy it can be all too easy to let marketing slide down your to-do list faster than an icy pole sliding off its stick in the hot sun.
*wailing ensues*.
Plus, I don’t know about you, but I want to spend my time working with dream clients, not making content all day! (and yes, I say that even as someone who lives and breathes content!).
Fortunately there’s an easy way to do just that.
What does “consistency” even mean? And why does it matter?
First of all, let’s get one thing clear, “consistency” doesn’t necessarily mean “daily”. Posting 3x per week can still be“consistent” - if you post 3x per week, every week.
Ultimately, consistency is about being reliable and building momentum with your content. When you show up consistently your audience:
Learns what to expect from you;
Feels connected to you/your brand.
Understands the value you can bring them (both on and off the platform);
This makes you and your business memorable and keeps users coming back for more. It also builds trust - which you want, because who do we buy from? People we trust!
In addition to your posting schedule, consistency is also about HOW you show up.
Having a clear niche (something you’re known for), posting with your ideal client or customer in mind and having a cohesive in your brand voice, visual vibe and messaging is also part of being consistent.
Plus high-quality content can continue to gain traction for days, weeks or even months after posting. Posting 3x quality Reels, for example, could get you the same (or better!) results than 7x mediocre posts.
So, how do you show up consistently without spending all day on your phone? There are a number of tactics I recommend to my coaching clients and students, but this is my favourite:
content templates
Investing a few hours creating templates for content that you share all the time saves time and cuts down on decision making. I personally use a Canva Pro account because you can resize designs at the click of a button - reformatting your Instagram feed posts for Stories/Reels size instantly.
When creating your templates, I recommend starting with the following - which can be used again and again:
5 MUST-HAVE TEMPLATES TO CREATE FOR YOUR BUSINESS:
Client Testimonial or Customer Review - Create templates with photos of your products (physical or digital) and copy + paste all the raving reviews you receive via email, direct message or Google Reviews;
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - These are great templates to have on hand to share to your stories or feed on a regular basis to help potential customers or clients with the decision-making process;
Blog/Vlog/Podcast - If you regularly publish long-form content you need this! Create a template that you can update for every new episode or communiqué;
Best-Sellers - Like FAQs, having ready-to-share templates that showcase your most popular products or services means you can repeatedly share this information with followers in mere minutes;
Staff/Customer/Client profile - If you have more than one ‘face’ for your brand or business, let us meet them. This helps to humanise your brand and gives your staff a chance to shine. Likewise, you can create templates to showcase your customers, clients, suppliers, you name it!
DON'T FORGET YOUR REELS!
I will ALWAYS have a soft spot for an aesthetically-pleasing Instagram grid.
However, when it comes to Reels, Instagram always does me dirty - selecting the ugliest random screenshot of my face mid sentence for the cover image! (see the example below)
Yes, you can choose another part of the video as your cover, but if you have *active* b*tch face like me, there might not be a better option available.
Thank goodness for Reels cover images!
Add cover images to Reels for more views
It's not just about a pretty feed:
As well as making your grid appear *chef's kiss*, having covers on your Reels does serve a practical purpose.
Reel covers act like YouTube thumbnails - allowing your audience to see what each Reel is about, browse videos, and binge watch your content - boosting your account performance and accelerating the know > like > trust process - which you know is vital for getting people buy from you.
Save time with Done-for you templates
If you aren’t design savvy or just want to save time, Your Template Club has an incredible done-for-you templates designed by content strategists - so they not only look great, they are designed to perform!
The monthly membership gives you access to a huge library packed with thousands templates for feed posts, Reels, Stories etc. plus you get more templates delivered to your inbox every 2 weeks.
I use these templates myself because I love their fun designs and the fact that I can quickly customise these with my own fonts, colours, images etc. inside of Canva.
Free templates:
Right now you can get get this FREE Reels Cover Pack that will instantly make your Instagram grid look much more polished and branded. They are super cute, can be fully customised in Canva, and they’re free for a limited time.
Note: This blog post includes affiliate links, which means if you purchase via a link I shared, I receive a small commission, at no cost to you. I only recommend products I’ve used myself and love.