What "brand consistency" actually means
When it comes to almost anything, consistency is the most important thing.
Building habits, developing relationships, growing your skills, you name it.
If you're consistent, you move towards your goal. Plain and
simple.
So what does that mean in terms of building a brand as an artist?
It means giving your audience something they can consistently rely on.
And there are two key pieces to that.
Let's get into it.
First piece: visual consistency
Aka the content itself (social & beyond).
Looking back at last week's newsletter on auditing your socials, a big part of making social media work for you is having a presence that your audience can recognize.
That comes from delivering the same vibe across all your content, even when you change up your format or contents of your posts.
If you're a folky singer/songwriter, your content shouldn't be giving pop girly. The energy has to match the story your artistry is telling.
Your audience can only be your audience if they recognize you when you're showing up.
But let's make something clear:
Visual consistency is:
- consistent styles
- consistent formats
- consistent energy
Visual consistency is NOT:
- copy and paste content
- identical posts every time
The goal is for recognition, not for your audience to think, "I think I saw this post already".
Second piece: cadence consistency
Consistency matters not only in how you show up, but how often.
The biggest mistake that I see artists make are showing up for a release rollout and disappearing as soon as it's over.
That does damage in two ways:
- you've lost all momentum you just built
- and you're telling your audience the only value you're adding is a new song
Artists are entities beyond the art itself, and showing up consistently is how you own that.
We live in the era of social media gurus telling you to post multiple times a day on TikTok because that's how you "go viral".
Here's the thing: that's not sustainable for 99.9% of artists.
So even trying to meet that standard only ever lasts a week at best.
But the question still remains: how often should you post?
The answer: as frequently as you can comfortably sustain.
Building a fanbase and a following is about regularly showing up, providing value, and engaging with them.
If that means you post once a week, then that's what you do.
If that means 5x a week, then that's your cadence.
Your "brand" is just your reputation, and your reputation is built in how you show up. That becomes what your audience expects and watches for.
It's like a TV show dropping a new episode every week. You start to expect it. But if the show sometimes skips weeks or jumps around, it's harder to be a fan.
Deliver consistently, you'll turn more viewers into fans that way.
All in all
There's so much that can complicate building your brand, let alone building brand consistency.
"Brand" has become one of those words that get thrown around on everything, and it's overwhelming.
And for artists, it's easy for it to get ambiguous because it's a part of who you are as a creative.
But at the same time, your brand is your lifeline as an artist, so it's important to make sure what you're putting out there is telling the right story.
Your brand is your greatest asset.
Make it work for you.
Your Next Step
Evaluate your digital presence (socials, website, etc.) and see what's consistent and what not.
What shows up often? What feels random?
Assess, and adjust accordingly. Align your plan with what is a natural part of your brand and your content.
Additionally, evaluate what your typical week (or month) looks like.
How much time do you actually have to show up on social media? Are you overshooting right now? Should you dial back to something more attainable?
These changes feel small, and therefore can be ruled insignificant, but this is how you play the long game.
Build an artistry worthy of fans.
Build it, and they will come.
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The free Social Media Audit Checklist takes 10 minutes and tells you clearly where your brand is landing and where it needs work.
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Want to grow your audience? Here's how I can help.
Artist Brand Intensive:
Define your identity, clarify your creative direction, and build a foundation you can use right away. Learn more
Social Brand Blueprint:
Eight weeks to build your brand, content strategy, and posting workflow from the ground up. Learn more
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