Learning to Navigate the Crucial Line Between Consistency and Repetition

One of the most invaluable traits your small business can develop is consistency. The reasons for this are numerous, but the most apparent is that fact that inconsistency is also a sign of instability within your brand. It gives consumers the idea that your company hasn’t quite established a proper foothold within the industry.

So what exactly is consistency? This may sound like a no-brainer of a question at first, but keep in mind that many people make the terrible mistake of confusing consistency with repetition.

In terms of building a brand, this is one of the most harmful mistakes you can make.

If you want a perfect picture of consistency, we need look no further than Nike. This is a brand that has mastered branding. Think about it: when you see their “Swoosh” logo, you not only know what brand it is, but a certain lifestyle and energy comes to mind. Nike has their logo on nearly every sort of media out there and not a single time do they repeat themselves.

This is consistency rather than repetition because Nike has implemented their taglines and logo on various different products that are created in different materials. More than that, the Nike logo is such a simple design, it is often revamped with different colors and textures depending on the marketing approach.

Repetition would mean placing the same black Swoosh on the same shoes and shirts over and over again. There is nothing new to this, nothing exciting or different.

So how can you ensure that your brand remains consistent rather than just repeating itself?

First of all, be certain that your logo is everywhere—from business cards to car decals, spread your logo every chance you get. You also want to be sure that you are presenting the same message and personification of your brand across all social media channels. Don’t repeat the same information over and over again and also don’t use different personas or voices.

Repetition will dry up your business very quickly. It will also stifle your creativity and leave you joyless in your work.

But when you can learn to remain consistent without bordering on repetition, your business stands to grow considerably and you’ll rediscover the joy of owning a small business.

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