Anyone who is successful on YouTube will tell you that the key is consistency. But what does it mean to be consistent, why is it is so important to be consistent, and how can you bring consistency to the content that you post on your YouTube channel? Let’s tackle one question at a time.

What does it mean to be consistent?

When it comes to digital marketing, consistency means that the content is the same, no matter where you get it from.

For example, when you go into a Starbucks on the west coast, you will get a coffee that is pretty much of the same quality and tastes exactly the same as what you would get if you went into a Starbucks on the east coast. You can even walk into a McDonalds in Tokyo and get a Big Mac that tastes, looks, and even costs about the same as you would in New York City.

When it comes to building content for your YouTube channel, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to pump out the same video over and over again. What it does mean is that your videos need to be of comparable production value, with comparable content value, on a regular basis. Go and look at your favorite YouTube channels (if you are subscribed to any). Do a quick analysis of their content.

Has their production value gotten better or worse over time? If they are a successful channel, it probably started out okay or even perfectly fine, but has gotten better. Has their content changed drastically in tone?

Many successful channels have done this, but they probably saw a drop in viewership as they were making the change. Viewers expect the channels that they watch to be consistent in tone, content, and production value.

Why does consistency matter?

Most people subscribe to or watch your videos for a specific reason. This reason will vary depending on what kind of content you produce and who your audience is, but in general, they want to be entertained while hearing or learning about something they are interested in. If they find one video that does this, they are likely to watch others. Once they start to encounter videos that don’t match the original formula that they subscribed for, they are less and less likely to keep watching.

The next time they see one of your videos pop up, they probably won’t click on it, because they felt that they wasted their time the last time they clicked on one of your videos.

Consistency is important because it is what captures and holds your audience. Loyal watchers might endure one or two videos that are out of the paradigm that they expect from your channel, but even the most loyal will eventually turn away when they no longer find your content interesting or applicable. There is a fine line to walk, of course.

You don’t want your content to go stale, but you don’t want it to feel like it doesn’t fit on your channel, either. If your content manages to be both fresh and consistent, you have a good thing going.

How can I be more consistent with my content?

One of the most important aspects to consider is tone. If your videos are tonally consistent, you have a fair amount of latitude to try new things. Your audience comes to your YouTube channel to, first and foremost, be entertained. You might think that they come for the value of your content, but if your content is not entertaining, you can get a little traction with an informative video, but are unlikely to see any real growth out of your channel.

Start with establishing the character and tone of your videos. Do you want them to be darkly humorous? Cheesy? Sweet? Informative and flashy? Just funny? Whatever your tone is going to be, pick it and settle on it. Those who found your one funny video will be unimpressed by those videos that don’t follow this style and those who came for your informative videos will not find your funny video very engaging.

If you already have videos posted to your channel, take a moment and analyze them for tone. Are they informative? Are they funny? What topics do you discuss? If you discuss widely branching topics, which videos have been the most successful and which topics do you actually want to focus on? Before you really start trying to build out your channel, it is important to find your baseline and then to keep your videos in line with it. Trying to develop your tone and value as you go can slow your growth.

Another important aspect of consistency is how often you release a video. If you release a video every day, every week, or even just once a month, people will come to expect to see your videos with that frequency.

For example, think about your favorite television show. You expect that show to be on television at a certain time each week. They don’t show it sporadically, skipping some weeks and releasing three episodes the next week. If you are serious about growing your channel, you need to find a release schedule that works for you and your audience and the commit to it.