Consistency

In early Digiday, we switched email service providers to Sailthru, at the time a hot new ESP with new features. One that got buzz: horizon time, allowing a publisher to set a window during which an algorithm would determine the best time to send to individual users based on their habits. But I declined to use it, instead opting to continue sending our daily email at the same time, every day, betting on consistency over optimization.

Consistency is underrated. That’s because consistency is often confused with boring repetition. After all, we hear constantly of “thinking outside the box” and how we must “move fast and break things.” We are trained to focus on hits and flashes of brilliance vs consistent, quality execution. Consistency – in design, writing, processes, etc – conveys both a respect for your audience/community but also a humility most brands need in understanding that for most people the world does not revolve around their brands.