November 14, 2025 • 14 mins
We explore how consistency sets a promise, reduces buyer risk, and turns casual scrollers into confident customers. Through a restaurant cautionary tale, a coffee shop case study, and a simple checklist, we show how to align your brand, content, and operations.
• defining consistency as a brand promise
• why predictability builds trust and reduces risk
• coffee shop case study using three-post rhythm
• aligning brand names with real service hours
• how reviews and testimonials act as proof
• learning from influencer cadence and breaks
• starting small on LinkedIn with purposeful posts
• value-first content that educates before selling
• the tale of two bakeries and risk perception
• a practical checklist to audit your consistency
If you're interested in buying my book, you can do so at shelby'smarketingbook.com
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:27):
Hey y'all, what's up?
It's Shelby.
Thank you so much for tuning inagain to the episode of
Marketing Happy Hour podcast.
So I have recently published anew book called Market Like a
Boss.
And on this episode, I want toread you my absolute favorite
chapter.
So you will get an inside scoopon what my book has to offer.
(00:51):
My favorite chapter is numberfive, and my angel number is
five five five.
So I made sure that this topicaligned with this chapter number
because it means so much to me.
Chapter 5.
What separates bosses from therest?
Let me set the scene.
You are in charge of date night.
No kids, no stress, just twolovebirds looking to have a
(01:14):
great meal and enjoy eachother's company.
You type into Google Search5-star restaurant for date
night.
Racing across the multiplelistings, you choose an option
that has a five-star review andgreat pictures of their food.
Their social media was even upto date with the latest
specials, and that's rare in arestaurant industry.
(01:35):
You set out on this journey ofspending an evening together
only to end the nightdisappointed in the service
provided at this five-starrestaurant.
You spent money on somethingthat disappointed you, you got
your taste buds prepped andready to go, and your
expectations weren't met.
That's what consistency is allabout in business: setting
realistic expectations and thendelivering on them.
(01:59):
This restaurant did a great jobof portraying what they want
their customers to experiencevia social media and website,
but could not back it up with agreat customer service.
Therefore, not stayingconsistent for their patrons.
Here are two things you mustalways keep in mind about
consistency.
Consistency sets the promise.
(02:20):
When you show up regularly withcontent, service, and follow
through, you are teaching yourcustomers what to expect from
your business.
Humans love predictability.
Think about it.
We stick to the same grocerystore, the same hairdresser,
even the same toothpaste brandbecause we know what we're going
to get.
We may say we like surprises,but what we really like is
(02:43):
reliability.
Consistency is the foundation oftrust.
Without it, even the bestproduct or service feels risky.
Customers wonder if they're thisinconsistent online, what
happens when I actually hirethem?
From my personal buyingexperience, I visit the social
media pages of the ads that popup on my feed.
(03:04):
I want to see who I am buyingfrom before adding it to the
cart.
Clothing companies are known torun ads 24-7, yet never post
organically.
Why do I want to purchase fromyour company when you cannot
take the time to postorganically?
The purchase scams are toofrequent for me to buy from a
(03:25):
company that solely runs on adsalone.
I want to know you, the owner,the brand, and trust the product
I buy is coming from a goodplace.
Now let's talk about how you canactually use consistency to
build realistic expectations inyour business.
Whenever I travel, I love to tryout the local coffee shops.
(03:46):
However, I just don't wander in.
I search Google, Facebook, andInstagram to find the perfect
spot for my morning coffee.
Some of the things I'm lookingfor are what does the inside
look like?
Is there enough space to sitwith my laptop?
Are the reviews positive?
Do the people look welcoming?
And does their social media vibefit the mood that I am in?
(04:08):
If their social media is randomand inconsistent, maybe a blurry
muffin pick one week thennothing for months, it's hard to
know what to expect.
And if I can't set expectations,I usually don't go.
This coffee shop nerd has hadthe opportunity to help a local
coffee shop portray their vibeconsistently through social
media and their website.
(04:28):
We first connected through amutual business colleague.
We vibed from the beginning.
I love vibing with my clients.
They faced two problems.
They did not have time to postconsistently, and their creative
energy was used in differentareas other than marketing.
When my team took over, thestrategy was simple.
Post three times a week, useimages from the patrons, set
(04:50):
realistic expectations for thosetraveling through the area.
This coffee shop is so cute,nothing matches.
They play vinyl records.
Each visitor receives their cupof joe in a vintage coffee cup.
To top it off, everyone is sofriendly, the visitors and the
employees.
If you're a coffee shop nerdlike me, this type of atmosphere
makes you want to try it out atleast one time.
(05:13):
After just a few weeks ofmanaging their online presence,
people noticed a difference.
The analytics spoke forthemselves, big numbers online
and in sales.
You may not be a coffee shop,but your business is no
different.
Consistency is the digitalversion of letting someone peek
inside before they step in.
Consistency equals a promise.
(05:35):
Or as my daughter and I say,same same.
You are making a promise tofuture customers by showing up
consistently.
I will share of a story of aclient.
Hi client, if you're readingthis.
I am hesitant to share this, butit's such a great example of
consistency.
We have also discussed thisissue.
Their business name is AfterHours Appliance Repair.
(05:57):
What does that suggest?
They repair appliances afterhours.
After hours usually meansbetween 5 p.m.
and midnight.
After designing their website, Ilearned that their business
hours end at 7 p.m.
It confused me.
We're branding their site tooffer after hour appliance
repair, but they don't work past7 p.m.
(06:18):
His reason was valid.
People don't want us in theirhouse late at night.
My argument stated that theywould if they had a refrigerator
go out, and if it was over 100degrees outside and they had a
newborn who needed formula.
All in all, it doesn't matterwhy they would or would not want
them in the house.
Their name implies that theywill service their clients after
(06:39):
hours.
They set the expectation intheir business name.
If you run a sign shop like Ido, posting pictures of
completed projects sets apromise.
This is the quality you'll getwhen you hire us.
My job photos speak forthemselves.
Nine out of ten times potentialsign clients ask me for photos
of the same type of job I amquoting for them.
They want to see my work.
(07:01):
Consistency is your way ofquietly saying, here's who we
are and here's what you cancount on.
One of the easiest ways to setrealistic expectations is to
share reviews and testimonials.
You can't share reviews if youdon't have them.
So make it a habit to ask yourcurrent and past clients to
leave a review on Google.
(07:22):
We have referred to this inother chapters.
It still remains true when wediscussed consistency.
Just like the restaurant, theyhad five-star reviews, so you
chose to spend your time andmoney there.
Nothing sells your businessbetter than a happy customer.
Think about it.
The plumber can say, I'mreliable, but when a neighbor
says, he came out at midnightand saved my basement, that
(07:45):
carries a lot more weight.
The coffee shop can say, bestlatte in town.
But when five people leave thesame comment online, you start
believing it.
You can take those reviews, putthem on your branded template in
Canva, and share it to socialmedia.
People want to see them.
It's not just about you showingup, it's about consistently
(08:08):
letting your customers show upfor you too.
When you regularly sharereviews, you're training new
prospects to expect the samelevel of satisfaction.
Oh, but what if someone thinksI'm just bragging about my
business?
It doesn't come across asbragging, it comes across as
proof.
Proof that your business is theone they should hire to solve
(08:28):
their problem.
Ultimately, you are creatingtrust with your followers when
you show up consistently online.
Influencers are the best at thistype of marketing.
One of my favorite influencersis a mom from Texas who has been
online since the early YouTubedays.
She shares her family, herbusiness, and her life with such
rhythm that I could tell you herkids' favorite colors.
(08:49):
Success for her has not comefast.
Her early day efforts on YouTubeled her to follow the trends on
Instagram and now TikTok.
Her and her husband built anentire business that serves the
people who follow her.
All because she decided to diveinto the influencer world.
Now that I'm done fangirling,let's talk about why I'm
(09:10):
bringing her up.
She takes a break everyDecember.
No posting for 31 days.
And guess what?
Her audience doesn't forget her.
They actually miss her more.
They binge her old videos, leavecomments, and wait eagerly for
her to return.
I remember thinking to myself,wow, she hasn't posted in a
while.
(09:30):
Is everything okay?
And after reading the comments,I learned that she took the
whole month off.
What can we learn?
She's been consistent for solong that even when she
disappears for a bit, peopletrust she'll be back.
They still buy her products,they engage with old content and
eagerly wait for the next updatein January.
(09:51):
That's the power of consistency.
It creates a bond where peoplefeel like they know you, even if
they've never met you.
I'm not asking to become aninfluencer.
I am nowhere close to being aninfluencer online.
I'm simply asking you to show uplike an influencer.
Here's a little mindset shift.
Even if you only have 10followers, and eight of them are
(10:14):
probably your family, treat yourbrand like an influencer treats
their Instagram story.
Why?
Because consistency doesn't careabout follower count.
Whether you have 10 or 10,000,the principle is the same.
The more consistent you are, themore trustworthy you become.
LinkedIn has been a platformthat I've always struggled with.
(10:36):
What do I post?
Why am I here?
Do people actually use it?
I always love a good challengethough.
I started to post twice a weekon my personal account and three
times a week on my LinkedInbusiness page.
I knew that the audience did notwant to see sales pitches on
personal accounts.
They wanted to see behind thescenes and more personal
stories.
(10:56):
I'm not saying, oh, I hadgrilled cheese for lunch and it
was fire type of personalcontent.
My content consisted of meworking with a client, walking
with my daughter, showing thework-life balance of a single
mom.
It didn't just boom at first.
It took about three months forme to really see the results.
I had new connections withbusiness owners that I had never
(11:17):
had outside of LinkedIn.
My website gained views, my SEOincreased, and my followers
spilled over to other socialmedia sites.
Show up online so people willtrust that you'll show up
offline.
Here's my favorite part.
Consistent content builds valuebefore anyone spends a dime with
(11:39):
you.
Think about it.
The YouTuber who teaches you howto fix your car, you may never
buy from them, but you trusthim.
The blogger who shares freerecipes, you trust her before
you buy her cookbook.
The business that posts helpfultips, you feel like they've
already given you somethingvaluable and you didn't owe them
anything.
(12:00):
That's what your content shoulddo.
Educate, inspire, add value.
For me, that means teachingmarketing tips through my social
posts and podcasts.
People learn from me every timethey interact with my content,
and that's the value that I addto them long before they ever
hire me.
The Tale of Two Bakeries.
(12:21):
So let's imagine twoneighborhood bakeries.
Bakery A posts a picture once ina while, maybe a loaf of bread
here, birthday cake there.
Weeks go by with no updates.
When customers walk in, they'renever sure what will be
available or when the bakerywill be open.
Bakery B, on the other hand,posts fresh photos every
morning, today's sourdough, atray of cupcakes, a shot of the
(12:44):
smiling staff.
Customers see the post, knowexactly what the case is, and
feel confident that they'll getwhat they saw.
Which baker would you trust withyour kid's birthday cake order?
Bakery B, obviously.
That's the difference whatconsistency makes.
It doesn't just setexpectations, it delivers peace
of mind.
(13:04):
So here's a quick checklist.
Are you consistent?
Ask yourself these questions.
Do I post with a rhythm or onlywhen I feel like it?
Do my posts actually reflect mybrand or are they just fillers?
Am I setting promises I canrealistically keep up?
Am I educating as much as I'mpromoting?
(13:25):
Am I sharing reviews so othersare speaking for me?
If you answered no to any ofthese, that's where you start.
Consistency gets people tonotice you, but once they're
paying attention, your contentonly has two options.
It's either building your brandor quietly tearing it down.
(13:46):
Okay, guys, that was chapterfive of Market Like a Boss.
What separates bosses from therest of them?
If you're interested in buyingmy book, you can do so at
shelby'smarketingbook.com, andI'll catch you next week.
Hey y'all, what's up?
It's Shelby.
Thank you so much for tuning inagain to the episode of
Marketing Happy Hour podcast.
So I have recently published anew book called Market Like a
Boss.
And on this episode, I want toread you my absolute favorite
chapter.
So you will get an inside scoopon what my book has to offer.
(00:51):
My favorite chapter is numberfive, and my angel number is
five five five.
So I made sure that this topicaligned with this chapter number
because it means so much to me.
Chapter 5.
What separates bosses from therest?
Let me set the scene.
You are in charge of date night.
No kids, no stress, just twolovebirds looking to have a
(01:14):
great meal and enjoy eachother's company.
You type into Google Search5-star restaurant for date
night.
Racing across the multiplelistings, you choose an option
that has a five-star review andgreat pictures of their food.
Their social media was even upto date with the latest
specials, and that's rare in arestaurant industry.
(01:35):
You set out on this journey ofspending an evening together
only to end the nightdisappointed in the service
provided at this five-starrestaurant.
You spent money on somethingthat disappointed you, you got
your taste buds prepped andready to go, and your
expectations weren't met.
That's what consistency is allabout in business: setting
realistic expectations and thendelivering on them.
(01:59):
This restaurant did a great jobof portraying what they want
their customers to experiencevia social media and website,
but could not back it up with agreat customer service.
Therefore, not stayingconsistent for their patrons.
Here are two things you mustalways keep in mind about
consistency.
Consistency sets the promise.
(02:20):
When you show up regularly withcontent, service, and follow
through, you are teaching yourcustomers what to expect from
your business.
Humans love predictability.
Think about it.
We stick to the same grocerystore, the same hairdresser,
even the same toothpaste brandbecause we know what we're going
to get.
We may say we like surprises,but what we really like is
(02:43):
reliability.
Consistency is the foundation oftrust.
Without it, even the bestproduct or service feels risky.
Customers wonder if they're thisinconsistent online, what
happens when I actually hirethem?
From my personal buyingexperience, I visit the social
media pages of the ads that popup on my feed.
(03:04):
I want to see who I am buyingfrom before adding it to the
cart.
Clothing companies are known torun ads 24-7, yet never post
organically.
Why do I want to purchase fromyour company when you cannot
take the time to postorganically?
The purchase scams are toofrequent for me to buy from a
(03:25):
company that solely runs on adsalone.
I want to know you, the owner,the brand, and trust the product
I buy is coming from a goodplace.
Now let's talk about how you canactually use consistency to
build realistic expectations inyour business.
Whenever I travel, I love to tryout the local coffee shops.
(03:46):
However, I just don't wander in.
I search Google, Facebook, andInstagram to find the perfect
spot for my morning coffee.
Some of the things I'm lookingfor are what does the inside
look like?
Is there enough space to sitwith my laptop?
Are the reviews positive?
Do the people look welcoming?
And does their social media vibefit the mood that I am in?
(04:08):
If their social media is randomand inconsistent, maybe a blurry
muffin pick one week thennothing for months, it's hard to
know what to expect.
And if I can't set expectations,I usually don't go.
This coffee shop nerd has hadthe opportunity to help a local
coffee shop portray their vibeconsistently through social
media and their website.
(04:28):
We first connected through amutual business colleague.
We vibed from the beginning.
I love vibing with my clients.
They faced two problems.
They did not have time to postconsistently, and their creative
energy was used in differentareas other than marketing.
When my team took over, thestrategy was simple.
Post three times a week, useimages from the patrons, set
(04:50):
realistic expectations for thosetraveling through the area.
This coffee shop is so cute,nothing matches.
They play vinyl records.
Each visitor receives their cupof joe in a vintage coffee cup.
To top it off, everyone is sofriendly, the visitors and the
employees.
If you're a coffee shop nerdlike me, this type of atmosphere
makes you want to try it out atleast one time.
(05:13):
After just a few weeks ofmanaging their online presence,
people noticed a difference.
The analytics spoke forthemselves, big numbers online
and in sales.
You may not be a coffee shop,but your business is no
different.
Consistency is the digitalversion of letting someone peek
inside before they step in.
Consistency equals a promise.
(05:35):
Or as my daughter and I say,same same.
You are making a promise tofuture customers by showing up
consistently.
I will share of a story of aclient.
Hi client, if you're readingthis.
I am hesitant to share this, butit's such a great example of
consistency.
We have also discussed thisissue.
Their business name is AfterHours Appliance Repair.
(05:57):
What does that suggest?
They repair appliances afterhours.
After hours usually meansbetween 5 p.m.
and midnight.
After designing their website, Ilearned that their business
hours end at 7 p.m.
It confused me.
We're branding their site tooffer after hour appliance
repair, but they don't work past7 p.m.
(06:18):
His reason was valid.
People don't want us in theirhouse late at night.
My argument stated that theywould if they had a refrigerator
go out, and if it was over 100degrees outside and they had a
newborn who needed formula.
All in all, it doesn't matterwhy they would or would not want
them in the house.
Their name implies that theywill service their clients after
(06:39):
hours.
They set the expectation intheir business name.
If you run a sign shop like Ido, posting pictures of
completed projects sets apromise.
This is the quality you'll getwhen you hire us.
My job photos speak forthemselves.
Nine out of ten times potentialsign clients ask me for photos
of the same type of job I amquoting for them.
They want to see my work.
(07:01):
Consistency is your way ofquietly saying, here's who we
are and here's what you cancount on.
One of the easiest ways to setrealistic expectations is to
share reviews and testimonials.
You can't share reviews if youdon't have them.
So make it a habit to ask yourcurrent and past clients to
leave a review on Google.
(07:22):
We have referred to this inother chapters.
It still remains true when wediscussed consistency.
Just like the restaurant, theyhad five-star reviews, so you
chose to spend your time andmoney there.
Nothing sells your businessbetter than a happy customer.
Think about it.
The plumber can say, I'mreliable, but when a neighbor
says, he came out at midnightand saved my basement, that
(07:45):
carries a lot more weight.
The coffee shop can say, bestlatte in town.
But when five people leave thesame comment online, you start
believing it.
You can take those reviews, putthem on your branded template in
Canva, and share it to socialmedia.
People want to see them.
It's not just about you showingup, it's about consistently
(08:08):
letting your customers show upfor you too.
When you regularly sharereviews, you're training new
prospects to expect the samelevel of satisfaction.
Oh, but what if someone thinksI'm just bragging about my
business?
It doesn't come across asbragging, it comes across as
proof.
Proof that your business is theone they should hire to solve
(08:28):
their problem.
Ultimately, you are creatingtrust with your followers when
you show up consistently online.
Influencers are the best at thistype of marketing.
One of my favorite influencersis a mom from Texas who has been
online since the early YouTubedays.
She shares her family, herbusiness, and her life with such
rhythm that I could tell you herkids' favorite colors.
(08:49):
Success for her has not comefast.
Her early day efforts on YouTubeled her to follow the trends on
Instagram and now TikTok.
Her and her husband built anentire business that serves the
people who follow her.
All because she decided to diveinto the influencer world.
Now that I'm done fangirling,let's talk about why I'm
(09:10):
bringing her up.
She takes a break everyDecember.
No posting for 31 days.
And guess what?
Her audience doesn't forget her.
They actually miss her more.
They binge her old videos, leavecomments, and wait eagerly for
her to return.
I remember thinking to myself,wow, she hasn't posted in a
while.
(09:30):
Is everything okay?
And after reading the comments,I learned that she took the
whole month off.
What can we learn?
She's been consistent for solong that even when she
disappears for a bit, peopletrust she'll be back.
They still buy her products,they engage with old content and
eagerly wait for the next updatein January.
(09:51):
That's the power of consistency.
It creates a bond where peoplefeel like they know you, even if
they've never met you.
I'm not asking to become aninfluencer.
I am nowhere close to being aninfluencer online.
I'm simply asking you to show uplike an influencer.
Here's a little mindset shift.
Even if you only have 10followers, and eight of them are
(10:14):
probably your family, treat yourbrand like an influencer treats
their Instagram story.
Why?
Because consistency doesn't careabout follower count.
Whether you have 10 or 10,000,the principle is the same.
The more consistent you are, themore trustworthy you become.
LinkedIn has been a platformthat I've always struggled with.
(10:36):
What do I post?
Why am I here?
Do people actually use it?
I always love a good challengethough.
I started to post twice a weekon my personal account and three
times a week on my LinkedInbusiness page.
I knew that the audience did notwant to see sales pitches on
personal accounts.
They wanted to see behind thescenes and more personal
stories.
(10:56):
I'm not saying, oh, I hadgrilled cheese for lunch and it
was fire type of personalcontent.
My content consisted of meworking with a client, walking
with my daughter, showing thework-life balance of a single
mom.
It didn't just boom at first.
It took about three months forme to really see the results.
I had new connections withbusiness owners that I had never
(11:17):
had outside of LinkedIn.
My website gained views, my SEOincreased, and my followers
spilled over to other socialmedia sites.
Show up online so people willtrust that you'll show up
offline.
Here's my favorite part.
Consistent content builds valuebefore anyone spends a dime with
(11:39):
you.
Think about it.
The YouTuber who teaches you howto fix your car, you may never
buy from them, but you trusthim.
The blogger who shares freerecipes, you trust her before
you buy her cookbook.
The business that posts helpfultips, you feel like they've
already given you somethingvaluable and you didn't owe them
anything.
(12:00):
That's what your content shoulddo.
Educate, inspire, add value.
For me, that means teachingmarketing tips through my social
posts and podcasts.
People learn from me every timethey interact with my content,
and that's the value that I addto them long before they ever
hire me.
The Tale of Two Bakeries.
(12:21):
So let's imagine twoneighborhood bakeries.
Bakery A posts a picture once ina while, maybe a loaf of bread
here, birthday cake there.
Weeks go by with no updates.
When customers walk in, they'renever sure what will be
available or when the bakerywill be open.
Bakery B, on the other hand,posts fresh photos every
morning, today's sourdough, atray of cupcakes, a shot of the
(12:44):
smiling staff.
Customers see the post, knowexactly what the case is, and
feel confident that they'll getwhat they saw.
Which baker would you trust withyour kid's birthday cake order?
Bakery B, obviously.
That's the difference whatconsistency makes.
It doesn't just setexpectations, it delivers peace
of mind.
(13:04):
So here's a quick checklist.
Are you consistent?
Ask yourself these questions.
Do I post with a rhythm or onlywhen I feel like it?
Do my posts actually reflect mybrand or are they just fillers?
Am I setting promises I canrealistically keep up?
Am I educating as much as I'mpromoting?
(13:25):
Am I sharing reviews so othersare speaking for me?
If you answered no to any ofthese, that's where you start.
Consistency gets people tonotice you, but once they're
paying attention, your contentonly has two options.
It's either building your brandor quietly tearing it down.
(13:46):
Okay, guys, that was chapterfive of Market Like a Boss.
What separates bosses from therest of them?
If you're interested in buyingmy book, you can do so at
shelby'smarketingbook.com, andI'll catch you next week.
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