the financial case for consistency over campaigns

Compounding interest applies to content, too.

My finance brain can't let go of this one.

When I was doing credit analysis, we would look at organizations that grew steadily, and compared them against the ones that spiked and crashed. And of course, the steady ones were always better bets. Predictable. Sustainable. Less risky.

Content works the same way, but almost nobody treats it that way.

Most brands think in ad-hoc; campaigns, big pushes, launch moments, tentpole content around product drops or seasonal events. Then it’s radio silence until the next big thing.

This is the content equivalent of trying to time the market. And just like timing the market, it rarely works as well as just staying invested.

Consistency is what sets you apart and makes you sharper. Every piece of content you post is a data point. It teaches you something about your audience, your voice, what resonates and what doesn't. Skip a month and you lose that learning. Skip three months and you're basically starting over.

The algorithm does actually reward consistency. Not because it's punishing you for taking breaks, but because consistent posting signals to the algorithim that you’re an active account worth distributing. Platforms want to show users content from accounts that will still be around next week.

Here's the math that matters: one post per week for a year is 52 pieces of content. 52 opportunities to connect. 52 chances to learn. 52 shots at something hitting.

One "campaign" of 10 posts over two weeks, then nothing for three months? That's 10 shots and a whole lot of silence.

The compounding effect isn't just about quantity. It's about relationship building. Your audience can't develop a habit around you if you're not there consistently. They can't learn your voice if it keeps disappearing. Trust is built through repeated contact, not one-off impressions.

I've seen brands spend $50k on a single campaign and get a spike that fades in two weeks. I've seen creators spend $0 posting consistently for a year and build audiences that actually sustain businesses.

The math isn't complicated. The discipline is.

Stop thinking in campaigns. Start thinking in systems. What can you sustain? What's the minimum viable consistency you can actually maintain? Do that. Do it for a year. Watch what happens.

Slow and steady isn't just a cliché. It's a strategy.