I always tell people that in copywriting and marketing, consistency, consistency, consistency is like the location, location, location of real estate.

Being consistent applies to many areas, including:

Tone: Tone is a huge part of determining who your market is is determining who you are as a business. All of these areas should be consistent with the tone of who you are as a business. Casual, formal, conservative, techie, laid-back, aggressive — whatever you are as a business, let the tone of the words consistently reflect that. No matter what or where you are writing, your tone needs to match and be consistent.

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As a Virtual Assistant, you may be writing a blog for your website, or you may be thinking about offering blog copywriting to your clients.

I’d like to share some important don’ts that successful blog writers never forget:

• Let your personality shine through – but don’t get too personal. I remember a blog writer whose every entry centered on her family. The reader quickly got to know not only the names of her spouse and kids, but all of the intimate details of their lives, including the midnight trip to the ER. This is an example of too much information! (Unless, you can clearly bring the topic back around to something related to business.)

• Don’t let your words get away from you. Your blog entry should about 150 to 200 words. If you need to write more, just break up your topic into several entries (Part 1 of 3, Part 2 of 3, etc.).

• Don’t forget the rules of the game: branding, consistency, expertise. Your blog is part of your marketing efforts, so be sure to weave your marketing message and brand identity into your entries. Keep in mind what you’re selling and who you’re selling it to.

• Don’t let typos and poor grammar interfere with your message. Have someone with a keen eye proofread your blogs before posting them.

Need to write blog copy for yourself or a client? Blog copywriting is a little different from other types of copywriting.

• This is a chance to share the writer’s personal viewpoint – and personality. You may be discussing a business-related subject, but in a blog, your personality, or your client’s, can shine through.

• That said, don’t go overboard. Some topics and ideas just have no place in your business blog. Trust me on that one.

• Blogs help to establish someone as an authority. Feel free to give your two cents and draw on your own experiences.

• Blogs should be conversational. Loosen your tie (so to speak), relax and write as if you were talking to a friend or colleague.

• Your blog must be relevant, informational and easy to read. In a blog, you can write about a current event, industry trend or personal experience, even as it’s happening. Keep your copy punchy and easy to scan. Use bullet points.

• Because you want search engines to find you, use plenty of keywords.

As a Virtual Assistant, your blog can tell a story, communicate ideas, draw media attention and drive traffic and sales. But be sure to follow these guidelines, because before it can do any of these things, your blog needs to be read…and read…and read.

(See my next blog post for VA’s blogging don’ts)