Consistency: Your Key to Copywriting Success

A)     Have you ever had a terrific steak?
B)     Have you ever had a wretched one?

If you knew you might get either A or B from Joe's Restaurant, would you choose to go there for dinner to find out? Probably not, because you want to be guaranteed an awesome meal –right?

So what does that have to do with copywriting?

Well, if you ask any seasoned copywriter what separates the pros from the weekend warriors, and they'll answer in a single word: consistency. Your clients want to know exactly what to expect when contracting your services… if you're all over the board, they can never be certain that you'll deliver. Pretty much anybody can put out a great article once in a while (remember that old saying about 1,000 monkeys on 1,000 typewriters) – achieving consistency is what makes a freelancer into a professional.

So how do you become consistent in your writing? Well, there are no magic tricks involved, and no shortcuts either – you've got to put in the hours. Write, and write often: you've heard this over and over again, and for good reason. You need to brand yourself – that means identifying your own style, your strengths and weaknesses, and incorporating you into every piece you write. Consistency is the key to copywriting success – and personality is the key to copywriting consistency.

Regardless of format – articles, sales letters, blog posts, whatever – you're telling a story. Make it a good one! Maybe you're a class clown – use that ability to your advantage in your writing! Tastefully-used humour is a great way to connect with your audience, and connecting with the reader is always your #1 goal. Are you a real talker? Then you're probably good at breaking down complex concepts into simple, apt metaphors – not only informative, but also enjoyable to read. Whatever your personal style, identify it and use it; you'll make an emotional impact every time.

We all use the same words. All chefs use the same ingredients (for the sake of example). But there's a big difference between one piece and the next: the way it's put together. It's your personal brand of writing that will attract your clients' attention. To seal the deal, you need to also exhibit powerful copywriting technique: things like testimonials and bullet lists (among many others we'll talk about later) can really go a long way to improving an article's IMPACT and readability. Of course, many clients want keyword-based content, so you'll need to be able to integrate at least basic Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for some online copy.

Write, and write often – sound familiar? Keep at it and you'll get into your writing groove pretty quickly. With a bit of momentum, you'll be cooking up top-quality articles with expert ease – every time. Remember, there's no secret sauce – it's practice, dedication and work (with a liberal ladle of talent stirred in tableside) that brings a writer to the "rhythm" level. You'll get there – just focus on the content and making it your own, and you'll find the rest just kind of cooks itself.

Of course, your personal "voice" may not be appropriate for every assignment. That article about  terminal illnesses might be better off without the puns, for example, and a post about the local comedy club pretentiously composed in deliberately opaque and unnecessarily polysyllabic prose might not go over so well… This caveat aside, you'll probably find that your own writing brand is the way to go for most projects.

Just like your clients, you only want to go where you know the steak is good! Develop your own personal style, get into a groove and you'll be consistent in no time – a copywriter's #1 key to professional success.