Think about how long it takes to create quality blogs, articles, and campaign materials. Copywriters and content writers spend hours brainstorming, writing, editing, and perfecting their work. After this time-confusing, yet rewarding process, we want our work to be appreciated and viewed by the right people. Enter: your copywriting portfolio.
Copywriting portfolios are an excellent way for freelance and established writers alike to show off all of their greatest work to potential customers and clients. Not only do they highlight your incredible talent as a writer, but portfolios also give writing professionals a chance to bring their personality and voice to the forefront.
Here, we’ll dive into why every writer should take time to create a strong portfolio. Plus, some tips to get started.
What is a Copywriting Portfolio & What Are The Benefits?
For any aspiring or established copywriting professional, a portfolio will always remain an essential part of growing your personal brand.
In addition to showcasing the quality of your work, a copywriting portfolio will give potential clients the opportunity to get to know you on a personal level and see how you write. Oftentimes, what gets people hired for jobs are not just their skills, but also their personality traits which shine through in the work they produce.
6 Tips for Creating A Strong Copywriting Portfolio
Showcase Your Diversity
Your portfolio should not only showcase your copywriting skills, but also the diversity of your work. This will help you demonstrate your ability to write in different styles and formats. And even though you may have a specific speciality that you typically write about, it’s also a good idea to display a variety of topics.
You never know who your next client might be! An opportunity outside of your norm may present itself if you have the right kind of work displayed on your portfolio.
In short: Show your range.
Show Off Your Best Samples
At the end of the day, it’s all about quality over quantity. While you may have a whole library of content to display on your portfolio, sometimes it’s best to just choose the pieces that best reflect your talent and voice as a writer.
So while you might be tempted to throw everything you’ve ever written up on your portfolio, resist that urge.
Filter through your work and decide on the top-notch pieces to put front and center.
Always Consider Design and Presentation
One of the most important factors to include in your portfolio is design. It’s not enough to just have content; you need to make it visually appealing too. There are a lot of places on the internet where you can find free or affordable design templates and guides to help you get started.
Your portfolio should be easy to navigate and skim, while still putting some of your best pieces up front and center.
Keep It Updated Consistently
It’s important to keep your portfolio up to date so that you can always have the most recent work on display. Keeping it updated consistently will show potential clients that you are committed to your work and have a willingness to put in the time.
When updating your portfolio, be sure that you are including your most recent work as well as some of your older pieces. This demonstrates the range of styles and formats that you can produce.
Post Beyond Your Portfolio
Don’t just rely on your portfolio to bring in prospective clients and partnerships. Posting new and old work on your website is great, but it’s also important to think beyond that space.
This is where social media comes into play. Most freelance copywriters and content writers find it beneficial to build up followings on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook. These are spaces where you can not only find other fellow copywriters to share ideas with and get advice from, but also catch the attention of even more potential customers. More so than you would by just letting your portfolio rest on the internet.
So, join groups and discussions and post your content. See what kind of connections you can make beyond just your portfolio.
Send Your Portfolio Directly To Potential Clients
And in the name of spreading the word about your content beyond your website, let’s now talk about reaching out to prospective clients directly.
You don’t always have to let new clients come to you. The art of cold emailing and pitching has been around for quite some time — but it’s a tricky thing to get right. It takes a lot of effort and practice to successfully email potential customers. However, it’s still an effective way to be proactive about finding more work. For more on how to properly cold pitch, check out our guide here.
