Most freelance job posts obtain a whole bunch of functions.
As somebody who has employed freelance writers and sifted via a whole bunch of functions, I can inform you that I rapidly weed out those that don’t present a easy technique for me to rapidly assess their writing skills.
Whereas I don’t anticipate freelance writers to have a elaborate web site, I totally admire a author who makes it straightforward to rapidly view related writing samples and perceive the worth they provide.
After viewing hundreds of author portfolios, I’ll share what I search for in a writing portfolio after I’m hiring freelancers and supply a step-by-step course of that will help you create a writing portfolio that can win shoppers. I’ll additionally present some writing portfolio examples to present you additional inspiration.
What Hiring Managers Need In a Freelance Writing Portfolio
Hiring managers are strapped for time and need to rent a author rapidly.
They don’t care about portfolio design, your profile picture, or different presentation particulars.
They actually simply need to see if you’re the precise match for his or her job.
So as a substitute of stressing about particulars like design colours, optimize your writing portfolio to obviously reply the next questions:
- Does this particular person supply the companies I’m in search of?
- Does this particular person have the writing abilities I’m in search of?
- Has this particular person completed comparable jobs up to now in comparable industries/niches?
- Is that this particular person dependable (e.g., adheres to deadlines, constantly delivers outcomes, and so forth.)
- Bonus: Does this particular person perceive the bigger enterprise objective we’re attempting to perform?
As well as, ensure that it’s tremendous straightforward for potential shoppers to navigate the portfolio web site and rapidly discover the solutions to these questions. If they will’t instantly discover the solutions they’re in search of, they’ll doubtless simply remove you from the record of candidates.
Beneath, I’ll present you the best way to create a contract author web site that clearly solutions these questions and helps you win new shoppers.
Tips on how to Create a Writing Portfolio: Step by Step
Right here’s a step-by-step information to making a writing portfolio that generates shoppers. I’ll talk about each tactically the best way to arrange your portfolio web site and the vital components to incorporate so that you just stand out to potential shoppers.
1. Choose an Straightforward-To-Use Web site and Internet hosting Platform
You don’t want a elaborate web site or internet hosting resolution to get began, so I like to recommend deciding on the only resolution doable.
You should use Siteground or Namecheap for webhosting, as they’re each low-cost and dependable. As for an internet site builder, you should use a platform like Squarespace or Wix, as each supply easy visible editors and pre-made web site templates.
WordPress can also be an important possibility that gives extra scalability. It may be a greater possibility should you suppose you’ll develop your freelance writing enterprise into an company.
Alternatively, if you’d like the only resolution doable, you should use Canva’s portfolio builder.
I like to recommend retaining the whole lot easy, as many freelance writers by no means create a portfolio as a result of they’re too intimidated by the tech.
If you happen to nonetheless really feel overwhelmed on the considered creating your individual portfolio, you’ll be able to at all times rent somebody on Upwork to create knowledgeable writing portfolio web site for you. Most of them solely cost a number of hundred {dollars}, and you’ll ship all of them the data in a doc to publish for you.
The hot button is to begin engaged on this immediately. The longer it takes to finish your freelance author portfolio, the longer it would take to shut new shoppers.
I like to recommend setting a deadline of three to 4 days to finish your portfolio web site so that you just begin closing shoppers rapidly.
2. Establish Your Goal Viewers and Area of interest
Earlier than including any content material to your new web site, outline your perfect consumer.
A standard mistake most freelancers make is attempting to focus on too many potential shoppers.
Sadly, hiring managers are in search of specialists, and also you’ll dilute your credibility as an knowledgeable should you promote that you just service a number of niches. As well as, your messaging will likely be very generic and ineffective should you attempt to goal a number of buyer personas.
On this step, clearly outline:
- The kind of writing you supply (weblog writing, gross sales writing, social media writing, and so forth.)
- The business you need to serve (ecommerce, B2B, native companies, bloggers, and so forth.)
- The corporate measurement you plan to serve (startups, enterprise firms, and so forth.)
When you’ve outlined your perfect buyer, perform some research to know their ache factors and what they’re hoping to attain by hiring a author.
One of the simplest ways to do buyer analysis is speaking to your perfect viewers and asking them what they’re in search of in writers.
I did this after I was seeking to scale from a freelancer to a advertising and marketing company proprietor, and you’ll see that I obtained some very useful suggestions:
You may see that these responses are extremely useful as they inform me each how I ought to place myself and particular ache factors these hiring managers expertise.
It’s also possible to ask in Slack teams and different non-public teams for suggestions. For instance, I requested this group if anybody had employed a content material company for $30,000 plus and what they had been in search of in that company.
I ended up getting on a name with one of many individuals, they usually confirmed me your entire pitch deck from the company they employed and defined why they employed that company. These insights helped higher place my companies to cost extra and shut extra shoppers.
We’ll talk about positioning in additional element under, however for now, be aware of:
- Your perfect prospects’ ache factors.
- The outcomes they’re attempting to attain by hiring a contract author.
- What they search for when reviewing totally different freelance writers.
- Key components that make freelance writing portfolios memorable.
3. Choose Your Greatest Writing Samples
A mistake that many freelance writers make is publishing too many writing samples from a number of industries.
There are a number of the reason why posting a number of pattern writing items isn’t an important thought:
- Potential shoppers gained’t see your greatest samples: If there are 20+ writing samples, shoppers in all probability gained’t see your greatest 3-4 writing items.
- Posting from a number of industries dilutes your experience: We mentioned earlier that shoppers need to see you’re an knowledgeable of their discipline, so solely embrace writing samples in your perfect buyer’s business/area of interest.
- Too many items overwhelms potential shoppers: Your potential shoppers are in a rush to rapidly discover the most effective author for the job, and providing too many pattern items can overwhelm them.
So choose solely your greatest work to incorporate in your portfolio. Normally, three or 4 writing samples are enough.
Once you publish the writing pattern, embrace any enterprise outcomes it helped accomplish. You may return to your buyer analysis notes to recollect what your prospects want to obtain by hiring a content material author.
For instance, if the objective is to extend visitors and conversions, embrace how your pattern writing piece helped accomplish these targets. Right here’s an important instance from freelance author Elise Dopson’s portfolio.
As an alternative of simply posting the hyperlink to the weblog publish, she states the enterprise targets (enhance visitors and key phrase rankings) it helped the corporate obtain:
She additionally contains screenshots, which is an effective way so as to add proof.
4. Add Social Proof and Testimonials
Including testimonials to your on-line writing portfolio can increase your credibility, however not all testimonials are equally compelling.
Who you get testimonials from and what these testimonials say can immediately provide help to go on to the hiring supervisor’s subsequent spherical of analysis.
First, get testimonials from respected manufacturers/individuals your perfect shoppers in all probability already know and respect. If you happen to don’t have any influential shoppers, you’ll be able to attain out to a well-established business influencer or model and supply a free pattern piece in change for a testimonial.
Once you ask for the testimonial, ask them to spotlight the way you remove key ache factors that your perfect shoppers usually expertise with freelance writers. For instance, frequent issues with freelance writers embrace lacking deadlines and delivering shallow, poorly researched articles. So ask them to say the way you at all times hit deadlines and totally analysis your work.
Elise Dopson once more does an important job of making compelling testimonials from effectively revered manufacturers in her goal business. They present how she eliminates key ache factors with most freelance writers (she hits deadlines and totally researches her work).
5. Structuring Your Homepage
When you’ve gathered your writing samples and testimonials, you’ve gotten a lot of the supplies in your portfolio web page. Now, you’ll want to construction your homepage and the messaging to obviously talk that you just’re the most effective particular person to assist the prospect obtain their targets.
First, create a compelling headline that clearly states the worth you present and the way you accomplish it.
You should use this framework:
“(your writing area of interest) for (your perfect buyer) that want (ache level you’re fixing.)”
For instance, it may very well be “Freelance content material author for B2B SaaS corporations that want extra natural leads.”
I additionally extremely suggest together with a course of part detailing how you’re employed with shoppers. Most potential shoppers will take you extra critically should you present them you’ve gotten a repeatable, confirmed course of.
For instance, should you do buyer analysis, outlines, or the rest, create a 3-5 step course of and embrace that in your homepage. You may at all times customise your companies to your shoppers’ wants, however having a course of will certainly make you stand out from different freelance writers because it reveals that you just’re skilled and have a technique to constantly produce the identical high quality outcomes.
It’s also possible to embrace an FAQ part with data in your charges, the deliverables, turnaround occasions, who your perfect buyer is, and different questions prospects generally ask.
Right here’s a pattern framework you should use to construction your homepage:
Beneath, I’ll stroll you thru a number of examples of nice homepages.
6. Create Your About Web page
Most freelance writers talk about their canine or locations they’ve traveled to of their writer bios. The truth is that shoppers don’t actually care about this data.
As an alternative, a extra compelling writer bio that may provide help to win shoppers is explaining the ache factors you struggled with that led you to grow to be a contract copywriter and the way it has formed your philosophy as a author.
For instance, let’s say you beforehand labored in enterprise gross sales and observed that prospects who closed quickest normally learn weblog posts earlier than coming onto the demo. Because of this, you grew to become a author since you felt it was the next leverage exercise that drove extra high quality prospects.
That’s an fascinating story that reveals your perfect prospects you actually perceive the ache factors they’re attempting to unravel. In addition they get a greater perception into the way you strategy writing and get to know somewhat bit in regards to the private aspect of you.
Develop and Convert has a wonderful about web page that does a wonderful job of serving to you get to know the founder and their skilled mission. I encourage you to learn the complete bio:
This story helps potential shoppers get to know you on a deeper stage than simply speaking about your canine as a result of it dives into actual issues you confronted and your present beliefs and opinions on advertising and marketing.
Because of this, you’ll construct extra belief with potential shoppers and stand out as a novel author.
I’ll additionally add that it’s worthwhile to incorporate an image of your self. Purchasers need to know who they’re coping with, and including a face to the phrases will assist construct belief.
7. Create Your Contact Web page
Lastly, add a contact web page to your portfolio that features your electronic mail handle and hyperlinks to your Twitter and LinkedIn profile (should you use them).
Maintain your contact web page so simple as doable and should you determine to supply a type fill, make certain that the shape fill works and reliably sends emails to your inbox, as many contact types ship messages on to your spam mail.
Right here’s an important instance of a easy contact web page:
Nice Writing Portfolio Examples
Listed here are a number of examples from extremely profitable freelance writers to present you some inspiration as you create your individual freelance writing portfolio.
Elise Dopson
I already talked about her portfolio a number of occasions earlier on this publish, however I extremely suggest that you just flick through it for inspiration on each structuring your portfolio and crafting efficient messaging.
Right here are some things that I significantly like about Elise’s portfolio:
- Who she serves and what she affords may be very clear from the headline – she creates journalistic B2B content material for retail, ecommerce, and martech corporations.
- She has loads of logos from large model names, and her testimonials spotlight how she solves key issues shoppers usually encounter with freelance writers (she by no means misses deadlines).
- She highlights the enterprise outcomes she’s helped corporations obtain (e.g., elevated web site visitors, key phrase rankings, and so forth.).
- She solely contains her greatest work and separates it by business so the precise consumer can simply discover the precise samples.
- All the messaging throughout your entire web site may be very clear.
Some issues I would alter if I had been modifying this profile:
- She targets a number of personas (retail, ecommerce, and martech). She has already established herself within the writing business, however I’d select only one business should you’re beginning your profession
Brent Barnhart
Brent’s web site is barely extra private than Elise’s web site. Nonetheless, he does a wonderful job of clearly articulating his worth after which proves it with case research and buyer testimonials.
What I like about his portfolio web site:
- You may clearly inform what he does and the worth he offers to shoppers (excessive rating B2B SaaS content material). He additionally states particular companies he affords, together with ghostwriting and long-form content material.
- He has one clearly outlined target market – B2B SaaS.
- He affords large identify model logos up prime.
- You may clearly hear his voice shine via.
- The remainder of the web page particulars case research to show he can do the work, particulars on why he’s totally different, and a particular course of to show that he can ship the identical outcomes for you.
Some issues I would add/change:
- I might in all probability add a number of extra buyer testimonials, although I like that he contains screenshots of consumer messages all through the web page, as seen within the screenshot above.
Marijana Kay
Marijana Kay has an important writing portfolio that’s clear, neat, and clear. You may perceive what she affords simply by glancing on the headline, and she or he additionally affords a lead magnet, which might be useful for constructing an electronic mail record and retargeting potential shoppers.
Right here are some things I like about this writing portfolio:
- She clearly states within the headline what she affords (freelance writing companies) and who she companies (SaaS and advertising and marketing manufacturers).
- The tagline hits on the important thing buyer ache level (hitting content material advertising and marketing targets constantly).
- The model logos she has labored with are clearly labeled on the prime.
- She ties enterprise KPIs to her case research (rising conversion charges, visitors, rankings, and so forth.)
- The client testimonials are additionally compelling and state why she’s the perfect freelancer to work with (she at all times researches the matters totally even when they’re robust topics).
Some issues I would enhance:
- I’d love for her so as to add a piece about her step-by-step course of so as to add credibility and confidence that she will be able to produce the identical outcomes constantly.
Joshua Poh
Joshua Poh’s writing portfolio can also be neat and simple to navigate. You may rapidly see what worth he has to supply and the way he helps corporations develop.
Right here are some things I like about his portfolio:
- The general web site is evident, straightforward to navigate, and easy.
- His image on the prime provides character and belief.
- He provides credibility by together with large model identify logos on the prime.
- He has testimonials that spotlight why he’s freelance author.
- He clearly defines how he helps companies develop.
- He features a clear name to motion to succeed in out.
Some issues I would enhance:
- His portfolio contains many weblog posts, which can be overwhelming to a possible consumer. I’d in all probability lower it down to simply the highest 3-4 posts he’s most pleased with.
- He makes a speciality of a number of industries, which causes his messaging to be barely vanilla. For instance, this sentence dilutes his credibility as an knowledgeable: “Irrespective of should you’re a small advertising and marketing crew with a number of ambition and no assets or a busy entrepreneur seeking to get again to creating high quality content material, I can assist.”
- I’d add a testimonial or two greater up on the homepage.
- I’d add a confirmed course of and tie enterprise outcomes to case research.
Ashley Cummings
Ashely Cummings is a effectively revered B2B author who has grown her Twitter viewers considerably over the previous a number of years.
She additionally has a compelling writing portfolio that you should use to encourage your individual freelance writing portfolio. Her design may be very easy, although it hits the entire key elements a hiring supervisor would search for in a author. Actually, she additionally has loads of extra pages you don’t essentially want, like a publication (which is superb for buyer acquisition when you’ve got the time to create one), merchandise, and extra.
Listed here are a number of particular issues I like about this writing portfolio:
- She clearly states what she’s good at – articulating concepts you don’t know the best way to put into phrases.
- All of her samples are organized by the forms of writing she makes a speciality of (e.g., samples for ebooks, advert copy, newsletters, and so forth.), making it straightforward for shoppers to rapidly discover related writing samples.
- She contains highlights of enterprise outcomes she’s pushed for shoppers (e.g., a weblog marketing campaign that produces over 500,000+ web site views/yr, and so forth.)
- She highlights her differentiators (analysis abilities, advertising and marketing experience, and so forth.).
- She has nice testimonials from identify model shoppers.
- She has clearly seen social media hyperlinks. As she has a thriving Twitter viewers, that is sensible as a result of individuals looking her Twitter profile will rapidly see that she’s fairly credible.
Right here are some things she might in all probability enhance on:
- I might transfer the shopper testimonials up greater on the web page and embrace notable model logos (Deloitte, Salesforce, and so forth.).
- I’d prefer to see a confirmed course of that helps the important thing differentiators she mentions, like “expert researcher” and “advertising and marketing experience.”
- For every pattern publish talked about, I’d add a blurb about what that publish completed from a enterprise outcomes standpoint.
Want Extra Assist With Your Writing Portfolio?
When you’ve accomplished your writing portfolio, it’s time to ship it to your perfect prospects and land your first consumer!
I understand that buying shoppers is the actual problem, so if you’d like extra help, and even simply one other peer to look over your portfolio, contemplate becoming a member of the Copyblogger Academy. It’s a neighborhood of different creators constructing their very own companies and aspect hustles via writing. Members have direct entry to me, unique interview content material with a few of the most profitable impartial creators of the day, and most significantly, a peer group of like-minded people.
You may be a part of immediately threat free to see for your self if the Academy will provide help to obtain your targets as a author.
