Most freelance job posts obtain a whole lot of functions.
As somebody who has employed freelance writers and sifted by way of a whole lot of functions, I can let you know that I rapidly weed out those that don’t present a easy methodology for me to rapidly assess their writing talents.
Whereas I don’t count on freelance writers to have a elaborate web site, I totally respect a author who makes it straightforward to rapidly view related writing samples and perceive the worth they provide.
After viewing 1000’s 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 can assist you create a writing portfolio that may win purchasers. I’ll additionally present some writing portfolio examples to provide you additional inspiration.
What Hiring Managers Need In a Freelance Writing Portfolio
Hiring managers are strapped for time and wish to rent a author rapidly.
They don’t care about portfolio design, your profile picture, or different presentation particulars.
They actually simply wish to see if you’re the best 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 performed comparable jobs previously in comparable industries/niches?
- Is that this particular person dependable (e.g., adheres to deadlines, persistently delivers outcomes, and many others.)
- Bonus: Does this particular person perceive the bigger enterprise aim we’re making an attempt to perform?
As well as, be sure that it’s tremendous straightforward for potential purchasers 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 eradicate you from the listing of candidates.
Under, I’ll present you learn how to create a contract author web site that clearly solutions these questions and helps you win new purchasers.
How you can Create a Writing Portfolio: Step by Step
Right here’s a step-by-step information to making a writing portfolio that generates purchasers. I’ll talk about each tactically learn how to arrange your portfolio web site and the important parts to incorporate so that you just stand out to potential purchasers.
1. Choose an Straightforward-To-Use Web site and Internet hosting Platform
You don’t want a elaborate web site or internet hosting answer to get began, so I like to recommend deciding on the best answer doable.
You should utilize Siteground or Namecheap for hosting, as they’re each low-cost and dependable. As for a web site builder, you should utilize a platform like Squarespace or Wix, as each supply easy visible editors and pre-made web site templates.
WordPress can be a fantastic possibility that provides extra scalability. It may be a greater possibility if you happen to assume you’ll develop your freelance writing enterprise into an company.
Alternatively, in order for you the best answer doable, you should utilize Canva’s portfolio builder.
I like to recommend protecting all the things easy, as many freelance writers by no means create a portfolio as a result of they’re too intimidated by the tech.
Should you nonetheless really feel overwhelmed on the considered creating your individual portfolio, you may all the time rent somebody on Upwork to create knowledgeable writing portfolio web site for you. Most of them solely cost just a few hundred {dollars}, and you may ship all of them the data in a doc to publish for you.
The bottom line is to begin engaged on this at present. The longer it takes to finish your freelance author portfolio, the longer it should take to shut new purchasers.
I like to recommend setting a deadline of three to 4 days to finish your portfolio web site so that you just begin closing purchasers 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 making an attempt to focus on too many potential purchasers.
Sadly, hiring managers are in search of specialists, and also you’ll dilute your credibility as an knowledgeable if you happen to promote that you just service a number of niches. As well as, your messaging can be very generic and ineffective if you happen to 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 many others.)
- The trade you wish to serve (ecommerce, B2B, native companies, bloggers, and many others.)
- The corporate dimension you plan to serve (startups, enterprise companies, and many others.)
When you’ve outlined your perfect buyer, do a little analysis to know their ache factors and what they’re hoping to realize 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 may 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 personal teams for suggestions. For instance, I requested this group if anybody had employed a content material company for $30,000 plus and what they have been in search of in that company.
I ended up getting on a name with one of many folks, and so they 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 purchasers.
We’ll talk about positioning in additional element under, however for now, be aware of:
- Your perfect clients’ ache factors.
- The outcomes they’re making an attempt to realize by hiring a contract author.
- What they search for when reviewing completely different freelance writers.
- Key parts that make freelance writing portfolios memorable.
3. Choose Your Finest Writing Samples
A mistake that many freelance writers make is publishing too many writing samples from a number of industries.
There are just a few explanation why posting lots of pattern writing items isn’t a fantastic thought:
- Potential purchasers gained’t see your greatest samples: If there are 20+ writing samples, purchasers most likely gained’t see your greatest 3-4 writing items.
- Posting from a number of industries dilutes your experience: We mentioned earlier that purchasers wish to see you’re an knowledgeable of their area, so solely embody writing samples on your perfect buyer’s trade/area of interest.
- Too many items overwhelms potential purchasers: Your potential purchasers are in a rush to rapidly discover the very best author for the job, and providing too many pattern items can overwhelm them.
So choose solely your greatest work to incorporate in your portfolio. Often, three or 4 writing samples are enough.
Once you publish the writing pattern, embody any enterprise outcomes it helped accomplish. You may return to your buyer analysis notes to recollect what your clients wish to obtain by hiring a content material author.
For instance, if the aim is to extend site visitors and conversions, embody how your pattern writing piece helped accomplish these targets. Right here’s a fantastic instance from freelance author Elise Dopson’s portfolio.
As a substitute of simply posting the hyperlink to the weblog publish, she states the enterprise targets (improve site visitors and key phrase rankings) it helped the corporate obtain:
She additionally consists of screenshots, which is a good way so as to add proof.
4. Add Social Proof and Testimonials
Including testimonials to your on-line writing portfolio can enhance your credibility, however not all testimonials are equally compelling.
Who you get testimonials from and what these testimonials say can immediately assist you go on to the hiring supervisor’s subsequent spherical of analysis.
First, get testimonials from respected manufacturers/folks your perfect purchasers most likely already know and respect. Should you don’t have any influential purchasers, you may attain out to a well-established trade influencer or model and supply a free pattern piece in trade for a testimonial.
Once you ask for the testimonial, ask them to focus on the way you eradicate key ache factors that your perfect purchasers sometimes expertise with freelance writers. For instance, frequent issues with freelance writers embody lacking deadlines and delivering shallow, poorly researched articles. So ask them to say the way you all the time hit deadlines and totally analysis your work.
Elise Dopson once more does a fantastic job of making compelling testimonials from properly revered manufacturers in her goal trade. 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 could have many of the supplies on your portfolio web page. Now, you have to construction your homepage and the messaging to obviously talk that you just’re the very best 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 utilize 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 advocate together with a course of part detailing how you’re employed with purchasers. Most potential purchasers will take you extra significantly if you happen to present them you could have a repeatable, confirmed course of.
For instance, if you happen to do buyer analysis, outlines, or anything, create a 3-5 step course of and embody that in your homepage. You may all the time customise your companies to your purchasers’ 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 way to persistently produce the identical high quality outcomes.
It’s also possible to embody an FAQ part with data in your charges, the deliverables, turnaround instances, who your perfect buyer is, and different questions prospects generally ask.
Right here’s a pattern framework you should utilize to construction your homepage:
Under, 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 creator bios. The truth is that purchasers don’t actually care about this data.
As a substitute, a extra compelling creator bio that may assist you win purchasers is explaining the ache factors you struggled with that led you to change into 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 often learn weblog posts earlier than coming onto the demo. Because of this, you turned a author since you felt it was the next leverage exercise that drove extra high quality prospects.
That’s an attention-grabbing story that reveals your perfect prospects you actually perceive the ache factors they’re making an attempt to unravel. Additionally they get a greater perception into the way you method writing and get to know a bit bit concerning the private aspect of you.
Develop and Convert has a superb about web page that does a superb 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 purchasers 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 purchasers and stand out as a novel author.
I’ll additionally add that it’s worthwhile to incorporate an image of your self. Purchasers wish 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 e mail tackle and hyperlinks to your Twitter and LinkedIn profile (if you happen to use them).
Preserve your contact web page so simple as doable and if you happen to resolve to supply a kind fill, ensure that the shape fill works and reliably sends emails to your inbox, as many contact kinds ship messages on to your spam mail.
Right here’s a fantastic instance of a easy contact web page:
Nice Writing Portfolio Examples
Listed below are just a few examples from extremely profitable freelance writers to provide you some inspiration as you create your individual freelance writing portfolio.
Elise Dopson
I already talked about her portfolio a number of instances earlier on this publish, however I extremely advocate that you just flick thru it for inspiration on each structuring your portfolio and crafting efficient messaging.
Right here are some things that I notably like about Elise’s portfolio:
- Who she serves and what she affords could 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 purchasers 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 site visitors, key phrase rankings, and many others.).
- She solely consists of her greatest work and separates it by trade so the best consumer can simply discover the best samples.
- All the messaging throughout your entire web site could be very clear.
Some issues I would modify if I have been modifying this profile:
- She targets a number of personas (retail, ecommerce, and martech). She has already established herself within the writing trade, however I’d select only one trade if you happen to’re beginning your profession
Brent Barnhart
Brent’s web site is barely extra private than Elise’s web site. Nonetheless, he does a superb job of clearly articulating his worth after which proves it with case research and buyer testimonials.
What I really like about his portfolio web site:
- You may clearly inform what he does and the worth he gives to purchasers (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 audience – B2B SaaS.
- He affords large identify model logos up prime.
- You may clearly hear his voice shine by way of.
- The remainder of the web page particulars case research to show he can do the work, particulars on why he’s completely different, and a selected course of to show that he can ship the identical outcomes for you.
Some issues I would add/change:
- I’d most likely add just a few extra buyer testimonials, although I like that he consists of screenshots of consumer messages all through the web page, as seen within the screenshot above.
Marijana Kay
Marijana Kay has a fantastic writing portfolio that’s clear, neat, and clear. You may perceive what she affords simply by glancing on the headline, and he or she additionally affords a lead magnet, which might be useful for constructing an e mail listing and retargeting potential purchasers.
Right here are some things I really 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 persistently).
- The model logos she has labored with are clearly labeled on the prime.
- She ties enterprise KPIs to her case research (rising conversion charges, site visitors, rankings, and many others.)
- The shopper testimonials are additionally compelling and state why she’s the best freelancer to work with (she all the time researches the subjects totally even when they’re robust topics).
Some issues I would enhance:
- I’d love for her so as to add a bit about her step-by-step course of so as to add credibility and confidence that she will be able to produce the identical outcomes persistently.
Joshua Poh
Joshua Poh’s writing portfolio can be neat and straightforward 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 obvious, straightforward to navigate, and easy.
- His image on the prime provides persona and belief.
- He provides credibility by together with large model identify logos on the prime.
- He has testimonials that spotlight why he’s a great freelance author.
- He clearly defines how he helps companies develop.
- He features a clear name to motion to achieve out.
Some issues I would enhance:
- His portfolio consists of many weblog posts, which can be overwhelming to a possible consumer. I’d most likely lower it down to only 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: “Regardless of if you happen to’re a small advertising and marketing crew with lots of ambition and no sources or a busy entrepreneur seeking to get again to creating high quality content material, I might help.”
- I’d add a testimonial or two increased up on the homepage.
- I’d add a confirmed course of and tie enterprise outcomes to case research.
Ashley Cummings
Ashely Cummings is a properly 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 utilize to encourage your individual freelance writing portfolio. Her design could be very easy, although it hits the entire key parts a hiring supervisor would search for in a author. In truth, she additionally has loads of extra pages you don’t essentially want, like a e-newsletter (which is great for buyer acquisition you probably have the time to create one), merchandise, and extra.
Listed below are just a few particular issues I like about this writing portfolio:
- She clearly states what she’s good at – articulating concepts you don’t know learn how to put into phrases.
- All of her samples are organized by the varieties of writing she makes a speciality of (e.g., samples for ebooks, advert copy, newsletters, and many others.), making it straightforward for purchasers to rapidly discover related writing samples.
- She consists of highlights of enterprise outcomes she’s pushed for purchasers (e.g., a weblog marketing campaign that produces over 500,000+ web site views/yr, and many others.)
- She highlights her differentiators (analysis abilities, advertising and marketing experience, and many others.).
- She has nice testimonials from identify model purchasers.
- She has clearly seen social media hyperlinks. As she has a thriving Twitter viewers, that is good as a result of folks searching her Twitter profile will rapidly see that she’s fairly credible.
Right here are some things she may most likely enhance on:
- I’d transfer the shopper testimonials up increased on the web page and embody notable model logos (Deloitte, Salesforce, and many others.).
- 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 clients and land your first consumer!
I understand that buying purchasers is the actual problem, so in order for you extra help, and even simply one other peer to look over your portfolio, take into account becoming a member of the Copyblogger Academy. It’s a group of different creators constructing their very own companies and aspect hustles by way of writing. Members have direct entry to me, unique interview content material with a number of the most profitable unbiased creators of the day, and most significantly, a peer group of like-minded people.
You may be a part of at present danger free to see for your self if the Academy will assist you obtain your targets as a author.
