Most freelance job posts obtain a whole lot of purposes.
As somebody who has employed freelance writers and sifted by way of a whole lot of purposes, I can let you know that I shortly weed out those that don’t present a easy methodology for me to shortly assess their writing talents.
Whereas I don’t count on freelance writers to have a elaborate web site, I completely respect a author who makes it straightforward to shortly 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 will help you create a writing portfolio that may win shoppers. I’ll additionally present some writing portfolio examples to offer you additional inspiration.
What Hiring Managers Need In a Freelance Writing Portfolio
Hiring managers are strapped for time and need to rent a author shortly.
They don’t care about portfolio design, your profile picture, or different presentation particulars.
They actually simply need to see if you’re the appropriate match for his or her job.
So as an alternative of stressing about particulars like design colours, optimize your writing portfolio to obviously reply the next questions:
- Does this individual supply the providers I’m on the lookout for?
- Does this individual have the writing expertise I’m on the lookout for?
- Has this individual performed comparable jobs previously in comparable industries/niches?
- Is that this individual dependable (e.g., adheres to deadlines, persistently delivers outcomes, and so forth.)
- Bonus: Does this individual perceive the bigger enterprise aim we’re attempting to perform?
As well as, be certain that it’s tremendous straightforward for potential shoppers to navigate the portfolio web site and shortly discover the solutions to these questions. If they will’t instantly discover the solutions they’re on the lookout for, they’ll seemingly simply get rid of you from the checklist of candidates.
Beneath, I’ll present you how you can create a contract author web site that clearly solutions these questions and helps you win new shoppers.
How one can 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 focus on each tactically how you can arrange your portfolio web site and the vital parts to incorporate so that you just stand out to potential shoppers.
1. Choose an Simple-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 choosing the best answer doable.
You should utilize Siteground or Namecheap for website hosting, as they’re each low cost and dependable. As for an internet 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 also be an incredible possibility that gives extra scalability. It is likely to be a greater possibility if you happen to suppose you’ll develop your freelance writing enterprise into an company.
Alternatively, if you’d like the best answer doable, you should utilize Canva’s portfolio builder.
I like to recommend protecting every part easy, as many freelance writers by no means create a portfolio as a result of they’re too intimidated by the tech.
For those who nonetheless really feel overwhelmed on the considered creating your individual portfolio, you may all the time rent somebody on Upwork to create an expert writing portfolio web site for you. Most of them solely cost just a few hundred {dollars}, and you’ll ship all of them the knowledge in a doc to publish for you.
The bottom line is to begin engaged on this right now. The longer it takes to finish your freelance author portfolio, the longer it should 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 shortly.
2. Determine Your Goal Viewers and Area of interest
Earlier than including any content material to your new web site, outline your best consumer.
A typical mistake most freelancers make is attempting to focus on too many potential shoppers.
Sadly, hiring managers are on the lookout for 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 will probably 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 so forth.)
- The trade you need to serve (ecommerce, B2B, native companies, bloggers, and so forth.)
- The corporate measurement you propose to serve (startups, enterprise firms, and so forth.)
When you’ve outlined your best buyer, perform a little research to know their ache factors and what they’re hoping to attain by hiring a author.
The easiest way to do buyer analysis is speaking to your best viewers and asking them what they’re on the lookout for in writers.
I did this after I was seeking to scale from a freelancer to a advertising company proprietor, and you’ll see that I obtained some very useful suggestions:
You possibly can see that these responses are extremely worthwhile as they inform me each how I ought to place myself and particular ache factors these hiring managers expertise.
You too can 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 had been on the lookout for in that company.
I ended up getting on a name with one of many individuals, and so they confirmed me the complete pitch deck from the company they employed and defined why they employed that company. These insights helped higher place my providers to cost extra and shut extra shoppers.
We’ll focus on positioning in additional element beneath, however for now, pay attention to:
- Your best prospects’ ache factors.
- The outcomes they’re attempting to attain 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 the explanation why posting a whole lot of pattern writing items isn’t an incredible concept:
- Potential shoppers gained’t see your finest samples: If there are 20+ writing samples, shoppers most likely gained’t see your finest 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 area, so solely embrace writing samples in your best buyer’s trade/area of interest.
- Too many items overwhelms potential shoppers: Your potential shoppers are in a rush to shortly discover the most effective author for the job, and providing too many pattern items can overwhelm them.
So choose solely your finest work to incorporate in your portfolio. Normally, three or 4 writing samples are enough.
Whenever you publish the writing pattern, embrace any enterprise outcomes it helped accomplish. You possibly can return to your buyer analysis notes to recollect what your prospects wish to obtain by hiring a content material author.
For instance, if the aim is to extend visitors and conversions, embrace how your pattern writing piece helped accomplish these objectives. Right here’s an incredible instance from freelance author Elise Dopson’s portfolio.
As a substitute of simply posting the hyperlink to the weblog publish, she states the enterprise objectives (improve 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 enhance your credibility, however not all testimonials are equally compelling.
Who you get testimonials from and what these testimonials say can immediately aid you move on to the hiring supervisor’s subsequent spherical of analysis.
First, get testimonials from respected manufacturers/individuals your best shoppers most likely already know and respect. For those who don’t have any influential shoppers, you may attain out to a well-established trade influencer or model and supply a free pattern piece in trade for a testimonial.
Whenever you ask for the testimonial, ask them to focus on the way you get rid of key ache factors that your best shoppers usually expertise with freelance writers. For instance, widespread issues with freelance writers embrace lacking deadlines and delivering shallow, poorly researched articles. So ask them to say the way you all the time hit deadlines and completely analysis your work.
Elise Dopson once more does an incredible job of making compelling testimonials from nicely revered manufacturers in her goal trade. They present how she eliminates key ache factors with most freelance writers (she hits deadlines and completely researches her work).
5. Structuring Your Homepage
When you’ve gathered your writing samples and testimonials, you’ve got a lot of the supplies in your portfolio web page. Now, that you must construction your homepage and the messaging to obviously talk that you just’re the most effective individual to assist the prospect obtain their objectives.
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 best buyer) that want (ache level you’re fixing.)”
For instance, it could possibly be “Freelance content material author for B2B SaaS firms 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 significantly if you happen to present them you’ve got 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 embrace that in your homepage. You possibly can all the time customise your providers to your shoppers’ wants, however having a course of will certainly make you stand out from different freelance writers because it exhibits that you just’re skilled and have a technique to persistently produce the identical high quality outcomes.
You too can embrace an FAQ part with info in your charges, the deliverables, turnaround instances, who your best buyer is, and different questions prospects generally ask.
Right here’s a pattern framework you should utilize 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 focus on their canine or locations they’ve traveled to of their writer bios. The fact is that shoppers don’t actually care about this info.
As a substitute, a extra compelling writer bio that may aid you win shoppers is explaining the ache factors you struggled with that led you to turn out 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. In consequence, 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 exhibits your best prospects you actually perceive the ache factors they’re attempting to unravel. In addition they get a greater perception into the way you method writing and get to know a bit of bit in regards to the private facet 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 total bio:
This story helps potential shoppers get to know you on a deeper degree 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.
In consequence, you’ll construct extra belief with potential shoppers and stand out as a singular author.
I’ll additionally add that it’s worthwhile to incorporate an image of your self. Shoppers 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 (if you happen to use them).
Preserve your contact web page so simple as doable and if you happen to determine to supply a kind fill, ensure that the shape fill works and reliably sends emails to your inbox, as many contact varieties ship messages on to your spam mail.
Right here’s an incredible instance of a easy contact web page:
Nice Writing Portfolio Examples
Listed below are just a few examples from extremely profitable freelance writers to offer 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 suggest that you just flick thru 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 presents could be very clear from the headline – she creates journalistic B2B content material for retail, ecommerce, and martech firms.
- She has loads of logos from large model names, and her testimonials spotlight how she solves key issues shoppers typically encounter with freelance writers (she by no means misses deadlines).
- She highlights the enterprise outcomes she’s helped firms obtain (e.g., elevated web site visitors, key phrase rankings, and so forth.).
- She solely contains her finest work and separates it by trade so the appropriate consumer can simply discover the appropriate samples.
- The entire messaging throughout the complete web site could be very clear.
Some issues I’d regulate 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 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 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 possibly can clearly inform what he does and the worth he gives to shoppers (excessive rating B2B SaaS content material). He additionally states particular providers he presents, together with ghostwriting and long-form content material.
- He has one clearly outlined audience – B2B SaaS.
- He presents large title model logos up prime.
- You possibly can 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 particular course of to show that he can ship the identical outcomes for you.
Some issues I’d add/change:
- I’d most likely add just a few 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 incredible writing portfolio that’s clear, neat, and clear. You possibly can perceive what she presents simply by glancing on the headline, and he or she additionally presents a lead magnet, which could be useful for constructing an electronic mail checklist and retargeting potential shoppers.
Right here are some things I like about this writing portfolio:
- She clearly states within the headline what she presents (freelance writing providers) and who she providers (SaaS and advertising manufacturers).
- The tagline hits on the important thing buyer ache level (hitting content material advertising objectives persistently).
- The model logos she has labored with are clearly labeled on the prime.
- She ties enterprise KPIs to her case research (growing conversion charges, visitors, rankings, and so forth.)
- The client testimonials are additionally compelling and state why she’s the best freelancer to work with (she all the time researches the matters completely even when they’re powerful topics).
Some issues I’d 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 produce the identical outcomes persistently.
Joshua Poh
Joshua Poh’s writing portfolio can also be neat and straightforward to navigate. You possibly can shortly see what worth he has to supply and the way he helps firms 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 title 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’d enhance:
- His portfolio contains many weblog posts, which can be overwhelming to a possible consumer. I’d most likely reduce it down to simply the highest 3-4 posts he’s most pleased with.
- He focuses on 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 workforce with a whole lot of ambition and no sources or a busy entrepreneur seeking to get again to creating high quality content material, I can assist.”
- I’d add a testimonial or two larger up on the homepage.
- I’d add a confirmed course of and tie enterprise outcomes to case research.
Ashley Cummings
Ashely Cummings is a nicely 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 all the key elements a hiring supervisor would search for in a author. In reality, she additionally has loads of further pages you don’t essentially want, like a e-newsletter (which is great for buyer acquisition when you’ve got 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 how you can put into phrases.
- All of her samples are organized by the varieties of writing she focuses on (e.g., samples for ebooks, advert copy, newsletters, and so forth.), making it straightforward for shoppers to shortly 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 expertise, advertising experience, and so forth.).
- She has nice testimonials from title model shoppers.
- She has clearly seen social media hyperlinks. As she has a thriving Twitter viewers, that is good as a result of individuals searching her Twitter profile will shortly see that she’s fairly credible.
Right here are some things she may most likely enhance on:
- I’d transfer the shopper testimonials up larger on the web page and embrace notable model logos (Deloitte, Salesforce, and so forth.).
- I’d wish to see a confirmed course of that helps the important thing differentiators she mentions, like “expert researcher” and “advertising experience.”
- For every pattern publish talked about, I’d add a blurb about what that publish achieved 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 best prospects and land your first consumer!
I notice that buying shoppers is the true problem, so if you’d like extra assist, 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 facet 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 possibly can be part of right now threat free to see for your self if the Academy will aid you obtain your objectives as a author.
