Create a successful writing portfolio and get your business off the ground

Are you a freelance writer and want to make your work known? A writing portfolio can be your best ally in finding and capturing the attention of new clients. It is a space that can be physical or virtual, which will help you organize the work you have developed in an attractive way so that more people get to know you and become interested in them. 

Currently, the most popular alternative is the digital dossier because it allows you to present your work more simply and immediately. There are several websites to create your first professional portfolio, and this is because, unlike a physical one, the digital one allows greater access and the development of updates in an easier way.

Ready to learn the top tips that will help you create a portfolio that will help you impress your clients? Let’s get started!

Collect all your work and organize it by category

In order to build your writing portfolio, the first thing you need to do is to compile all the work you have done so far so that you can organize it. In this process, we advise you not to discard any of them.

Occasionally, some people choose to avoid posting their first works or those they consider not very good. However, those bad perceptions are often linked to a bad moment or a bad comment we received back then.

So we suggest that you review them again, as you may be pleasantly surprised. It may be that the work is not as you remember it, and, on the contrary, it is a project that you can add to your portfolio to present to your audience or clients. 

Once you have gathered all your works, the next thing you should do is to start categorizing them so that they have a better order and can be easier to review by those who will visit your virtual space of projects. 

Some of the options you can use to organize your writing portfolio are:

• By projects
• By companies
• By physical publications
• By virtual publications
• By magazines
• By newspapers
• By reviews
• By websites
• By Blogs

On the other hand, if you do not yet have professional work that you can include in your writing portfolio, but you want to build one to present to your future clients, we suggest you create a portal or website where you can develop different writing jobs in test mode.

If you still don’t know where to start writing, we suggest you download our free blog writing ideas generator, which will help you develop content that will allow you to increase traffic to your site. Don’t miss it!

We also invite you to sign up for our online introductory course on digital copywriting, where you will learn how to write articles, copy for social networks, and adapt texts to different formats.

Make a selection of your work

The next tip we will give you to build your writing portfolio is to make a selection of your best work. Now that you have all your projects in the same space and sorted by categories, start filtering the most representative ones or the ones you consider ideal to be shown to your clients.

It is not necessary to have the quantity, but the quality of work, so evaluate well which ones you will leave in your portfolio since that is the face you will show to those who visit or request your portfolio.

Our recommendation is that you focus on the most recent ones since they are the ones that reveal what you have learned so far. However, as we mentioned before, it may be that at the beginning of your experience, you have had very good projects; in that case, do not hesitate to include them in your professional portfolio as well.

Remember that the first impression your clients receive is important. So, you should strive to make your digital space of projects a very nice place that motivates your customers to continue browsing and reviewing the various works you have included. To do this, enhance the visual and entertaining content, order, and typographic style. 

If your works belong to a digital portal or a blog, we suggest taking a screenshot and accompanying it with the link to the site so that your clients can enter and review the complete work. Be sure to pay attention to the screenshot, and you should place a part that favors both your content and the presentation. 

Finally, keep in mind that you should always update your writing portfolio, including the most current work, which you can add to those already in your space or replace with those you consider no longer adding to your professional work site. 

Create an identity for your Portfolio

One of the first things you should keep in mind when building your writing portfolio is to place your photo or logo. This will allow the client to feel more confident with your site and will also help them recognize and recommend you. 

Make sure that the image you choose to place, whether it is a photo or logo, reflects the personality you want to show in your portfolio. Remember that this is your work and the way in which many will see and remember you, so pay attention to every detail and choose the best option to be the image of your portfolio. For example, if you are a freelance essay writer, carefully describe the types of work in which you are competent and, if possible, attach your best texts as an illustration of your skills. If you do it right, sooner or later you will be told to “write my essay for me,” which is what we aim for, right?

In case you opt for a photograph, choose one in which you appear relaxed, confident, and with some detail that evokes the writing or written content. Similarly, if you choose to place a logo and work with a brand, develop one that is linked to your service and the image you offer. 

Develop a presentation 

Another key point in your writing portfolio is the presentation that should accompany your work history, which will have to be dynamic and eye-catching for your audience. Avoid making typical descriptions mentioning your professional experience, studies, etc. 

This does not mean that you do not include them in your description, because they should certainly be part of it, but do not do it in a flat way, take advantage of writing or communication tools such as storytelling and develop a presentation that captures the attention of customers and serves as an invitation to visit your portfolio. 

You can use the elevator pitch strategy to develop your presentation, as it is a very effective way to make yourself known and attract the attention of potential clients. This is based on developing a speech that lasts a maximum of 60 seconds and is able to include the most representative aspects of you.

APD, in relation to the elevator pitch, points out that: “nowadays it is a fundamental tool in all areas and a good example of how to adapt to the dizzying speed of the world in which we live. The purpose should not only be associated with selling but also with generating interest in a project or an idea. In other words, our ‘brief’ words should help us to get an interview or a future meeting or to close a deal.

Some of the essential points that the description for your writing portfolio should have are the following:

• Personal details.
• The reason why the client should choose you
• Competitive advantage
• How would you add to their company or project
• Academic experience
• Professional experience
• Professional attributes or characteristics

Provide details of your rates

The next must-have detail in your writing portfolio is the rates you offer. Often, clients are looking for more than one type of service, so the best thing to do when indicating your prices is to arrange the work you offer in different packages so that it is easier for those who wish to hire you to make their selection. 

Suppose you are unsure how to assemble your packages or what kind of services to combine. In that case, you can compare services from other freelancers or copywriters to serve as a guide or inspiration to build your rates based on what is offered in the market and what clients demand the most. 

Also, in order to help you, we will provide you with some alternative packages to offer in your copywriting portfolio for your next clients:

• News writing
• Interview writing
• Article writing
• Development of information for infographics
• Copywriting
• Content writing and optimization
• Email copywriting
• Presentation writing

Those are some of the options you can include in your services, and the rate varies depending on where you are, compare the market prices and determine one for your work. Undoubtedly, you can offer many more options of packages, but we are sure that these ideas will help you better land your decisions and proposals. 

In conclusion, to have a successful writing portfolio, it is necessary to organize and select the works you are willing to make known; then, you will have to give it identity and customize the space where you will place your projects in order to make it more attractive to the public and capture the attention of potential clients. 

Also, suppose you want to continue learning and acquiring new writing techniques that will help you enhance the quality of your work and help you in your professional development. In that case, we invite you to review our online writing courses, where you will find some oriented to digital writing and business, among others.

Boost your portfolio and gain new clients!