The ACTUAL Freelance Copywriting Portfolio I Use to Book $6k+ Months
If you want to be a freelance writer, you need to have a freelance writing portfolio.
But what is a freelance writing portfolio supposed to look like?
I'm here to help answer that question (and hopefully give you some inspiration)!
From the first portfolio I created at the start of my freelance career to my brand new portfolio launching today, keep reading to see how my portfolio has changed throughout my career and how it helped me grow my freelance business.
My first freelance portfolio
This is the first portfolio I created at the start of my freelance career.
There are a few things that stick out right away that make this portfolio not so great:
1. There's no information about me
I didn't include a single picture of myself. I don't even mention my name anywhere!
2. There's no background about my experience
I don't have any details on the kind of work I do and why I do it. I also don't say anything about the kinds of clients I want to work with.
You need to assume your portfolio page is the only way that your potential clients will have any information about you. That means you need to have all of the information they need readily available! These people are busy. You have five seconds to impress them.
3. I didn't have a niche
The biggest way to up-level your career is by choosing a niche. This portfolio featured spec pieces in beauty, lifestyle, travel, music, nostalgia. It's all over the place!
4. I used personal blog posts on my portfolio
I don't recommend using personal blog posts for your portfolio pieces. It doesn't give future clients a clear indication of the writing you can do. Plus, it's going to be hard for a client to imagine you writing for them when your pieces are all personal ramblings.
My next freelance portfolio
We're already off to a better start with this portfolio! My name, experience, and information are all clearly listed at the top of the page.
As you scroll down the page to my content writing portfolio, I have a clear call-to-action to click my samples and view the live blog posts. The only issue here is that linking the live blog posts can be risky because if a client goes out of business or changes their website URL, I'll lose that original link.
When you scroll further, you'll see my copywriter portfolio, which is split up into different sections: email copy, landing pages, social media, and product copy. This is super helpful for clients as it allows them to look through my specific types of writing.
I also included logos of the companies I worked with, which is a great improvement! Social proof is such an important part of marketing your freelance business.
While neither of these portfolios are great, I did book clients with them and was making between $1200-$3k/month.
The portfolio that exploded my business
About six months into my freelance writing journey, I read Book Yourself Solid by Michael Port.
This book taught me so much about how to run a service-based business, and that's when I decided to build a new portfolio, which ultimately changed the course of my freelance career.
I made another big shift, too: I started taking myself seriously.
I changed the name of my business from Colleen Welsch to Glossy Type to better reflect my niche. I registered an LLC and bought a domain name.
For this portfolio, I built a portfolio website instead of just a portfolio page. (I used Wordpress, but I recommend Squarespace if you're a new freelancer.)
Here are a few things that made this portfolio a success:
1. I got clear about my branding
Creating a brand with set colors, fonts, and language communicates professionalism and helps you differentiate yourself from other writers in your niche.
2. I added testimonials
Adding testimonials made a huge difference in attracting clients. You should start collecting testimonials from your very first client. Just set up a survey monkey and send it to your client after you're done working with them (if it's a recurring client, send it after the first month).
Like I said, social proof is so important for building trust! Get those testimonials and proudly showcase them in your portfolio.
3. Every page has a contact button
Each page of your portfolio should have a way for future clients to contact you. You never know what page they'll land on first, so you want to make it easy for them to get in touch with you.
5. My portfolio page is easy to navigate
I downloaded a template from Station 7 that allowed me to add tags to my client's logos. So when clients click on the different types of writing on my portfolio, the clients who I did that specific work for will pop up.
MY NEW PORTFOLIO
And now for the big reveal!
*drumroll please*
I've updated the Glossy Type branding to reflect a more modern feel, and I'm so excited about the rebrand.
(Click here to explore my full portfolio.)
The website was built on Squarespace, and I recommend it to all new freelancers who are interested in building beautiful portfolio websites. Get 10% off your Squarespace subscription by using code PARTNER10 here.
All of the design elements are built into Squarespace, so it’s super easy to create a cool website even if you lack web design skills!
One major difference is my new shop page. The shop page allows clients to purchase blog posts and packages at 500 words, 1000 words, 1500 words, or 2000 words.
I've never used this model before, so I'll report back on how it goes.
I hope this blog post gave you inspiration for your own freelance portfolio, buddy!
If you want 1:1 support for building your own freelance portfolio and getting your business off the ground, check out my freelance mentorship program here.
My self-guided online course, The Freelance Writer's Guide to the Galaxy, teaches you the ins and outs of running a freelance business.
It has all of the tools you need to get started on your own time, with community support, downloadable templates, and step-by-step lessons so you know exactly what you need to be doing at each stage of building your business. You can become a lifetime member here.