How To Compose An Impressive Freelance Writer’s Portfolio
Finding success as a freelance writer depends a lot on the presentation of one’s portfolio. It needs to express your professional style and skills, while not coming off as overwhelming or pompous. In other words, there is a fine balance and art in creating a highly effective portfolio. Here are some tips to create an impressive freelance writer’s portfolio to attract more business:
Research Other Portfolios
In any business, it’s always a good idea to check what some of your competitors are doing to make their client base and revenue grow. The same is true with freelance writing. You want to view your competitors’ profiles to learn about what works and what doesn’t work, and find ways to maximize your earning potential while making yourself stand apart from the herd.
Collect a Wide Variety Samples
You’re likely heading into this field because you have great skill in constructing well-written, clear messages in a variety of formats and in a number of subjects. Unless you wish to focus on one specific niche style, you should have a wide variety of samples to show off. Consider blogs, articles, web content, cover letters, press releases and other formats to attract a wider audience.
Select Eye-Pleasing Pieces
Some writing pieces don’t really lend themselves to catching someone’s attention if they are simply text heavy without eye-pleasing headers, sections, etc. This is mostly true in long-form technical samples. So your job is to find pieces that are visually appealing, can be easily read through and generally look like the sort of high-level, polished work clients won’t want to pass up on. If you can revise some of your existing content to show off some color or graphic elements do so. These kinds of samples are more likely to bring you clients.
Ask Clients for Feedback
If you want to find out firsthand what others think about your collection of samples then it’s a good idea to conduct some surveys. Find out from past clients what they thought about your portfolio. For example, you can ask if they viewed your samples, and if whether it influenced their decision when they were hiring for services. Their comments and feedback should give you some advice on what improvements you should make.
Update Your Portfolio Frequently
Lastly, you want to make sure you keep the samples on your page updated. This means consistently swapping out old samples as you complete new projects. You may find it necessary to do this every 2 or 3 weeks, but not matter what you do decide be sure to stay consistent.