A portfolio is a collection of your work that you intend to show to an employer, academic institution, or financial backer. A well-written and organized portfolio can be an invaluable tool in your career development as a copywriter. It can also help you stand out from the competition.
If you’re pursuing a career in copywriting, you will most likely need to develop a portfolio. But what kind of portfolio should you create? How can you make it stand out? What will it say about you as a writer? The following is a guide to help you answer those questions.
The Three Ps: Planning, Practising, and Promoting
To create a successful portfolio as a copywriter, you need to plan, practise, and promote. Let’s discuss each part in turn.
Planning
Planning is essential. Without a clear idea of what you are trying to achieve, it’s difficult to know whether you have actually succeeded. To that end, it’s crucial that you develop a plan, lay down the goals you intend to achieve, and measure your progress along the way. That way, you can determine whether you’ve reached your destination or if you need to make some adjustments along the way.
One of the first things you should do is set a date by which you will complete your portfolio. Setting a deadline will force you to focus on reaching the end goal, which in turn, will make you less distracted by the details of the project and improve your productivity. When you have set your goal and have a deadline in sight, you will find it much easier to judge your progress and identify areas for improvement. A successful copywriter will regularly and consistently check for areas of weakness, so be sure to look for those as well as make note of your strengths.
Practising
Once you have set your goal and have some idea of the direction you wish to take your work in, you can start to practise. Practising is an integral part of any artistic or professional endeavour, and it’s no different when it comes to copywriting. By regularly putting your skills to the test, you will find yourself honing your craft and ensuring that your work consistently meets the highest standards. The only difference is that when you’re practising as a copywriter, the work you produce will most likely be for a client rather than for your own purposes. That’s both a challenge and an opportunity: the opportunity to exceed expectations, and the challenge to ensure that the work you produce is of the highest quality.
Promoting
Once you have reached your destination, you can begin to promote. To that end, you will need to create a buzz around your work by sharing it with as many people as possible. The best way to do this is through publications, blogs, and social media.
A copywriting portfolio is only as good as the work contained within it. To ensure that it is of the highest quality, be sure to enlist the help of some experts who can give you an objective perspective. With a little research and planning, you will find that having a high-quality portfolio is well within your reach.