A copywriting portfolio is an important part of any aspiring copywriter’s toolkit. Why? Because it shows off your work, sets you apart from other applicants, and gives you the opportunity to directly speak to potential clients. In addition, it serves as a tangible reflection of your efforts and an excellent source of reference for future pitches.
What makes up a good copywriting portfolio? Below, we’ve put together a list of the essential elements you need to include in your copywriting portfolio.
Compelling Writing
At the risk of stating the obvious, the most important thing about any type of portfolio is the writing! While you may include visuals in your pitch, the fact still remains that your words will have to carry the day. For this reason, you need to ensure that each piece of writing is flawless and shows off your impressive capabilities.
To give you some inspiration, below are just a few of our favorite pieces of copywriting from around the web. These articles are compelling, and they pack a powerful punch through the use of impeccable language, strong narratives, and evocative examples.
The Need For Variety
If you’ve been doing the same thing for your entire life, then how can you hope to succeed in a highly competitive field like copywriting? As long-time copywriter and creative director, Peter Cohan, says in The Copyblogger’s Handbook, you can’t simply stick to one industry or platform. You need to ensure that your portfolio is as diverse as possible, and that you’ve covered as many different niches as possible.
For instance, if you’re particularly skilled in creating content for real estate platforms like realtytracker.com, then you should include at least a few real estate-related articles in your portfolio. But if you aren’t equipped to handle this type of content, then don’t include it. Instead, look for other markets where your unique set of skills can be applied.
As a copywriter, you’ll often be asked to pitch various brands and products. This means that you’ll need a variety of pitches in your portfolio in order to ensure you’re prepared for any opportunity that comes along.
Content Marketing
As the name implies, content marketing is all about creating and distributing content (blogs, white papers, e-books, etc.) that promotes your product or service. Sounds simple enough, right?
The truth is, content marketing can be a lot more complex than it seems. For one thing, not all content is created equal. You need to have a clear idea of what makes up quality content, and you need to have enough examples to prove it. But perhaps the biggest difference between traditional marketing and content marketing is the motivation behind the content. Since content marketing is focused on engaging audiences through meaningful and substantial content that is easily consumable, it requires the creation of compelling content that will keep people coming back for more.
Real World Examples
No, we don’t mean the kind-of real world examples that you might see online. We mean the actual pieces of copy you’ve written, whether for personal or professional use. Don’t just include pseudo- online examples in your portfolio in order to seem more experienced. While it’s certainly important to learn from the best, you also need to find your own voice and develop your own style. When it comes down to it, nobody can teach you how to be unique. You’ll just have to find your own way.
What Next?
Once you’ve created your copywriting portfolio, it’s time to move on to the next step. In the next article in this series, we’ll discuss how to present your work to clients and how to get the most out of your copywriting portfolio.