7 Easy Steps to Making a Copywriting Portfolio – With Killer Examples + Template
If you are an aspiring copywriter who wants to make it in the copywriting world, do you hear the word copywriting portfolio often? I bet you do. That’s because every employer, every company will look it up before hiring you as their copywriter. They may not necessarily read it thoroughly but will skim through it enough so you either get or don’t get the job.
A good copywriting portfolio makes all the difference and sets you far ahead the rest of the candidates. You may have a lot of qualities to offer, but without a packed copywriting portfolio, none of those qualities will come to light. So let’s change that.
How to Create a Copywriting Portfolio?
Showcase Your Best Work
You are trying to get a job, not move further away from it, right? So that means putting in your best work. Ask a friend or someone who understands copywriting to give you a second opinion. In case your work is not recent, consider writing a few new pieces to enrich your copywriting portfolio.
Up to 5 is the lucky number – make sure you don’t exceed that number, for it may be tiring for interviewers to go through 20 articles. Most of them won’t even go through more than the first few. So you want to get it right by being concise. It’s your winning angle. Sometimes less is more, and here you can apply that philosophy.
Show Diversity
Another way how to build a copywriting portfolio is through diversity. This is not rocket science, and you probably thought of it yourself. If you are a blogger blogging about love and relationships, you certainly cannot have all your samples be with the same topic and format (unless you are applying for a gig on the same topic, only different company). Make sure you have a variety of formats like an article, an ebook, a blog post, some press release, white paper, a script, etc.
Also, include more styles: a creative style of writing, a formal style of writing, news broadcasting, and whatnot. The more diverse your copywriting portfolio is, the stronger it will be. You don’t need diversity if you are applying for a niche you already have experience in, so you can send several copies with that particular style and formatting for interviewers to go through, but if you don’t have the experience, you want to be diverse. You want to show interviewers you can do many things.
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Accessibility
Another step in this how to build a copywriting portfolio mess would be choosing a font that’s easy on the eyes. You are aiming for a neat and organized copywriting portfolio, not a curved, in italic, fancy font you feel your eyes will slide at the back of your head just from looking at it. Make sure your copywriting portfolio is also easy to access and include contact information.
Even if your copywriting portfolio is great, if you have no contact information provided, many employers will throw your portfolio in the pile and will never look at it again. So, list your email, your phone number, and some social media profiles like LinkedIn. Very professional. Probably the highlight here would be to make your copywriting portfolio easy to read, easy to consume, and even easier to access. The easier it is to read and access, the easier you’ll make it for people to actually read it.
Include Your Knockout Piece
Have you won some awards, have you written a blog post that exploded and went viral? Why not mention it? If you are just starting out and you don’t have much to brag about, that’s okay. I am sure one of your professors gave you a compliment and noticed something that made you special. Anything your academic professors recognized in you, any potential, showcase it. Hey, it’s a start. Trust me, it can open a lot of doors. You never know what kind of candidate people are looking for.
When going for that how to make a copywriting portfolio hunt, these details matter. If you won some writing contest or if you’ve written your very own novel or short story collection, don’t fail to mention it.
Keep Explanations Short
No one, I repeat, no one would repeat massive, longer than life explanations. I know I wouldn’t. If you want to provide extra info next to your samples, that’s great, but limit yourself to 100 words per explanation. Mention briefly the topic, the tone of voice requested, word count, and the type of article. You don’t need to drag about the why and the how because no one is interested in that. Interviewers ultimately care about your output, about what you can do; they are not interested in hearing your wording choices and the process of writing.
Find Pieces That Say Something About You
Building a copywriting portfolio is not an easy pill to swallow, but it’s an inevitable step. Split that pill into two if it’s easier. You don’t have to do it in one day but do it eventually. An integral part here is finding testimonials, good ratings, referrals…anything that can prove you are worthwhile.
While starting out this may be hard to acquire, but we all start somewhere, so don’t stress out even if you don’t possess that hardcore proof just yet. A referral letter from your professor based on your academic writing or based on some project you finished successfully, it’s pretty great, so get that if you can. Testimonials and ratings will come with the experience.
Update Your Copywriting Portfolio Constantly
Make sure the information provided inside is not outdated or irrelevant. Include fresh contact information, newer articles, and reread your portfolios several times before applying for a job. You want to make sure the content inside is typos-free, so using engines like Grammarly or ProWritingAid would be my strong recommendation. Pay attention to details because the essence is in those little details.
You don’t want to have an article about flip phones when they are a thing of the past. Your content should be newer and the best way to ensure yourself of that is by updating your copywriting portfolios once in 3-5 months. If there is one thing I learned from my ghostwriting career is that you grow with each project you make, so let that be your guidance.
What should a copywriting portfolio include?
Copywriting Portfolio Template
No Experience Can Still Get You a Portfolio
As I’ve mentioned above, we all start somewhere. What you need to do is dig into your previous work experiences or writing assignments from college and incorporate them in your copywriting portfolio. If you don’t have them it is still possible for you to get the job you want.
My personal experience and this was way way back, was that I knew what I wanted but didn’t have enough evidence to show to my potential employers. So, I reached out to my friends and acquaintances who needed some writing and copy for their businesses and did the work completely for FREE.
I understand that some of you out there maybe don’t have friends with businesses, I mean this certainly makes things a bit easier, but there is still something you can do. Reach out to NGOs in your town, region or country. NGOs are more open to accepting volunteer work which creates a good path to your success.
How Do I Write a Copywriting Portfolio
Instead of paying for pre-made templates, create a Google Doc copywriting portfolio. It’s free and you can easily update it at any time. Create some sections like past experiences, education, skills, and contact information. Bold your sections, fill them out and attach a picture of yourself. Below add your blog posts and articles you want to showcase as proof of your writing and then share the link to the folder with whoever you want.
Google Doc doesn’t need any upgrades, it doesn’t have bugs and you can choose who to share with. It’s a cloud, so without hitting a save button, your content is safe and most importantly SAVED.
Copywriting Portfolio Examples
Do Copywriters Make Good Money?
Hell yes! You can make a fair amount of money with copywriting, content writing, ghostwriting, you name it! Writers are in demand, so if you know your way around words, what are you waiting for? Go and get some writing gig ASAP.
There are tons of freelancing websites that update their job offers daily. You can start simple and climb your way up. If a client is satisfied with your services, they may give you a great rating, hire you again, or recommend you to their friends. Bull’s eye, right there, mate. Being a copywriter, you can work from home and save tons of money on commuting and food. You can get regular clients, thus having a regular, full-time job that pays well and has no pressure because you are working from home.
The Key to Your Paradise Island
If you want to become a copywriter, you absolutely can. It all starts with building a smashing copywriting portfolio and applying for writing jobs as often as you blink. You never know where your truth lies. Even if you are not a pro yet, you have to start somewhere.
Dig into your experience, into your education, and come up with a portfolio. It may not be packed just yet, but it will be. Companies are always looking for newbies to get a copy done at a cheaper price, and that’s where you swoop in and climb your way to the top.
But of course, I am not going to leave you hanging. I am going to give you the keys to YOUR paradise island packed with gemstones. I am giving you my Ultimate Swipe File where you can learn from copywriting masters for FREE.
You will learn how to create enticing headlines, captivating content, and promising finish lines. Copywriting pays the bills and more, so don’t miss your chance to get your FREE guide and start the career of your dreams TODAY.
Master copywriting without spending a penny with my free "Ultimate Swipe File." This is a collection of the greatest copywriting over the past century, all curated and assembled into a single file. Click here to get the guide.