Build a Client-Winning Copywriting Portfolio In 6 Easy steps

If you build it, they will come.

This little mantra worked out pretty well for Kevin Costner in Field of Dreams. 

He simply built a baseball diamond (or ball field, to most) and sure enough, Shoeless Joe Jackson turned up with his baseball posse to play in Kevin’s fields. Day saved.

The good news is: if it’s copywriting work you’re trying to conjure up (and not dead baseball players), this adage still applies.

You have to give potential clients a reason to be attracted to you. You need to showcase your skills.

You need to build a copywriting portfolio and show them what you’re made of.

But here comes the tricky part… you’ve got bucketloads of raw talent, passion, and determination to make your vision a reality. But you barely have any work to show off and snap up those big-time clients you want. And, frankly, deserve.

It’s the Field of Dreams equivalent of Kevin Costner building his baseball diamond in his backyard. Uninspiring. Boring. Run-of-the-mill.

But you’ll be pleased to know: there are ways to jazz up your portfolio, even when you have zero experience in copywriting.

I’m about to show you how to build a portfolio that’ll convince potential clients your copy will be a home run for their business. 

WHY DO I NEED A COPYWRITING PORTFOLIO?

Imagine a musical theatre company hiring a leading lady without an audition first.

Disaster.

The same goes for your copywriting – clients want to know you’ve got the goods before they take the plunge.

They’ll also want to know: 

• If you have (or can do) the writing style that they want
• If you’ve got experience working with a business similar to theirs
• That you know your stuff (and get results)

BEFORE YOU BEGIN YOUR COPYWRITING PORTFOLIO

Think of your portfolio as the perfect platform to show prospective clients what you’re capable of. 

You’ll need shining, impressive samples of your work for them to sink their teeth into. 

But since you won’t have many samples just yet, here’s the quickfire guide to get yourself started: 

Reach out to people you know.

As with most things in life, it’s who you know.

You’ll likely know at least one person who runs their own business, if not several. So it’s time to get out your little black book of contacts and start schmoozing.

Here’s the thing, and this might sound controversial: you’re going to offer to help them out with your services for free.

And in return, you’ll gain a whole myriad of media – whether it’s a brochure, some web copy, a press release, or social posts – that you can slot straight into your portfolio.

Look at it this way: by doing them a favour, you’re simultaneously building your all-important archive of copywriting samples, giving more potential clients opportunity to see your work and ultimately landing yourself new (paid) business.

(Remember: it’s only for a quid pro quo. You can’t pay your bills with favours! So don’t do this for too long. Just enough to get your foot in the door and onto paid work!)

Rewrite their copy…but better.

How many times have you stumbled across a website, gritted your teeth, and thought ‘this copy is crappy… I could’ve done better than this!’

So, why not prove it?

Perform your copywriting magic on that piece of cringey copy, and turn it into an awesome, attention-grabbing masterpiece.

You don’t even need to ask beforehand – like the Nike logo, just do it.

You never know, they might be so impressed that it leads to more regular work.

YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH PRACTICE. 

There’s no ‘end game’ to copywriting.

Even the most talented, experienced, big-name-and-top-of-their-game copywriters constantly practise to boost their skills. 

And with new technologies and platforms changing the game every day, copywriters need to be ready for anything.

On top of that, copywriting is not only an art form… it’s a discipline. It comes with its own theory, set of rules (albeit made to be broken), tricks, and techniques.

The best thing you can do is learn them.

Enrol on a copywriting course – not only will you learn invaluable skills from incredible, experienced copywriters – you’ll also produce a body of copywriting examples to add to your portfolio and dazzle future clients with your brilliance.

CREATE A Knock-out COPYWRITING PORTFOLIO TO BE PROUD OF.

You’ve schmoozed with your contacts. You’ve rewritten ridiculously poor copy and made it shine.

And you’ve practised again and again until you feel like your copywriting could make Ogilvy himself weep with joy.

So, with new awesome work to put in your portfolio, it’s time to get building. 

Let’s look at the next steps you should take. 

1. PICK A PLATFORM

Imagine you own a company. You open your inbox and see an email from an unknown freelance copywriter on a mission. Maybe this is finally the one you’ve been looking for, you hope to yourself. 

Your heart sinks.

They’ve sent you reams and reams of work. All in a muddle of bullet points, manuscripts, and enthusiasm. Desperation, even.

So. Many. Bullet Points. (Source: Reddit)

Your head already hurts. Not a great start.

Back to reality with a major life lesson: you can’t expect a prospective client to comprehend the power of your website copy from a humble Word doc. 

Instead, they need to witness the final version in all its glory to witness its true impact.

You need a platform to show off your work properly like art in a gallery, making it a joy for your prospective clients to see and read.

There are loads of platforms to choose from to help you do that. Look for ones that:

1. are specifically geared towards writers
2. use a solid copywriting portfolio template
3. offer a free basic package. 

Here are some of our favourites.

• Squarespace

We love Squarespace. It’s got tons of template options – all of professional standard and quality. It’s also released an AI-powered web design system, Squarespace Blueprint AI, to make the building process even easier.

• Copyfolio

It’s got ‘copy’ in the name, so Copyfolio is absolutely geared towards writers. We love it for three main reasons: 

1. It’s quick and easy.
2. It’s got loads of customisable templates to choose from.
3. It’s fully responsive on mobile, so you don’t have to be at your desk to update your work on the go.

• Carbonmade

Carbonmade is all about customisation, making it an ideal platform to build a portfolio that reflects your personality. They offer a free trial to give you plenty of time to try it out, too. 

HubSpot have a blog post that includes a ton of top-notch copywriting portfolio examples, so check it out if you’re looking for more inspiration.

2. WOW READERS WITH A HYPNOTIC HOME PAGE.

Your homepage is the hub of your entire portfolio, and your chance to make a memorable first impression – in a good way!

Here’s what you need to include to showcase your skills to the max:

The headline.

If there’s one thing you remember when it comes to your headline, it’s instant clarity. 

Say exactly what you do. Leave no room for confusion or misinterpretation. 

Remember: your reader is busy, likely looking at hundreds of CVs and portfolios.

Don’t make them work for info, or you’ll lose their attention and they’ll head off and into the open arms of your competitors. 

The intro copy.

We love a hook. 

It’s the chance to really grip your reader’s attention and let your creativity shine. 

But it needs to be punchy. Create intrigue. And give your reader just enough to make them want to know more.

And keep it short – humans have very short attention spans.

The testimonials

Testimonials and reviews are a powerful example of social proof, and a persuasive way to shout to the world about your success stories. 

Always ask your customer for their approval before you share their feedback publicly. And to be on the safe side, make sure it’s agreed in writing, too.

3. THROW IN AN ‘ABOUT ME’ PAGE

An ‘About Me’ page is a really misleading name… because it’s actually not all about you.

Record scratch.

I know. Doesn’t sound right, does it? 

But I’ll let you in on a secret: your client doesn’t care about your backpacking around South-East Asia. And they definitely don’t care about the yoga class you take on a Wednesday. 

They want to know what you can do for them.

So include as much as you can about benefits your work has for them, and the value you can bring them.

Don’t make it super dry, though. After all, it’s meant to showcase your personality to prove to them you’re a creative person, not a corporate drone.

So jazz it up in any way you see fit – maybe a Spotify playlist of your favourite tunes you listen to while you write. (You never know, a fellow Swiftie might see it and decide you’re absolutely the right person for the job!)

4. ENCHANT READERS WITH YOUR WRITING SAMPLES

Now’s it’s time for the pièce de résistance: your writing samples. 

Make sure you include a mix of different formats of writing so you don’t sell yourself short – stick to those that you’re most proud of. It’s a great way to show off your best work and boost your confidence.

You could choose from: 

• Blog posts
• Website copy
• Social media posts
• Ad copy
• Ebooks or whitepapers
• Product descriptions
• Video scripts

Basically, share anything that you would want your clients to see. Remember: quality over quantity.

You should also make sure you include basic info, such as: 

• The name of the client/company
• What the job involved
• Where possible, a key highlight of the job, like a statistic or result. For example: ‘‘62% increase in clicks and shares on social media after rewriting copy”. You’ll be amazed how well this number-crunching goes down with prospective clients.

5. Craft A COMPELLING CALL-TO-ACTION

You’ve swept your clients off their feet. They love your work, and your personality sparkles throughout your portfolio. Bravo! 

Now, you need to make it clear what you want them to do next. 

Again, leave no room for confusion – you don’t want to lose them at the finish line. 

My tip? Try including a persuasive benefit in your CTA, like ‘Get in touch to boost traffic and conversions’.

6. GET BUSY PITCHING

Congratulations, dear writer – you’re ready for the world of pitching. 

First, you’ll need the perfect, persuasive partner-in-crime to boost your chances of success – a compelling, creative cover letter.

The harsh reality is, if your cover letter is rubbish, the likelihood of anyone viewing your portfolio is slim to none. All that hard work would be for naught.

And that’s not what we’re about.

So to create your stonkingly-good cover letter or introductory email, you should: 

• Pique curiosity by creating intrigue
• Keep the copy choppy
• Include some compelling stats
• Create a conversation by asking questions and be jargon-free
• Talk about them, not you. And all the benefits that you’ll bring to their business.

NEED A HELPING HAND?

There you have it. Our top tips to create the best copywriting portfolio in the business.

Follow these guidelines, and you’ll be firmly in the running for the jobs that will kickstart your copywriting career. 

A few parting words of wisdom before you go: keep your rates low (to start with). Don’t overdo it – start small in the beginning, and take your time to collate work that really showcases your talent. Then, when your portfolio gets even bigger and better, you can start to reel in those big-time clients you’ve been dreaming about.

Good luck. And don’t forget to check out our own copywriting portfolio for more inspo while you’re here!

Love you,

Konrad

P.S. Want to learn the art, science and business of copywriting – from a world-renowned agency? Kick-start your freelance copywriting career today with our life-changing online course.