A portfolio is to a copywriter what a showreel is to an actor. An effective copywriting portfolio, much like a showreel, displays your best work to date. Beyond this, you might be wondering what exactly is the role of portfolio building and why is it an important part of your career as a copywriter? 

We will discuss the purpose of a perfect portfolio and the impact successful portfolio building can have on your copywriting career. So, whether you are just starting out in the industry or are looking to move forward and rejuvenate your writing, portfolio building can help steer your copywriting career in the right direction.

Copywriting is indeed an attractive career to get into for new starters, recent graduates, and school leavers. For individuals who can artfully create engaging text that leaps out of the page or screen, copywriting provides a creative outlet for their writing skills. 

What's more is that with a recent surge in remote employment, copywriting lends itself well to this way of working. Therefore, attracting the digital nomad crowd and younger demographics keen on travelling the world and funding their adventures as they go. Who wouldn’t be tempted by that kind of lifestyle?

For new starters, building a portfolio is essential in getting their foot through the door and highlighting their potential. Junior copywriters may want to rack up some volunteer work, guest blogging or submitting pieces for free in return for experience. Volunteer publications can be used to provide content for a new copywriter’s first foray into portfolio building. 

Alternatively, self-publishing pieces on your own professional WordPress site would not only advertise your abilities in writing but also skills in using open-source publishing platforms.

Your first portfolio won’t be the one you use again and again throughout your career. Like a CV it evolves, including new employment, examples of copy, and notable career highlights or certifications. 

Developing a portfolio is as important as building one in the first place. As you progress, you might find that you are channelling your career into a specific direction, and so you can use your portfolio to demonstrate your writing niche. Additionally, past copy that you consider irrelevant or not as impressive now that your writing style has improved, can be swapped out for more recent and relevant examples. 

One portfolio will do the job, right? Well, if you are looking to branch out to other areas of copywriting, it may be worth creating a number of different copywriting portfolios. 

For example, a portfolio showcasing social media content would be more suitable when applying for jobs in this sector, succinctly showing your specific skills in writing copy for socials. Whereas for web copy, try to present examples of work you have done for websites first and foremost. 

Now you know the purpose of portfolio building at different stages in your copywriting career, it’s nearly time to set up or develop your perfect portfolio. However, before you start, what is it that makes a good portfolio?

Here are some of the considerations to bear in mind when building your portfolio, so that you can achieve your copywriting career goals.

Quality over quantity

Avoid making your portfolio an excessively long document. Not only is this tedious for recruiters to peruse through, it also shows lack of restraint, and self-editing. Including everything you have ever written may even harm your job prospects, as it could show that you didn’t really read the job specification and tailor your application and portfolio to this specific role. Additionally a hefty portfolio makes for a chunky file that is not as easy to upload or download as a smaller one.

Presentation

Whilst using your design skills on your portfolio is all well and good, avoid overcomplicating things. It is the writing that needs to steal the show and not how proficient you are at graphic design. That being said, a simple, clear, and well-designed presentation for your portfolio directs the gaze to your work, allowing employers to focus on what’s important.

Background information

Provide context alongside each piece of copy. You may wish to include a summary of the project brief, detailing the purpose of the piece, the target audience, and who commissioned it. 

You could also mention the skills or tools you used when creating the copy, for example, any specialist SEO software such as Surfer SEO or Wordstream Keywords. Including background information can help a potential employer gain a better understanding of a former project you worked on and perhaps how similar pieces could be written for them. 

Testimonials

Hold onto good feedback when you get it as testimonials and recommendations are useful for situations like these. Positive feedback can be added to your portfolio to provide credibility and offer future employers evidence of your copywriting abilities. A testimonials page also rounds off a portfolio well, further reinforcing the quality of your work.

The ability to build an effective portfolio is a skill you can’t afford not to have. As we have mentioned, a copywriting portfolio can kickstart a new career, or add vigour and strengthen an established one. With portfolio building skills in your toolkit you have the power to guide your copywriting career in the direction you want it to take.