Getting Started

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dawnpb52
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Joined: March 23rd, 2020, 12:00 am

Getting Started

Post by dawnpb52 »

Hi everyone! I’m extremely new to all of this, but I love writing. I’m currently working on a blog, which was recommended by my academic advisor. I’m taking classes at Berkeley. My question is, what is the best way to get started in building a portfolio, or website, to have something to submit for examples of writing work? My goal is to be a freelance writer (self employed) with my own client base. Thanks! 🙂
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SARubin
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Re: Getting Started

Post by SARubin »

Hi Dawn,

I agree with your academic advisor. A blog or website that you own and control is a great thing to have. (If you don’t already have one, a WordPress site is about the easiest platform to get started with).

I see a lot of people who only have a portfolio on someone else’s platform (freelance sites, and/or directory sites) and that’s OK for them, right up until that other platform changes their rules, or shuts down altogether. And then those portfolios, and all that time spent sending potential clients to them, disappears in a puff of smoke.

Using someone else’s platform that already has a lot of traffic coming to it, is a fine idea. But also having your own website is essential in my book.


As far as starting your portfolio…

Have you determined what type of writing you’re moving towards? Are you more interested in content writing, or sales copy?


Copywriting (marketing copy) is not really the same thing as Academic writing (content writing, blog posts, articles, etc.)

There are similarities and crossover between the two, and you can certainly excel at both, but for the most part, at the beginning you’ll likely be finding different types of clients for each style.


If you’re going for the content writing market, then start writing content.

Find a couple niches that are interesting to you. Study some of the more popular websites and study the articles and posts for their style and formatting.

And then start writing you own blog posts, essays and articles about that niche.

Write as if one of those top websites has commissioned you to write for them, and they are going to publish it. (in other words… don’t half ass it. You will learn to write with the same discipline as you train. So write like you mean it.)

These samples will become part of your portfolio.

Then you can display your portfolio samples on your own blog or website, a social network, or somewhere your target audience hangs out…?)

These samples will be the beginning of your “experience”. And if you want to sound a bit more professional you can refer to them as “spec” assignments (which, if we spin it right… basically means you wrote it for someone, but it never got used)

If you’re feeling real ambitious you can even contact some of those influential sites and ask if you can offer them a guest post.

If they ask for samples of your writing you can direct them to your portfolio which will contain the kind of writing they approve of (because you styled it after the same stuff they already use)…

You may not get a “yes” right away, and you may not get paid for your guest posts, but you’ll be getting yourself known. And you’ll be establishing your personal brand, which will become one of your most valuable assets one day.


If you’re going after the sales copy market, the process could be similar, but it will take a few different tactics to get your foot in the door. It’s a tougher market to crack, but it can be more lucrative.

I could lay down some basic tactics for you. But true to form, it looks like I’m beginning to ramble on a bit. So I’ll have to save that for another day, and I’ll try to wrap up this reply.

If you’re moving more towards sales copy, find some good performing copy and re-write it keeping the same structure but changing some of the words into your own writing voice.

This can also give you some “spec” samples for your portfolio. They probably won’t be great at first, but hey, we all gotta start somewhere.


And of course, the best experience you can get in writing sales copy is to actually find something to sell (either your own product, or someone else’s affiliate product). This will give you true first hand experience in finding the right message to market match. Because the market won’t hesitate to let you know if your copy skills are any good.

If it sells… then it’s good…

If it doesn’t sell… then it’s the wrong message, the wrong audience, or the wrong timing (or any combination of the three)


Anyway, Dawn – I hope with all my rambling here, you find some wisdom you can use?

If you have any other specific questions, don’t hesitate to ask…

All the best,
Steve
A good marketer knows how to think like a marketer - A great marketer learns how to think like the customer...
SARubin - Direct Response Copywriter / Conversion Flow Expert
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dawnpb52
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Re: Getting Started

Post by dawnpb52 »

Hi Steve,

Your reply was very informative, not rambling at all 🙂 Thank you so much for the guidance & insight!

Dawn
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