You're excited to get started as a freelancer. You've got some ideas about what you're going to do and you've heard that you need a portfolio website to share with clients. But what sites are the best for your services?
Below you'll find out the different types of portfolio websites you could use to create a portfolio if you're a freelance writer.
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5 Options For Creating a Portfolio Website
Here are some websites where you can have a portfolio outside of Upwork– which you should.
In Upwork, you want to provide samples of your completed work.
On a portfolio website, you want to provide samples as well as customer testimonials and any work you've done outside of Upwork or other sites.
But not all portfolio websites are created equal…
#1: Clippings.me
This is probably the simplest and easiest one to set up.
Once you’ve joined, set up your profile like you have your Upwork or LinkedIn profile, making sure to add in all your personal details and your social media information (you have social media channels right?!)
Make your blurb stand out by applying a little SEO 101 to it. What do I mean by this? Keywords!
Make sure whatever writing track you are heading down is mentioned in this blurb. It’s also a way to showcase your writing!
The portfolio is easy to set up, allowing you to separate work into categories and include publication details.
One of my favorite things about Clippings is that you get a browser bookmarklet, which means that you can capture your published work and add it straight to your portfolio without even logging in!
This site is free, but for just $4.99 per month, you get some added extras such as a custom domain and a listing in their journalist directory — handy if you're looking to expand your journalistic prowess!
#2: Writerfolio
If you're looking for something a little different, a chance to highlight your personality maybe, this site is probably more your style.
For just $4 per month, you get access to their templates and themes as well as unlimited hosting of your samples and any scans you upload, plus your own domain support.
This site is similar in setup to Clippings. Make sure your profile is properly optimized as outlined above.
#3: Contently
This is not necessarily a portfolio website as such, as its primary objective is to match its users with freelance writing jobs.
However, the portfolio side is fantastic and completely free. What more could you ask for, really?
It is probably the simplest to set up, allowing you to list the publications you’ve written for and then searching those publications for your byline. You just have to check off the ones you want to show up.
Think of it as the Pinterest of portfolio sites, as this is how your samples are displayed. It’s very good for a free service.
#4: Writer’s Residence
If you're just starting out and don’t have as many examples to showcase, this site is probably your best bet.
Charges are in sterling pounds, at 5.49 per month. This gets you a simple, clean portfolio website.
You can add as many clippings/samples as you need to, and you do have some customization options as well.
I love that it is very clean and clutter free.
#5: Tumblr
While not necessarily a portfolio site, Tumblr is a great platform for freelance writers.
It’s extremely easy to set up, it's free, and it allows you to quickly publish your samples or new content.
There are themes you can use as well. It’s a good option if you don’t have a blog yet.
You can use it as both your portfolio and your blog, making it a pretty powerful combination for a free site. Plus, your content will be syndicated out to all other Tumblr users if it's good!
Free advertising, that's what I love to see.
Benefits of Having Your Own (hosted) Portfolio Website
So it’s all well and good having a portfolio website as listed above, but what about your own website?
As a freelance writer, shouldn’t you have a website that showcases both your work and your musings, ie a blog?
What platform am I talking about? WordPress of course.
A blog, but not just a blog. WordPress can be hosted on your own domain and it is a great combination of providing you with a platform for both a portfolio plus a blog to showcase how awesome you are.
[Tweet “As a freelance writer, shouldn’t you have a website that showcases both your work and your musings?”]
No matter what type of writer you are, having a blog is key to showcasing your own free writing as well as having a place to house your samples.
You can have a specific, separate portfolio website as listed above as well as a blog.
Simply link your blog to the portfolio site to allow people to access your work, or use WordPress as the whole package.
Here are some great websites that combine both a blog and portfolio:
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- http://yolanderprinzel.com – Simple, clean and easy to navigate. This is a WordPress site.
- http://oscarhalpert.com/ – Eye-catching, with great copy (which is good because he’s a copywriter!) and a good photo.
- http://kristihines.com/ – This is an excellent example of how to highlight the skills that complement your freelance writing. This site is one of my favorites.
- http://www.emilysuess.com/ – This is another excellent example of combining and showcasing your skills.
- http://www.pathow.com/ – Something a little different, but a great example of displaying personality while maintaining professionalism.
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What's your preference, a stand-alone portfolio website or a combination of portfolio and blog in the form of WordPress? Let me know in the comments below!
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