What's in Your Portfolio?

Had a couple new writers asking me some things about how to best present themselves to potential new clients. In these cases, much like in the past, I tend to say the same thing: Work begets work. You need SAMPLES!

So how do you get samples if there is no one knocking at the door?
Simple answer: you start knocking yourself.

I tend not to wait for clients to come to me - I find people whose work or ideas I respect, and I find ways I can make myself attractive to them. I am pitching me, but it is not about me - it is about what I can do for them.

Because I have been doing this freelance seo writing thing for so long, I can usually convince clients (or leads) in a quick conversation that I do know what I am talking about, and that I have done this before. But a new writer doesn't have this luxury - they really do have to earn it in the boardroom every time they enter.

So one way to do this well, is by carefully selecting samples of work that represent what the client is trying to achieve. If you are pitching to do a sales letter, you want to show something similar. Bringing in an ad you worked on is maybe OK for showing off your tone or ability to be concise or something - but it is a different medium, a different approach entirely than a long-form sales letter.

Blending the two ideas then, pick someone you'd like to work for, and create a piece of work that is an example of the type of work you'd like to be doing. If your power is blog posts, write a few for a blog you admire, and see if you can get them published as a guest post. If you are all about ad copy, create a few mock-ups, and show how you would spin a campaign.  Even if the client you target is not interested, you may create a workable piece of collateral that can be "reconditioned" somewhere else and still put to good use.

Ultimately, go back to this simple mantra: Work begets work.
If you want to work as a freelance seo writer and are brand new and don't know where to begin, just start writing and don't stop. Everything else will usually follow accordingly.