Are you a prolific blogger? Do you call yourself a freelance writer, or are in the market for an online writing gig? Creating an online portfolio can help separate yourself from the masses of individuals that call themselves writers, or simply put this skill on their resume. Online writing is a competitive field, with many freelancing writers clamoring for the relatively small pool of jobs. With an online portfolio, the blogger can create a platform that showcases his or her experience, published works and flair for the written word.


Tips for Creating an Online Portfolio

When creating a writing portfolio, it is highly important to convey skill, expertise and a level of professionalism. The following tips can help bloggers develop a portfolio that displays their best qualities:


Pick a Platform
One of the main steps in creating an online portfolio is choosing a content management system. There are a variety of different types of systems, such as WordPress, Blogger and Drupal. However, each system offers its own unique features and benefits, as well as a certain style. An important tip to keep in mind is that the portfolio should use a format that conveys the writer’s professionalism and experience. A well-designed, appealing portfolio will go a long way towards attracting prospective clients towards your work.

Detail Your Experience
Traditionally, writers would collect copies of their articles, whether they appeared in journals, newspapers, or magazines. But unless you’re working exclusively in the realm of print media, it’s likely that you’ve taken your work online. Most bloggers and online writers have their articles published on a wide variety of sites, with dozens to hundreds of links to their name. It’s highly recommended that the writer keep a list of their published works, along with the date, the site, and the topic. By keeping track of published articles, the writer can easily refer back to their work history and quickly call up works as references.

Highlight Your Experience
Oftentimes, when clients are looking for a writer, the first thing they look for is the area of expertise. They want to know whether the writer can understand and write quality content in a certain field or topic. Therefore, it is important to provide details on the topics you are most familiar with.

Showcase Your Best Works
There are several different ways in which writers can showcase their best pieces. Some writers put up links on their online portfolio, while others use PDF or Word attachments. Regardless of the method you choose, keep in mind that prospective clients do not have the time to look through all of your works. Therefore, pick out one or two within each field, and put links on your portfolio. In addition, choose links that are recent and relevant, as it will show the writer’s most up-to-date activity.

Standing out among the sea of writers can be a daunting task, especially with the proliferation of the Internet. However, by creating a portfolio, the writer can show qualifications and expertise that marks him or her from the crowd.