Can’t find a cheap and easy client? That way, when the client reads your copy, they’ll understand how you got there, and think you’re a clever clogs to boot. During this time, it is important to learn as much as possible about … Copywriters are responsible for marketing a company and its products through compelling copy for websites, blogs and ads. Bin everything else. Okay, it’s showtime. 0000005757 00000 n
every case has a description of my part of work done for each project. “Moose gave me the fundamentals needed to be successful at any agency,” he said. Do not mention Scouts, your two-week work experience at Dorothy Perkins, or your primary school attendance certificates. Employment History: Showcase your employment history and include a list of your daily responsibilities and achievements. Luckily, there are a whole host of online copywriting courses which will help you learn the tricks of the trade, learn the ins and outs of running a copywriting business, and build a winning copywriter portfolio … 0000001481 00000 n
Although it isn’t solely targeted at copywriters, it’s a … It’s tempting to frontload your samples with household brand names and big-ticket jobs. While mixing work and pleasure is often framed as a recipe for disaster, for some freelancers it’s key to professional success and one of the great... Everything moves faster online. A CV isn’t enough. Junior Copywriter at Wunderman Thompson. hope you enjoy it! Think of it as a series of case studies of different writing projects, explaining the client’s brief and your creative solution to it, across a range of media. Copywriting Portfolio www.spadgeuk.com hi@spadgeuk.com 07853 845719 Asking a stranger to part with their money is a tough job, yet I do it daily using nothing but words. Inject some wit, elegance or gravity (as appropriate) into the way you describe yourself and your work. Your portfolio should always, always be tailored to the client or project at hand. He knew his path in the School of Journalism was through strategic communication. portfolio - creative copywriter 1. hello! However, instead of answering questions like ‘Have you done this kind of work before?’ ‘How well do you know the sector?’ ‘Why should we choose you for. You wouldn’t give the same answers in every job interview, would you? He showed this from the start, creating videos for his own YouTube channel while in high school. 285 0 obj
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Since the start of the pandemic, two questions have crossed most people’s minds; ‘When will we be able to go back to normal?’ and ‘What will happen... be tailored to the client or project at hand. Nobody wants to wade through a mass of material looking for the diamond in the rough. It was a natural fit from the start. It’s a collection of samples of your writing work. I call this my ‘spiel’: a short, punchy sales pitch near the front of the portfolio. 0000003057 00000 n
This also marked the fulfillment of a personal goal of Brown’s, which was to work (and be successful) in a big city market. project?’ ‘How do you tackle a tricky brief?’ your portfolio does the talking instead. 0000004653 00000 n
Look up small local businesses with terrible copy (that’s most small local businesses) and offer your services. DMCA and other copyright information. If you are willing to pay a small fee and you would like more control over your portfolio’s design, Squarespace is an easy-to-use offering. What makes you and your mix of experience different to other writers and perfect for this project/client? But remember: the client wants to see work that demonstrates that you would be a good fit for them and. If the client is a small business owner looking for a strapline, that 100-page annual report you wrote for a multinational beverage giant might not convince them you’re the right person for the job. The perfect portfolio tells people what they need to know — and nothing else. 0000000716 00000 n
Your portfolio is not a CV. You’ve introduced yourself and showed flashes of your percipient wit and august lyrical range. Okay, it’s showtime. He credits “Moose” with getting his foot in the door in the professional advertising industry. project. I call this my ‘spiel’: a short, punchy sales pitch near the front of the portfolio. That’s why it’s useful to frame each sample as a case study. Whether sent speculatively out into the ether or in response to a tender, your portfolio will make or break any pitch. Who we are: At Wunderman Thompson we exist to inspire growth for ambitious brands. 0000001301 00000 n
University coursework is completely irrelevant to copywriting—sorry. Whatever you do, do not indiscriminately send the same portfolio to every creative director, marketing manager, and commissioning editor. “I was always interested in brands and marketing because it allowed me to express my thoughts in a lot of different, original ways,” he said. Can’t find a cheap and easy client? Ben Wise: Copywriter. h�b```b``f`a``�� ̀ �l@����AI�������� ��'%�ɱ
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CV�̧��W\MV$. First off: the basics. Just make it up. Remember: brevity is the soul of it, so don’t waffle. ‘Writers often overlook the design of their portfolio,’ he said. 2. Although his rise in the advertising world may seem like it was easy, Brown is quick to point out that it has only been through a lot of hard work, and his journalism foundation, that he has gotten to where he is today. Austin, Texas, United States. A portfolio is a highlights reel, not an autobiography. Bin everything else. And the world of copywriting can be a complex and murky one if you haven’t a clue where to start. Nobody wants to read your dissertation. 0000006885 00000 n
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Rediscovered the 'pimms in the park' phenomenon and its inspiring abilities to facilitate creative thinking. If the client is a small business owner looking for a strapline, that 100-page annual report you wrote for a multinational beverage giant might not convince them you’re the right person for the job. Copywriters live or die by their portfolio. 0000002053 00000 n
It’s tempting to frontload your samples with household brand names and big-ticket jobs. That creative streak has continued to today at his job as a copywriter at one of the most prestigious … Continued He showed this from the start, creating videos for his own YouTube channel while in high school. Tell the client what to do next: hire you. Don’t just toot your own horn, let blissfully happy past clients and employers do it for you—but keep it relevant. Here’s mine. Coronavirus Updates: For Mizzou’s latest information on COVID-19, visit, McDougall Center for Photojournalism Studies, Jonathan B. Murray Center for Documentary Journalism, Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI), National Association of Black Journalists, equal opportunity/access/affirmative action/pro-disabled and veteran employer. ‘But if a designer reviews your portfolio, they’ll reward an attention to detail, because it tells them: “this is a writer who cares about the small things”, like the designers who you’ll be working with do.’. All rights reserved. Education/ Certifications/ Coursework/ Training: That’s what your portfolio has to show. 0000022849 00000 n
Ben’s old Portfolio: Google Folder He includes everything that potential clients would like to see, just not in a way that is easy for them to navigate. You wouldn’t give the same answers in every job interview, would you? Step 4: … 0000001628 00000 n
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There are, however, some canonical types of work any copywriter worth their salt should be able to demonstrate, skills like tone of voice development, strapline & positioning copy, emails and direct marketing, adverts, web copy, the basics of SEO, and content writing. Your Mum probably didn’t even read it. “I was very determined to succeed, but I also had the attitude of ‘If I want to get results, I have to put in the work,'” he said. Fuelled solely through caffeine and a selfless desire to attain world peace through better communication, I am a huge believer that the pen is mightier than the sword. Always ambitious, Brown quickly moved through the introductory classes within the J-School and honed in on his passion of copywriting. Look up small local businesses with terrible copy (that’s most small local businesses) and offer your services. “Mark saw that I had some ability, but most of all he saw my creative side, and showed me how copywriting would help me express that,” he said. In fact, you can think of the portfolio as a kind of job interview. From there, he took a position with RPM Advertising in Chicago, which gave him more exposure to big name brands. Here are seven of the best copywriter portfolio websites to consider: 1. 0000002679 00000 n
You’ve introduced yourself and showed flashes of your percipient wit and august lyrical range. check out my best cases so far. 1 – 3 sentences giving a broad overview of your background, years of experience as a Copywriter and the industries you have worked in. Chicago, Ill. (March 10, 2020) — Ryan Brown, BJ ’13, is a creative through and through. Don’t just list clients and paste in the copy you wrote for them. Don’t have any copywriting experience? Their role is both to inform and engage the company’s target audience through clear writing. 0000020169 00000 n
However, instead of answering questions like ‘Have you done this kind of work before?’ ‘How well do you know the sector?’ ‘Why should we choose you for this project?’ ‘How do you tackle a tricky brief?’ your portfolio does the talking instead. Brown’s teacher was impressed by his natural writing ability and nominated Brown to attend the annual summer Missouri University Journalism Workshop for high school students. 0000002565 00000 n
While at the workshop, he met strategic communication professor Mark Swanson who introduced him to the world of copywriting. Copywriter Stephen Marsh told me: ‘The perfect portfolio tells people what they need to know — and nothing else. Now Ben can share this one page and clients can easily find examples of … Nobody wants to wade through a mass of material looking for the diamond in the rough. Copywriter Interview Questions. Copyright © 2020 — Curators of the University of Missouri. “I knew that if I was going to be successful in this business, I had to go out and make a name for myself and show people what I was capable of.”. Once you’ve gained copywriting experience and talented designers have made your dumb words look genius, you can stop sending links to URLs and create your own copywriting portfolio instead. Squarespace. Again, use the power of Google to see amazing copywriting portfolio examples. Get some. “News writing felt too strict to me, and didn’t allow for enough freedom of expression.”. If you’re pitching for a branding or advertising copywriting gig, at least one designer or art director will assess your portfolio—so it needs to look shit hot. I spoke to a designer who regularly reviews copywriters’ portfolios and works closely with writers in the studio. Ben’s Google Docs Portfolio: Ben’s Copywriting Portfolio. You don’t have to sweat over kerning and rivers, but get the basics right: a decent typeface (nothing says ‘lack of imagination’ like Calibri), sensible typographical hierarchy, high-res images, breathing room at the margins, that kind of stuff. Clients are just as interested in your creative thinking as your final copy. Your ingenious link between Protestant individualism and soliloquy in early modern drama may have earned you a pat on the head from your tutors, but it does not prove you can come up with a killer strapline. Get some. It may seem obvious, but the way you narrate your portfolio is crucial. The triggering moment that led Brown on his life path was one simple trip set up by his English teacher at Metro High School in St. Louis. So keep it lean and, if you’re sending it to someone directly, pluck the most relevant pieces of work.’. By Jerry Duggan Chicago, Ill. (March 10, 2020) — Ryan Brown, BJ ’13, is a creative through and through. Titles may include assistant media planner, assistant account executive or junior copywriter. Then reveal your solution: ‘borrow from architectural and design vernaculars’, ‘personify the product’, ‘use elevated, Latinate language’—whatever. trailer
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For example, if you’re pitching to the copy chief of an advertising agency, include a testimonial from someone with the same job title or who works at a similar company. So keep it lean and, if you’re sending it to someone directly, pluck the most relevant pieces of work.’. That creative streak has continued to today at his job as a copywriter at one of the most prestigious advertising agencies in the world, Leo Burnett in Chicago. The portfolio is where you sell your copywriting talents and showcase written work that’s directly relevant to the client and their project. Your ideal candidates should have experience creating online content for various channels. Every sentence is a chance to show off your writing ability. Advertising degrees qualify graduates for entry-level positions in advertising or a related field. 0000002791 00000 n
Your pitch. Here’s what you should include. But remember: the client wants to see work that demonstrates that you would be a good fit for them and this project. Don’t have any copywriting experience? A gushing testimonial about the tenacity and drive with which you completed your morning paper round just won’t do. His experience at MUJW led Brown to enroll in Mizzou in the fall of 2009. 0000005194 00000 n
He developed a portfolio early on in his junior year and kept adding to it to show the breadth and depth of his skillset and creative ideas. 0000006322 00000 n
Make sure you show your working out. Now it’s time for your work to shine. Testimonials should always come from big, relevant, decision-making fish: Creative Directors, Senior Marketing Managers, Editors-in-Chief. Upon graduation, Brown was hired as a junior copywriter for Moosylviania in St. Louis. Along with his coursework in strategic communication, Brown immersed himself in a number of extracurricular activities including the campus chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) and coaching a club basketball team. %PDF-1.4
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Now it’s time for your work to shine. 0000003579 00000 n
While at RPM, Brown worked on the side as a freelance writer for Blavity, a culturally-forward magazine focused on black entertainment and culture. 0000007956 00000 n
“I’m still a journalist at heart, honestly, but there’s more than one way to be a journalist,” he said. “I like telling stories for brands, through big ideas. Whatever you do, do not indiscriminately send the same portfolio to every creative director, marketing manager, and commissioning editor. His stint at RPM took him to Leo Burnett, where he’s been since June 2018. Keep it relevant but demonstrate versatility: no-one hires a one-trick pony. Before we get onto what a good copywriting portfolio looks like, however, it’s important to know what. You don’t need years of experience to build a copywriting portfolio -- I personally used all 10 of these ideas to create portfolio samples in less than half an hour each. All good copy ends with a CTA (a call to action), so your portfolio should conclude with a final flourish of wit to win hearts and minds—and your contact info so they can get in touch to seal the deal. No-one cares what you do in your free time, so don’t mention your hobbies. The portfolio is where you sell your copywriting talents and showcase written work that’s directly relevant to the client and their project. Junior Copywriter Worked on a diverse selection of briefs from Virgin Active and HP Sauce to Lion Chocolate and Walker's crisps, under the creative guidance of ECD Kate Stanners. Even if you’ve got experience with respected agencies and household-name brands, the only thing that matters to the client is cold, hard evidence of what you’ve written and how that makes you the perfect fit for them and their project. He was also part of a hip hop group called “Souls of Liberty” that played around campus and the larger Columbia community. i am tatiana, a creative copywriter looking for a new greater job. Those commissioning copy don’t care which fancy university you went to. I had always wanted to express myself creatively, but didn’t know how to turn that into a career – and MU helped me scratch that itch.”. Before we get onto what a good copywriting portfolio looks like, however, it’s important to know what not to include. An equal opportunity/access/affirmative action/pro-disabled and veteran employer. So, instead of relating how you were ‘tasked with developing product copy for a range of high-end washroom fittings’, say the brief was ‘to make taps, sinks, and hand dryers sexy’. Write a fictional copy brief for a real or imaginary brand and show how you’d respond. Explain the client’s brief in a snappy way. “My experience there showed me the ins and outs of being a copywriter.”. #10 takes only 5 MINUTES -- and doesn't even require you to write anything! In fact, you can think of the portfolio as a kind of job interview. And offer your services portfolio should always, always be tailored to the client their! Copywriter looking for the diamond in the park ' phenomenon and its inspiring abilities to facilitate creative thinking as final... 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