How to build a blog writing portfolio that lands you clients

A solid writing portfolio is probably the most important tool you have as a freelance writer. It’s the difference between telling a potential client you’re a good writer and actually showing them.

But building one from scratch can feel daunting, especially if you don't have any published work yet. It’s that classic chicken-and-egg problem: you need writing samples to get work, but you need work to get writing samples. As one writer puts it, clients want to see proof you've been in the game.

Don't worry, we're going to break it all down. This guide will walk you through putting together a blog writing portfolio in a few manageable steps. We’ll cover everything from the essential components to creating your very first samples. We'll even show you how modern tools like the eesel AI blog writer can help you generate high-quality, niche-specific samples in minutes, solving that "no clips" problem for good.

What is a blog writing portfolio?

A blog writing portfolio is a curated collection of your best work. It's meant to show off your skills, style, and expertise to potential clients or employers.

Think of it as much more than a resume. It’s a real, tangible demonstration of your ability to write engaging, well-researched content that people actually want to read. It helps clients get a feel for your tone, see your versatility, and check out your knowledge in a specific niche. It’s your sales pitch and proof of work rolled into one.

In a market that’s getting more crowded by the day, a great portfolio helps you build trust, justify your rates, and define your personal brand. According to Contently, it's essential that your portfolio represents what you'd want a brand to know about your work.

The core components of a standout writing portfolio

To make a killer first impression, every portfolio needs a few key elements, as this visual guide shows.

A professional biography that tells your story

Your bio is the first thing a potential client will read, so make it count. It should quickly introduce you, state your niche, and explain the value you bring.

Here's what to include:

• Your name and professional title: Something clear like "B2B SaaS Content Writer."
• Your primary niche(s): Be specific, for example, "specializing in fintech and cybersecurity."
• A unique selling proposition (USP): What makes you different? Maybe it's "10 years of experience as a software developer" or a background in marketing.
• A touch of personality: Don't be afraid to sound like an actual person. It helps you connect with the reader.

Your best and most relevant writing samples

This is the heart of your portfolio, and the main rule here is quality over quantity. It's much better to have 3-5 excellent, relevant pieces than 20 mediocre ones that are all over the place. As one expert advises, there's no need to include every single writing clip you've ever produced, as it can just overwhelm visitors.

Here’s how to choose your samples:

• Relevance: Tailor your portfolio to the clients you want to work with. If you're aiming for tech companies, showcase your best tech articles. It's that simple.
• Diversity: Show off your range. Include a mix of formats like a long-form blog post, a detailed case study, or a product review to demonstrate your flexibility.
• Performance: If you have any data on how your articles performed, use it. Add a quick note like, "This article ranked #1 on Google for its target keyword and drove a 150% increase in organic traffic."
• A note on ghostwritten content: What if you've written a bunch of stuff but your name isn't on it? You can often still include it. One freelance writer recommends adding a clause to your contract that lets you link to publicly available work unless the client specifically asks you not to.

Clear contact information and a call to action

Don't make potential clients hunt for a way to get in touch. Include your professional email address and a link to your LinkedIn profile right where they can see it.

And finally, end your portfolio with a clear call to action (CTA). Something as simple as, "Ready to create content that drives results? Get in touch at [your email]" works just fine.

How to create compelling samples when you're learning how to build a blog writing portfolio

Okay, so you know what needs to go in your portfolio. But how do you actually create the content, especially if you're starting from zero?

The traditional path: Guest posting and self-publishing

For years, writers have relied on a couple of reliable methods to get their first clips.

Guest Posting

This means writing an article for another website in your niche in exchange for a byline (your name on the article).

• Benefits: It proves that someone else thinks your writing is good enough to publish. It shows you can work with editors and that other people in your industry value what you have to say.
• Drawbacks: It can be a long process, and unpaid guest posting can be risky. One freelancer shared that a site they wrote for went offline, and another changed the byline, completely erasing their work. If you go this route, be strategic and try to target established blogs.

Self-Publishing

This involves publishing articles on platforms like Medium, LinkedIn, or your own personal blog.

• Benefits: You have total control over the topic, style, and tone. You can also go back and edit or improve your samples whenever you want. It's a fast way to get a published link without waiting around for an editor's approval.
  

  If the audience is just prospective clients, I would self-publish samples on similar topics to your own portfolio site, blog, or website. You could publish on something like LinkedIn Pulse or Medium. my first samples were just from my own blog.

  Reddit

* **Considerations:** These methods can be really time-consuming, and some clients might not see a self-published piece as being on the same level as an article published on a respected industry site.

The modern approach: Using eesel AI blog writer to generate publish-ready content

Creating high-quality portfolio samples from scratch takes a lot of time. You have to research, write, edit, find images, and the list goes on.

This is where an AI content platform like the eesel AI blog writer can help. It's designed to create complete, SEO-optimized blog posts that are ready to be used as portfolio pieces, cutting down the work from days to just a few minutes.

Here’s how it works and what makes it a useful tool:

• Context-Aware Research: The platform’s research is context-aware. It automatically pulls relevant data for comparison posts, technical specs for reviews, and real insights for how-to guides.
• Complete, Publish-Ready Posts: You get a fully structured article with headings, an intro, a conclusion, and even an FAQ section.
• Automatic Assets Included: It creates AI-generated images, tables, and infographics. It can even embed relevant YouTube videos and real Reddit quotes to make your samples look media-rich right from the start.
• Human Tone: The output has been refined to sound engaging and readable, helping to avoid a robotic, AI-generated feel.

It's completely free to try, making it a no-risk way for new writers to generate their first professional-grade samples. We used this exact tool at eesel AI to grow our own blog from 700 to 750,000 daily impressions in just three months.

Choosing the best platform for how to build a blog writing portfolio

Once you have your samples, you need a place to show them off. Here's a look at some of the best portfolio options.

Dedicated portfolio platforms

These sites are built specifically for writers and creatives, which makes them super easy to set up.

• Journo Portfolio: A popular choice with 11 different themes designed for portfolios. They offer a free plan that lets you showcase 10 articles on one page. Paid plans start at around $5 per month when billed annually. The Pro plan, at $8 a month, even includes a feature that automatically backs up your articles, which is a lifesaver if a link ever goes dead.
  

  After having a portfolio site through Pressfolios for years, I recently changed to Journo Portfolio. It’s way more customizable and it’s less expensive. So far I’m pretty happy with it.

  Reddit

* **[Clippings.me](https://www.clippings.me/):** Known for its simplicity. The free plan also allows for 10 samples. If you need more, the premium plan is [$9.99 per month](https://sourceforge.net/software/compare/Clippings.me-vs-Journo-Portfolio/) for unlimited articles. It's incredibly easy to use, but the design templates are a bit more basic than some of its competitors. * **Contently:** This is a free portfolio platform that also doubles as a freelance marketplace. When you create a portfolio, you automatically become [eligible for work](https://contently.com/register) with top brands that use Contently to find writers.

A personal website or blog

Using a website builder like Squarespace gives you complete control over your brand, design, and how you present your work.

• Squarespace: This is a powerful option that's surprisingly easy to use. Thanks to a recent update, all Squarespace templates offer the same features, so you can just pick one you like the look of and customize it to your heart's content. You can create a portfolio page, a blog, or a simple list of links. Plans start at $16 per month when billed annually.
• Pros: It looks incredibly professional and can serve as the central hub for your entire writing business.
• Cons: It takes a bit more time to set up, and you'll have a small investment for a domain and hosting.

Publishing platforms

These platforms are perfect for self-publishing your samples, which you can then link to from a more formal portfolio site.

• Medium: A free and easy way to publish articles and show off your expertise. The downside is that you don't own the platform, and you can't customize the design. It's also worth noting that to join its Partner Program and get paid, you now need to have at least 100 followers.
• LinkedIn: Also free, and it comes with a built-in professional audience. Publishing articles directly on LinkedIn is a great way to showcase your skills to potential clients who are already in your network.

For a more detailed walkthrough, watching a video tutorial can be incredibly helpful. The following guide provides a step-by-step visual explanation of how to create a strong portfolio that will catch the eye of potential clients.

This step-by-step tutorial explains how to create a compelling content writing portfolio from scratch.

Build your portfolio and start landing clients

A strong portfolio is your ticket to a successful freelance writing career. At a minimum, it should include a professional bio, your absolute best samples, and clear contact information.

The most important thing to remember is that you don't need years of client work to build an impressive portfolio. You can create amazing samples by guest posting, self-publishing, or using advanced tools to speed up the process.

The biggest hurdle is just getting started. Don't wait for everything to be perfect. Try the eesel AI blog writer for free and create a publish-ready article for your portfolio in under five minutes. You've got this.