I often think about this golden teaching moment that Jonathan offered me that day, especially when I’m struggling with a writing project and sitting, staring at a blank page. I’ll type and delete, type and delete some more, and before I know it, my work time has passed, and I’m still left with nothing. I’m currently struggling to write one particular piece that I’m sure many of us business owners have had to face– the business “About” page.

Even though no one knows us and our businesses better than we do, writing about ourselves and the brands that we built can still be extremely defeating. How do we tell our stories in a way that resonates with our website visitors and potential customers? Rather than wait the clock out as Jonathan did that day, I’m starting with a simple step and setting out to first find out how to write a great “About” page for a business. Here’s what I’m learning.

What should a great “About” page include?

Essentially, a great “About” page for your business should effectively communicate your brand’s story, values, and mission while also building your credibility within your niche or industry. And of course, be sure to engage your audience. Be sure that your brand’s “About” page has:

Great Storytelling

Share your company’s journey in a compelling manner. Tell how the company was founded, its purpose, and significant challenges that had to be overcome.

Mission and Values

State the business’s mission and its core values. Show what it stands for and what drives decision-making and action.

Authenticity

Be your true self, demonstrating honesty and trust in your messaging. Personality and insight into the culture and people behind the business will bring a human element to the brand.

Visuals

Use appealing design and striking visuals with high quality images and videos that enhance the page’s engagement and overall attractiveness, helping capture your audience’s attention.

Credibility

Don’t forget to show off your achievements, certifications, testimonials, or partnerships to show off your expertise and skill.

Audience

Don’t forget the “About” page isn’t for you, it’s for your audience. Remember to consider their needs and interests and provide information that’s relevant and important to them. Also, be sure to drive emotional responses while also addressing pain points and values.

Call to Action

Encourage your visitors to take the next step and be clear and concise about it, whether it’s checking out some products or services, subscribing to your email list, or contacting the company.

Up to Date Information

Be sure to keep your info and story updated and current. As you gain more achievements, change the business, or add new team members, update your page. This is’ll show professionalism and maintain the effectiveness of the page.

How should an “About” page be structured?

The average website visitor will leave a webpage in a matter of seconds, so you don’t have much prime real estate when it comes to hooking the audience, communicating your brand’s story and values clearly and concisely, and driving action. For maximum effect, structure your “About” page with:

An Introduction

Grab their attention and set the tone. Maybe provide a snapshot of what visitors can expect to learn about your company, but most of all, why they should care and why they should choose you.

Brand Story

Share how the business came to be founded, its inspirations and evolution over time. Highlight key points in your business’s timeline such as achievements and major challenges. Use storytelling techniques such as the Hero’s Journey to drive engagement. Familiar patterns help the audience better understand a story.

Mission and Values

Discuss in clear terms your business’s mission statement, touching on its purpose and problems it seeks to solve. Identify the core values that drive your brand’s decisions and actions., building a community of like-minded people.

Team and Leadership

Introduce key members of your team and provide some brief bios that highlight their expertise, roles, and contributions. This is also a great opportunity to utilize images on your page. Include photos of your team and company in action to provide a level of humanization and connection to your brand.

Credibility

Show off any awards, certifications, partnerships, and testimonials. These endorsements build trust and credibility for your brand.

Vision

Describe the future goals for your business. What plans for growth or innovation do you have in the pipeline? Demonstrate a forward-thinking approach.

Call to Action

Always give your audience directions on what to do next with a clear call to action. Include as many communication methods as possible: phone or email, social media links, etc. Make it easy for visitors to contact you.

Conclusion

Close your “About” page by reinforcing your key messages and invite visitors to explore other sections of your website, follow on social channels or sign up for your email list for updates or promotions.

Now that we have a solid understanding of what makes for a great “About” page and how to structure one, go take a look at your competitors and other brands that you might admire. How do they communicate their brand story and messaging with an “About” page? How can you do it better?

I asked ChatGPT what some common conflicts are for copywriters when it comes to curating their portfolio. The first response it spit out was “some freelancers may believe that including a large volume of work in their portfolio is more important than showcasing high-quality pieces.” And then I spit out my water, laughing.

I couldn’t hold back, acknowledging the irony in my assistant letting me know that a big problem I might have with my portfolio is including too much. In reality, the big problem is that I’m new to the industry and have next to zero works to showcase in a portfolio. I am working on it. I have some, but it’ll be quite some time before my problem becomes including ‘too much’.

Whether you have too much to work with or too little, you should always be evaluating and updating your portfolio.

What can a great copywriting portfolio do for you?

The key to being a successful freelance copywriter is simple: get clients and keep them. One of the most impactful steps you can take to attracting potential clients or employers is by creating an excellent, professional copywriting portfolio that showcases your skills.

Great portfolios can:

• Demonstrate your skills and expertise
• Build credibility and trust
• Differentiate from competitors
• Attract the right clients
• Facilitate client conversations
• Command higher rates
• Generate referrals and repeat business

What do clients want to see in a copywriting portfolio?

One of copywriting’s golden rules is to know your audience like the back of your hand. In the case of a copywriting portfolio, your prospective clients are your audience. To write a great portfolio, we have to understand their pain points, needs, preferences, and what it is that clients look for when evaluating a copywriter.

Prospective clients mostly look for:

• Relevant Experience
• Quality of Writing
• Versatility
• Results and Impact
• Creativity and Originality
• Client Testimonials or Endorsements
• Understanding of Branding and Voice

Be sure to include:

• Example projects that align to the industry and audience or niche that you’re looking to work for (and the clients you’re targeting)
• Quality works that demonstrate command of grammar and language and exhibit the 4 Cs of copywriting: clear, concise, compelling, and conversational
• Evidence of a range of samples to show you can handle various types of work and formats
• Tangible results or achieved goals that show an ability to drive engagement, conversions, and quality feedback.
• Projects that demonstrate creativity and originality; stand out from the competition
• Testimonials or social proof
• Evidence of an understanding of brand identity and voice

How should a copywriting portfolio be structured?

Keeping in mind the pain points and needs of a prospective client, be sure that your portfolio is easy to view and navigate. Use UX design best practices when it comes to the layout. Be sure to include:

Introduction or About Me Section

Start your portfolio with a brief introduction or “About Me” section that provides an overview of who you are as a copywriter. Include your name, professional title, a brief bio highlighting your background, experience, and areas of expertise, and any relevant personal or professional branding elements.

Portfolio Overview

Provide a high-level overview of your portfolio, highlighting the types of copywriting services you offer, industries you specialize in, your style and tone, and key strengths or unique selling points. This section serves as an introduction to your portfolio and sets the stage for what clients can expect to see.

CV

Create a dedicated section within your portfolio specifically for your CV or resume. Include your contact information, professional summary or objective statement, education, work experience, relevant skills, certifications or qualifications, and any additional information that highlights your expertise and qualifications as a copywriter.

Featured Projects or Top Samples

Showcase a selection of your best and most relevant copywriting projects at the beginning of your portfolio. These could be your “featured projects” or “top samples” that represent your strongest work and demonstrate your range, creativity, and effectiveness as a copywriter. Include a diverse mix of projects, such as website copy, blog posts, advertisements, social media content, email campaigns, and more.

Portfolio Sections or Categories

Organize your portfolio into sections or categories based on different types of copywriting projects, industries, or themes. For example, you could have sections for “Website Copywriting,” “Advertising Copy,” “Social Media Content,” “Email Marketing,” “Industry-specific Samples,” or any other relevant categories that align with your expertise and target audience.

Project Details

For each sample in your portfolio, provide additional details and context about the project, including the client or company name, project objectives, your role and responsibilities, challenges or constraints you faced, and any notable results or achievements. This helps clients understand the context behind each piece of copy and demonstrates your ability to deliver results.

Visual Elements

Incorporate visual elements such as images, graphics, or screenshots to enhance your portfolio and provide context for your work, especially for web-based projects. Visuals can help break up the text, make your portfolio more visually appealing, and showcase your ability to work with multimedia elements.

List of Services

Clearly outline the copywriting services you offer, including a comprehensive list of the specific types of projects you specialize in. This may include services such as website copywriting, blog writing, content creation, email marketing, social media content, advertising copy, product descriptions, and more.

Testimonials or Case Studies

Include testimonials or case studies from satisfied clients to provide social proof and validate the effectiveness of your services. Showcase real-world examples of successful projects you’ve completed and the positive impact your copywriting has had on clients’ businesses or organizations.

Call to Action

Include clear calls to action and CTA buttons throughout your portfolio prompting clients to take the next step, such as contacting you for inquiries, scheduling a consultation, or viewing more samples of your work. Provide your contact information, including email address, phone number, and links to your website or professional profiles, to make it easy for clients to get in touch.

Contact

Provide your contact information prominently, including your email address, phone number, and any relevant social media links. Incorporate a user-friendly contact form that allows visitors to send you messages directly from your website, along with information about your availability and typical response time.

Navigation and Accessibility

Ensure that your portfolio is easy to navigate and accessible to clients across different devices and platforms. Use clear headings, subheadings, and navigation links to guide clients through your portfolio, and optimize your portfolio for mobile devices to accommodate clients who may be viewing it on smartphones or tablets.

What should be left out?

Again, don’t forget about knowing your audience. Clients are business owners, too. They don’t have a ton of time to browse portfolio’s all day. Remember to be wise about what you choose to include but also be mindful of what you can leave out.

Avoid including:

• Too many examples, especially pieces that may not be relevant to your niche.
• Items that lack context. When appropriate, explain project objectives and your role, contributions, and challenges faced.
• Outdated work. Be sure to constantly update the portfolio as your work improves or specializes.
• Low quality work. Don’t sacrifice quality for variety. Show your best work.
• Anything that’s overly personal. Clients are hiring someone to represent their brand, not themselves.

How can new copywriters develop a portfolio with no experience?

The classic paradigm I myself am facing. How can I show work in order to get work if I have no previous work? And how do I get work? I have to show previous work. But I have none. I know.

While it can seem daunting to just start without any real projects or objectives, there are some strategies that can at least get us started building out an excellent portfolio.

Speculative Work

Do spec work for fictional clients or scenarios. Focus on the niche or specialty you want to work within, give yourself a fictional client or scenario, and do some spec work. Fake Clients is a useful platform for this exact situation. The site features a function that randomly generates a fictional project. Just find one that works for your niche and clientele.

Volunteer

Do some volunteer work. Reach out to nonprofits, community groups, or small businesses and develop content for them. This is real world experience, and it could lead to a long term client.

Personal Projects

Create your own blogs or websites. These tend to be our more fun projects that we’re passionate about but don’t exactly pay the bills. These kinds of projects tend to demonstrate our best work.

Crafting an excellent portfolio isn’t just a crucial step to establishing yourself as a professional copywriter, it’s a huge leap to develop all the necessary components. But remember, everyone starts somewhere, and Rome wasn’t built in a day. Develop one piece at a time, continually update and improve your work, and before you know it, you’ll have an attractive portfolio and an overflowing inbox.

I’ve wondered, at least once a day but usually more, if I should just go get my old job back. I check Linkedin job boards as I drift into sleep each night… just in case. And I shift focus so often throughout the day that imposter syndrome sets in deeper and deeper as I wonder if I’m doing subpar work. I’m so stressed and overloaded with ideas and projects on a daily basis that I forget or disregard my physical fitness, mental health, and nutrition.

This is the reality as a freelancer. Just this week I went down another of these pits of deep despair, but I remembered once hearing someone say, “people don’t fail; they quit”. And so I soldier on, but to do so, I need to decide where it is exactly that I want to go. As a freelance business owner, no one works above me to keep me on task, to assign me deadlines, or to outline a workflow. I have to do that on my own. So where do I begin? Start with a goal.

What are a Freelancer’s Biggest Goals?

There’s plenty of similarity between being a freelance business owner and working for someone else. However, when you become a freelancer, your goals might be one of the larger transformations. Typical freelancer goals include:

• Financial Stability
• Professional growth
• Work-life Balance
• Client Satisfaction
• Diversification of Income
• Time management
• Brand building
• Networking and community engagement
• Financial planning and savings
• Work satisfaction and fulfillment

How to Approach Goal Setting for a Freelancer

These goals are great, but they all lack a very necessary component: direction. Where do you even begin? How do you get started? I had the same questions myself. I have a list of goals and ideas, things that I want to succeed at. But as each day passes, I feel like I’m making little to no progress on them.

That’s when I set out to answer these questions (and write this post). I researched and read a bit, but here’s what resonated with me: Brian Tracy. Brian Tracy is an author, speaker, and personal development expert, known for his bestselling books and dynamic seminars. While he probably has a vast collection of works, this one YouTube short was all I needed to get going:

Tracy’s goal setting approach includes 7 steps:

1. List 10 goals you hope to achieve in the next 12 months and write them in present tense
2. Identify ONE that would have the most impact on your life TODAY and circle it
3. Set a deadline
4. List what needs to be done to accomplish it
5. Organize the list into a step-by-step checklist
6. Take action on the items
7. Do something everyday that contributes toward accomplishing that goal

Here are the 10 goals I came up with:

• I earn $5000 per month
• I write three successful blogs of my own
• I own a second car for my household
• I have savings to buy my first home
• I have plans in place to move overseas again
• I am married to my partner, Lily
• My business is profitable
• My business auto loan is paid off in full
• I have at least 3 non-Fiverr clients
• I have a new computer

Given that so many of my goals are finance-related, I felt that earning $5000 per month would have the greatest impact on my life today and also help contribute toward achieving many of the other goals.

SMART Goals

Making SMART goals is another strong method to ensure you have well-rounded goal. If you’re not familiar with SMART goals, it’s just a simple acronym for transforming a goal into one that includes full context:

S – Specific: Goals should be specific. Broad, general goals don’t provide much detail that informs you or your partners about how or when a goal is actually achieved.

M – Measurable: Goals also need a way to be measured. Otherwise, we have no method for evaluating our progress or success toward the goal.

A – Achievable: Ensuring that your goal is achievable means that we aren’t overreaching and setting ourselves up for failure. While a goal should be something to work toward, they should not be unreasonably outrageous.

R – Relevant: A relevant goal is one that directly impacts the changes that you wish to see in your life or your project. In other words, a relevant goal is related to your big picture success.

T – Time Bound: Be sure to set deadlines and milestones for your goal. Otherwise, we have no clear timetable to keep us on track to accomplish the goal.

After transforming my goal into a smart goal, I realized a few things. It was likely not attainable, especially by a end of year deadline. I did some math and gave myself some reasonable expectations and revised the goal.

My Goal as a SMART Goal:

I will increase my monthly income to $4000 per month from my freelance copywriting services by averaging 2-3 articles per day for an average of 22 days per month and increasing my prices by an average of $7.50 each month arriving at $75 per article by the end of 2024. This will enable me to begin meeting most of my other goals: owning a second car, savings for a house, plans to move overseas, having a profitable business, paying off an auto loan, and buying a new computer.

My deadline:

The end of 2024

Here’s what I decided needs to be done in order to accomplish it and the order in which I organized the checklist:

• Develop a solid portfolio
• Market my services
• Reach out to more leads
• Develop a faster workflow and templates to streamline my process
• Establish more housework efficiency
• Get more Fiverr gigs
• Professionalize my branding
• Learn a niche
• Add more Fiverr gigs and learn new skills
• Expand to other platforms like Upwork and Linkedin
• Raise my prices

Common Pitfalls

Steps 6 and 7 in Tracy’s goal-setting method involve actually working toward the goals, easier said than done. Look out for these common pitfalls as you get started working.

• Overcommitment: Don’t take on too many projects or set unrealistic deadlines! This can lead to burnout and decrease the quality of work.
• Procrastination: Manage your time well. I recommend using the Pomodoro Technique to keep focused on completing one task at a time.
• Distractions: Stay off the phone! Again, the Pomodoro Technique is extremely useful here with built in breaks to allow time for those things.
• Scope creep: Make sure you’ve established clear boundaries with your projects and clients. More work without fair compensation is a killer.
• Isolation and lack of support: Engage with other freelancers, join professional communities, and seek mentorship! We all need a little support.
• Self-doubt and imposter syndrome: Remember that imposter syndrome can be a benefit if you allow it. Use that as a chip on your shoulder to prove the world wrong about you.
• Client management: Develop strong communication skills, set clear expectations, and establish boundaries with clients to avoid any mishaps and the loss of a revenue stream.
• Failure to adapt: Keep learning and growing! Technology moves quickly. Keep up with it if you plan to be competitive in the freelance market.

Becoming a freelancer is never easy, especially if you’re new to your industry. There are thousands of books, guides, and gurus out there with advice about your craft, but most of them fail to include the one tip that will actually help you define your target. Give yourself a hand by establishing clear, SMART goals and a plan for achieving them.

Francesco Cirillo felt the same way in the late 1980s when he developed a time-management technique to help maintain focus and increase productivity and efficiency on a regular basis, The Pomodoro Technique.

The Pomodoro Technique involves:

• setting a timer, typically to 25 minutes
• choosing one task to work on for the duration of that time, called a ‘pomodoro’, (from the Italian word for tomato, named after Cirillo’s tomato kitchen timer which was used in developing the technique.)
• After the timer expires, take a short break, usually only 5 minutes.
• After the break, you begin another pomodoro, followed by another break.
• Repeat the steps until four pomodoros have been completed, and then take a longer break, maybe 20 to 30 minutes.

That’s the Pomodoro Technique. Sounds useful in theory, but how much actually gets accomplished in just 25 minutes bursts of work? Is it really possible to ever actually finish a project with such short chunks of work time?

Yes, the Pomodoro Technique Works!

According to Bryan Collins of Forbes, “A 25 minute Pomodoro session is long enough to get a little work done but not so long that if feels painful or overwhelming. Unlike trying to work without a break for hours, it’s relatively easy to stack small sessions on top of each other.” Even though the time frame is short, when several Pomodoro sessions add up, a serious amount of work eventually gets accomplished. I’m trying the technique right now, as I write this article. I’ll update in a bit, or after a few more Pomodoro sessions.

But Does it Always Work?

The general technique does come with some caveats. First, not everyone will be as successful with only a 25 minute session. Collins further reports that some may require longer or shorter periods in order to achieve their peak results, so it’s important to adjust accordingly to whatever fits your styles and needs best.

*Update: I can already tell that I’m going to need to work for longer periods as well as break for longer periods; I can sit a bit longer than just 25 minutes to work, and I’d also appreciate a bit of a longer break. I’ll adjust to 30 minutes, 10 minutes for the next cycle.

Cirillo also admits that while one may begin seeing positive results after only a couple of sessions, “true mastery of the technique takes from seven to twenty days of constant use.” So for many of us, we may need to maintain consistent use before we start seeing any real results. Leon Ho of Lifehack.org also writes that the Pomodoro technique may not be suitable for all types of tasks such as anything that requires frequent interruptions or frequent changes and that it has a bit of a disruptive start-stop nature. Ho further states that “according to research, it takes about 23 minutes to get into deep productivity, which also proves that the Pomodoro Technique may be seen as ineffective for some people.” To complicate things even further, other, more formal, research notes that inefficiencies arise when the Pomodoro Technique is adopted among whole teams of people.

No matter what your situation, though, remember that the technique can be adjusted according to your needs and situation. As a test, not only am I currently using the technique to write this blog post, I’ll also be instituting this technique in my own workflow over the coming weeks, so I’ll follow up soon with a review of how it’s going.

What About the Health Benefits?

Apparently, yes, those rumors are also true. The Pomodoro Technique is a healthy practice to get into. Ho, from Lifehack.org, continues writing that working for long periods of time causes the brain to become fatigued, but the Pomodoro Technique “can help you in maintaining a consistent level of focus and productivity throughout the day without becoming overwhelmed or burned out.” He goes on to note how this especially impacts open-ended work such as research and writing which can span several hours or even days. And how do we feel when we accomplish so many tasks rather than procrastinating and cramming into one long work session? Less stressed; you know stress?– the silent killer?

Well, I’m sold. As I said, I’ll be trying it this coming month. I’ll report my findings, but until then, let me know if you’re also giving it a shot and how it’s going in the comments. What adjustments have you made and what kinds of tasks or applications is it best and worst for? Tell us in the comments.

For more information about The Pomodoro Technique and for some apps to help you try it out on your own, check my sources below.

https://francescocirillo.com/about-francesco-cirillo.php

https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryancollinseurope/2020/03/03/the-pomodoro-technique/?sh=55c201003985

https://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/the-pomodoro-technique-is-it-right-for-you.html

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233002436_Turning_Time_From_Enemy_into_an_Ally_using_the_Pomodoro_Technique

https://zapier.com/blog/best-pomodoro-apps/

*Another update: After a full cycle of four pomodoros, I can say I started and finished this article, so that’s something. Hope it’s going well for you all, too.