If you’re new to copywriting, you’re probably wondering how to build your portfolio before you actually have things to put in it. Well, you’ve come to the right place; today’s article is all about how to do just that. Read on…
Today’s question comes from Elena G., who asks, “I just started writing copy and I want to ramp up quickly. I know I need a portfolio site, but what’s the point of it if I don’t have anything to go in it? Doesn’t that just look bad?”
Having a portfolio site is crucial because it helps “sell” you to prospective employers and clients before they even meet you. The samples in your portfolio prove that you know how to write copy, work with a designer, write to a brand voice, and a dozen other things.
But I understand the confusion with building a portfolio site before you have samples from clients to put in it. That’s where spec ads come in.
Spec ads are ads you create without a company or client paying you to do so. I hate using this work, but they’re like “fake” ads. You create your own creative brief, you find a designer, and you and this designer create ads (or emails or direct mails or any other type of creative) per that brief.
When you create spec ads, they achieve roughly the same ends that real samples do: They prove that you know how to write copy and all of the other things I listed earlier.
Are real samples preferable? Of course. A spec ad for McDonald’s is just not going to carry the same weight as a real ad you wrote for McDonald’s, simply because there’s an added layer of implied legitimacy if they hired you to do the work.
But until you are hired by McDonald’s, you need to put something in your portfolio, and spec ads are the smart solution. You need to label these ads as “spec” in your print and digital portfolios, but that won’t take away from their impact: If they’re good, they’ll work in your favor.
Your turn! What other questions do you have about spec ads? Let us know in the comments below!
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Marcus says
May 3, 2016 at 2:10 amActually there’s a lot of merit in this.
I’m a software developer (with a keen interest in marketing & copywriting). I found having mock projects in my portfolio very helpful early in my career.
It provided a tangible discussion point when discussing the possibilities with prospects. Over time I replaced these with samples from paid projects.
Fast forward a few years, many software developers include open source projects (read: FREE) they have contributed to in their portfolios.
The copywriter’s equivalent could be doing unpaid work for a local charity or community group.
Nicki Krawczyk says
June 1, 2016 at 12:15 pmHi Marcus,
You’re right – doing pro bono work for non-profits can be a great way to add more to a portfolio. I go into a little bit more depth about that here: https://filthyrichwriter.com/copywriting-qa-save-the-world-and-build-your-portfolio/ Non-profit work is definitely challenging though, so people should really aim to have plenty of spec work in their portfolios, too, until they land some paying clients.
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki
copy writer says
June 21, 2016 at 12:58 pmWhat are the rules when it comes to using logos, pictures and actual picots of the real products in your spec ads?
Nicki Krawczyk says
June 22, 2016 at 4:23 pmHi there,
You can go ahead and use them—just make sure that your spec ads are always clearly labeled as such. It’s really only when it’s not clear that spec ads are spec that usage of logos, images, etc. gets into bad territory. Without them being labeled as “spec” that usage would be fraudulent and maybe even illegal. Does that make sense? I don’t mean to scare you at all, though—you’re free to use them, just be sure to make it clear that your spec ads are spec. 🙂
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki
Martin Ceisel says
February 21, 2017 at 4:55 pmHello,
Thank you for this information—precisely what I needed. I’m thinking of adding some spec ads to my Upwork profile, and I’m wondering: how to label these. As in: title, description, etc.
For example, I have a link with a title that points to the spec ad, pulls up more detail about it. What’s the title?
SPEC: Thingamajig Landing Page Copy
Thingamagjic Landing Page Copy (Spec)
Something like that?
Nicki Krawczyk says
June 25, 2017 at 3:20 pmHi Martin,
I’d just keep it simple and straightforward: Thingamajig Landing Page Copy (Spec) would do just fine. As long as you label it as spec, you’re good.
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki
Nina Williams says
July 31, 2017 at 7:58 amGood Morning,
I have two people telling me different things about creating spec ads. One is telling me it is okay to use pictures, logos, etc. from google and other sites. While the other is telling me, I have to take my pictures, or they will think my copy is also stolen. I don’t know what to believe! 🙁
Nicki Krawczyk says
August 4, 2017 at 1:11 pmHi Nina,
That’s a great question. You can use pictures and logos from other sites as long as you clearly mark your ads as “spec.” No one is going to expect you to have a multi-million-dollar budget for your spec ads and, since you’re making it clear that you’re a copywriter and these ads are spec, people will understand that the writing is yours but the images aren’t. Does that make sense?
There’s a bigger issue here, though, that you should be aware of: You shouldn’t be making your spec ads yourself. That is, you shouldn’t be making them alone; you should always work with a designer to create them. Part of what your spec ads demonstrate is that you know how to collaborate with a designer to create ads and, if you create them yourself, they don’t show that. Also, it’s probably like that (like the vast majority of copywriters) your skills lie more in the copy realm than in the design realm. That means that you’re creating ads that don’t look “designed”—they look like they were put together by someone without design training. And when your “best foot forward” is a spec ad that doesn’t look professional, it doesn’t make you look professional either, and may make potential client or designer question your taste level. Here’s a post we put together to explain it a bit more: https://filthyrichwriter.com/copywriting-qa-the-number-one-spec-ad-mistake/
Remember, too, that working with designers helps broaden your professional network and a broader network makes it easier to find work. 🙂
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki