A lot of freelance consultants either don’t have a portfolio at all (relying on word of mouth) or have a LinkedIn profile stuffed with logos and vague descriptions of what they did. A good portfolio is something in between: specific enough to demonstrate expertise, structured enough to tell a story, and focused enough to attract the right clients.
What a comms portfolio is not
It’s not a complete work history. It’s not a list of every client you’ve ever had. And it’s not a collection of assets (slide decks, campaign images) without context. Assets without explanation don’t tell a potential client whether you can solve their problem.
What to include
Three to five case studies, each covering: the brief or problem, what you did (your specific contribution, not the team’s), the outcome or result, and what you learned. Results don’t have to be quantified if you can’t share metrics — qualitative outcomes (“the campaign landed coverage in three nationals”, “the strategy was adopted board-level”) are fine.
If you’re early in your career and don’t have three standalone projects to write up, consider: work done in-house (with permission), volunteer or pro bono work, or a detailed write-up of a single substantial piece of work.
Format and length
A PDF or a page on your website both work. Keep each case study to one page or screen — the decision to hire you happens in the first 30 seconds of reading. Lead with the outcome, not the process. Most people skim; the headline and one or two supporting sentences are what they actually read.
Confidentiality
If you can’t name the client, anonymise. “A FTSE 250 company” or “a major international NGO” gives enough context without breaching confidence. If in doubt, ask the client for permission — many will say yes, especially if you frame it as a brief mention rather than a full case study.
The portfolio brief template below gives you a structure for writing up each case study, with prompts to help you pull out the right information.