When You Shouldn't Use Your Blog as a Writing Sample

I found a mention on Words on the Page the other day pointing to a post on About.com's freelancing site about whether or not blogs are "legit" writing. Should you call yourself a writer if you blog? Can you be respected as a writer? And can you legitimately show your blog to clients as a published writing sample?

I believe blogs, like any other writing form, show off your writing skill--and that yes, they should be used as a writing sample. They can show clients how you write, how you think, how you organize your work, and how experienced you are with positioning yourself as a market leader. But they're not appropriate for all jobs, and not all blogs are created equally, either. Here are a few examples of when you should avoid using your blog as a writing sample.

When the client is a bit old-school. Some clients are not blog-friendly. I'd suggest that if you're going after an account with a direct mail company or a print publication, they may look down on your blog just because it's a blog. I'm not saying all of these potential clients will--but I am saying that older, more established companies and publications may not be as cutting-edge as you. Give them writing samples that show them work you've done in an area that won't cause them to think twice.

When your blog doesn't do your writing justice. When your client goes to your blog, what will he see--simple, 100-word blog posts that don't say much, or more thoughtful posts that demonstrate your writing skill? Some blogs are run just for Adsense revenue or SEO purposes, and many of these don't have the best content. If you spend only a few minutes writing each blog post, it may not be the best sample of your work.

When the client is looking for a different type of writing. I wouldn't send a client looking for a sales letter to my blog. It's mostly informational and educational, and I have other samples that show my selling skills more clearly. If your client is looking for an educational brochure or website content, by all means send them to your blog--even if it's not the same format, you're demonstrating the same type of writing. But most blogs aren't salesy, so I'd avoid using them as a sample for that type of work.

Your blog can be a great sample of your work for the right client. But not every client is looking for the same thing, and the more you can customize the samples you send, the better chances you have of landing the job. Before you send a link to your blog as a sample, take a second look at what the client's looking for and what type of writing you're showing them.