When you think of a portfolio, you might think of an artist or photographer showcasing their work. That said, a social media portfolio can be an excellent tool to show that you are an expert in your field and convince a hiring manager that you are who they need on their team.
But what exactly is a social media portfolio? And how do you build an impressive social media portfolio?
In this article, we will explore what a social media portfolio looks like, what should be included, and how exactly you create one.
What is a social media portfolio?
A social media portfolio showcases your past and present social media campaigns, projects, and relevant content. It can demonstrate that you are an expert in your field by curating and displaying your work in an impactful way.
It’s really valuable to show off how you can manage multiple social media accounts effectively, or create a brand aesthetic.
Think of your social media portfolio as an extension of your resume, demonstrating your creativity and showing evidence of your success. It is concrete proof of what you have said on your application or on your CV.
Why do you need a social media portfolio?
These days, social media posts are becoming more and more competitive. Your resume can state that you are an expert in Instagram marketing, or that you can effectively use tools for communication in your work.
However, if you want to stand out in a crowd of applicants, a standard CV won’t cut it. A social media portfolio is a must.
Free to use image sourced from Unsplash
If you apply for a post, and you are the only applicant with a social media portfolio, it will make you stand out. What’s more, it shows the hiring managers what you are capable of.
On the other hand, if you apply for a job and only provide a CV, when all other applicants have stand-out portfolios, chances are that you won’t get far. Don’t put yourself in that position!
What does a social media portfolio look like?
Now that we’ve covered what a social media portfolio looks like and explored why you need to have one, let’s answer the next question: what does a social media portfolio look like?
Well, social media portfolios can take different forms. Let’s look at some of the most popular formats.
A dedicated social media account
It might seem like an obvious choice, but hosting your portfolio on a social media platform isn’t as simple as it sounds. Simply reposting content you have previously created isn’t enough.
However, there are innovative approaches to consider. You might explore using a virtual photo booth platform to create engaging, interactive content that showcases your creativity and skills. This unique approach can help you stand out from the crowd and demonstrate your ability to adapt to new digital tools and trends.
Having said that, it is definitely an option to create a social media portfolio on your favorite social media platform. Make sure to keep your portfolio account separate from any other personal or work accounts, and curate your posts in a way that showcases what you can offer.
Creating a portfolio in this way can definitely make you stand!
A PDF portfolio
Creating a PDF portfolio is a popular method for showcasing your work. A PDF portfolio is customizable, and you can use visuals and branding to reflect your style.
Use this type of portfolio to show how you can conduct market research using social media, or how you managed a multi-faceted Facebook marketing campaign. What’s more, you can attach a PDF portfolio to emails and even have it available on your phone for easy access. You can also find out how to create a link to a PDF and share your portfolio in a mobile-friendly online form.
Screenshot taken by author from adobe.com
Remember, though, that once you send a PDF file, the recipient has access to that file forever. Make sure that you are really happy with your portfolio before you send it.
You should also bear in mind that unlike a portfolio hosted online, you will need to send a new version when you update it.
A portfolio website
Using a website to host your social media portfolio is a popular choice. A portfolio website is a user-friendly way to display all of the information you want to share and the content you want to showcase in one place.
You can create separate pages for each project, as well as dedicated space for your contact information or even an “about me” section. This makes all of your information easy to navigate and doesn’t overwhelm hiring managers with large documents.
You can easily redesign your website and keep your site up to date with new projects and information without the need to resend updated documents. What’s more, sending a link to your very own website oozes professionalism.
However, this can be a more expensive option, as you will likely need to pay to host your site. It can also be time consuming and more complicated to create a website that looks impressive and not just a standard template that hiring managers have seen a hundred times before.
A slideshow presentation
You can create a slideshow presentation using AI presentation maker of your social media portfolio to send to hiring managers. This is a free and easy-to-use option which can showcase your work well.
This type of portfolio allows you to share everything you want hiring managers to know, and is a way to curate a portfolio of your work in a user-friendly format.
You could even consider using the best AI transcription tools to embed video or spoken content and ensure its accessibility. However, be careful not to overload your slides with information as this is an instant turn-off for hiring managers.
Free to use image sourced from Pixabay
To create a successful social media portfolio using this method, you need to carefully decide which information to include and in which order, and ensure that your slides are visually stimulating and reflect your personal branding.
Key features of a successful social media portfolio
There are some key features you should include to create a successful social media portfolio. Here, we will discuss 4 key features of a successful social media portfolio.
All about you
It is good practice to include a little about yourself. Don’t confuse this with your CV, though; this section doesn’t need to have all of your employment history. You can write a little about what you do and what you’re good at. It should give the reader a taste of what you can offer your clients and your employer.
If you have any specific qualifications, awards or accomplishments, this would be a good section to highlight those. And of course, you should provide contact information and links to your social media profiles.
List your services
You need to include what you can offer your clients. What do you specialize in? For example, you might offer:
- Influencer marketing
- Social media training
- Content creation and content management
- Social media management
- AI tools for social media
- Branding
- Social media strategy planning
- Social media platform audits
Only include services for which you know that you can deliver results. You don’t want to be in a situation where you fail to deliver on a service listed in your portfolio. This will significantly reduce your credibility.
For example, AI technology is rapidly developing, and many businesses are interested in how they can use it to improve efficiency and business outcomes overall. In social media, AI is being used more often for content creation, chatbots, and measuring performance.
Businesses might be interested in how well versed you are in using AI, but remember the point we made about being able to deliver on your claims. If you list that you can offer AI tools for social media, then someone looking for an answer to “what is AI assistant?” might land on your work. So, only include skills that you actually have to avoid getting into awkward situations.
Free to use image sourced from Unsplash
Remember, it’s okay to not be an expert in everything. It is better to offer a smaller list of services that you are expert in, than offer a wide range of services with mediocre results. Find your niche and nourish it, and you are likely to find clients more easily.
Case studies
This is where you can really show off your skills and capabilities. You can showcase your knowledge and back up the claims in your CV. Remember, your social media portfolio shows the visible results that you can offer your clients.
When presenting your case studies as part of your portfolio, you should:
- Introduce each project: briefly explain what the project was about and the key objectives.
- Explain your strategy: what did you do? How did you do it? What was your process? Why did you do it this way?
- Show the evidence: summarize your methods and use screenshots and other graphics to demonstrate your points.
- Present your results: it is essential to present your KPIs and the results that were achieved as a result of your work.
Businesses considering budget constraints such as the cost of SOC 2 audit or paid social media ads will be interested to see how you can get results within set budgets, so you should definitely include those details where relevant.
If you don’t have a large catalog of experience to draw on, you can apply these same principles to your own social media platforms.
For example, did you grow your Instagram following from 0-4000 followers in a matter of months? Did your LinkedIn profile grow by 80% in the space of a year? These are impressive too, and you can still present this information in the same way as a more traditional case study.
Client testimonials
Client testimonials are a fantastic addition to your portfolio. They show potential clients that they can trust you to deliver the results you are offering.
Maybe you helped your client develop strategies for making money with Instagram, and they want to shout about it. This type of endorsement works wonders for your portfolio.
Free to use image sourced from Pixabay
Your client testimonials can be added to your social media portfolio in the form of quotes from previous clients or full reviews. Positive client testimonials can encourage potential clients to choose you over someone else, so definitely don’t miss these out!
Tools for creating a successful social media portfolio
This section will now explore some of the tools that can help you with create a successful portfolio.
Social media platforms
For a social media portfolio, what better tool is there than a social media platform? You can literally showcase your skills and capabilities by curating great social media profiles.
If you are an expert at crafting an impactful Instagram landing page, you can play to your strengths. As we explained earlier, you can create a dedicated profile and use it as your social media portfolio.
Canva
Canva provides thousands of editable templates, including various templates for different social media platforms. Many of these templates are free to use, although there is also a paid-for pro version.
Customizing templates on Canva is fairly straightforward, and you can truly make some of them your own using the host of features available. There are specific templates available for portfolios, which will be particularly useful as you begin to build your social media portfolio.
Adobe Acrobat
If you are creating a PDF portfolio, then Adobe Acrobat will be your best friend. You can use Adobe Acrobat to create PDFs as well as convert other files such as slideshows or word documents.
Carrd
Carrd allows users to create a single-page site and is perfect for creating a professional social media portfolio.
It is user-friendly and showcases your portfolio in an easy-to-view, one-page site. You can use the free or paid tools to create a visually stimulating portfolio that incorporates all of the elements discussed earlier in this article.
Screenshot taken by author from Carrd
Wix
If you want to create a website to host your social media portfolio, then Wix could be the tool you’re looking for. Wix is a free-to-use tool (with ads) that requires no coding and is therefore super easy to navigate.
WordPress
Another great option for creating a website for your social media portfolio is to use WordPress. With their plugins, you can create a free website fairly easily. Customizing the plugins allows you to create a unique site that fits your needs when it comes to creating a successful social media portfolio.
Creating a Social Media Portfolio
When it comes to creating a social media portfolio, there are a lot of things to consider. You need to understand what a social media portfolio includes (and what it doesn’t), and make sure that yours stands out.
Using our tips and suggested tools, you can get to work on creating a social media portfolio that showcases your skills and ensures that potential clients and employers want you on their team.