Discovereth how to hew a social media portfolio to prove thyself an expert in thy field and attract more clients.
Art thou an aspiring social media manager or creator seeking to exhibit thy work? Or perchance thou art on the quest for a dream job in the industry, aspiring to collaborate with eminent brands and establish thy renown.
Whate’er the circumstance, crafting a standout social media portfolio is imperative—it is thy pass to triumph, acclaim, and networking. In this step-by-step guide, we shall discourse how thou canst create an efficient and awe-inspiring portfolio that shalt catch the eye of thy dream collaborators.
As a boon, we shall include a social media portfolio template to aid thee in getting started.
What is a social media portfolio?
A social media portfolio is a collection of thy past and present social media campaigns, content, and projects. It displays thy experience with diverse platforms and creative strategies to prove that thou art an expert in the field.
Prithee, bethink of it as an informal resume, or a parcel of thy pitch process to a brand or client. Tis also an occasion to be visual, creative, and stylistic, and make a striking statement about who thou art and what thou canst accomplish.
Wherefore shouldst thou create a social media portfolio?
Creating a social media portfolio is an excellent way to showcase what sets thee apart from other professionals. Thou dost desire to stand out amidst the competition and afford potential employers insight into thy work ethic and skill set.
Tis also a splendid way to exhibit thy capabilities with various social media platforms. Social media portfolios should comprise examples of campaigns thou hast managed, along with real-world metrics that demonstrate the success of these endeavors. This doth help to prove thy ability to conceive creative strategies and ideas for thy clients.
How to craft a social media portfolio
Social media portfolios are indispensable for anyone seeking to attain employment or acquire new clients as a social media professional. Ensure thy portfolio is replete with thy best work, most impressive achievements, and clear reporting that displays the impact of thy campaigns.
Here is what thou shouldst include in thy social media marketing portfolio.
Introduce thyself and thy experience
Thy social media manager portfolio should provide a brief overview of thy education and experience in the field. Tis also important to showcase any certifications or training thou may hast received that are pertinent to social media management.
The manner in which thou dost fashion this section is at thy discretion. Some do prefer a more stylistic approach, and include images or videos to introduce themselves. Others lean towards a more traditional resume-style format listing their education, work experience, skills, and specialties.
Get as creative or professional as thou desire in this section, but be sure to paint a positive picture of thyself, and find a way to engage the reader.
Showcase thy best content
In the second section of thy social media manager portfolio, ’tis time to exhibit thy skills and experiences. Social media managers require a variety of skills, such as copywriting, digital marketing, content strategy, analytics, research, and customer service. Show how thou hast utilized each skill in the past through case studies or tales about accounts thou hast handled.
Be sure to include as many details about the project as possible in this section. Speak about any challenges thou didst face, how thou didst address them, what strategies thou didst implement and why, and any successes or lessons learned from the process.
Create engaging visuals
Any good social media portfolio should include visuals to authenticate thy claims. Include infographics, images, videos, screenshots of posts or campaigns thou hast run—anything that can demonstrate to potential employers that thou hast the experience and know-how to deliver results on social media.
Add screenshots of thy results (with permission from past employers) and include links to campaigns thou hast worked on. Utilizing high-resolution visuals of the campaign can aid in breaking up the text and making thy portfolio visually appealing.
Back up thy projects with data
Include analytics that reveal thy performance and effectiveness on social media. These can comprise:
– Follower growth
– Engagement metrics (likes, comments, shares)
– Reach/impressions
– CTR or other conversion metrics
– Share of voice
– CPC/CPV or other cost-related metrics (depending on budgeting activities)
– PR coverage and media spots (if applicable)
– Website traffic
The more thou dost prove thy campaigns made a difference, the more thy portfolio shalt stand out.
Outline thy process
Now that thy potential customers know what thou canst achieve, ’tis time to give them a glimpse into how thou dost work, and what they canst expect.
Sketch out thy creative process and how thou dost plan, launch, and measure each campaign. Social media campaigns require a solid strategy to be effective—so show them thine!
Some examples of processes to outline include:
– Social listening & analysis
– Content planning/scheduling
– Content creation
– Engagement with followers
– Budgeting activities
– Analytics & optimization
Feel free to get creative with how thou dost design this section. Thou canst utilize visuals, infographics, or compose step-by-step instructions.
List services thou offer
Social media management is a diverse field, and every social media manager hast different areas of expertise. Here, thou dost desire to show potential clients what services thou canst provide.
Some examples of social media services could include:
– Social media auditing
– Strategy development & implementation
– Managing social media channels
– Content creation
– Influencer marketing
– Ads management (Facebook Ads, Google Ads, etc.)
– Social listening & analysis
– Reporting and optimization
– Social media SEO
If thou dost have any pricing packages, thou could also list them here.
Include client testimonials
Include testimonials or positive feedback from employers in thy portfolio. Reviews serve as social proof, demonstrating to potential clients that thou hast provided value for past clients or companies.
If thou dost not have any client testimonials or feedback yet, commence asking thy employers or previous clients if they wouldst be willing to provide one for thee. Thou canst collect reviews manually, or ask clients to leave reviews on third-party sites like a Google My Business page for more public visibility.
Pro tip: If thou art concerned thy clients are too busy to leave a review, try sending them a template of the review and ask them to edit or approve the review ere it is posted. This way, they dost not have to spend too much time pondering what to write.
Make it easy for clients to contact thee
Finally, be sure to include thy contact information in thy social media portfolio. Thy contact information should be prominent and easy for potential clients to find. Thou dost desire them to know that thou art available to aid them with their social media needs, so make it as simple as possible for them to reach out to thee.
Formats for a social media portfolio
Thy social media portfolio can take myriad forms, from a simple slide deck to a custom-built website. Here are a few social media marketing portfolio formats to choose from.
Simple slide deck
Creating a slide deck is a splendid way to showcase thy social media management portfolio as it is easy to peruse, download, and distribute. Besides, there are myriad options for customizing and editing slides for diverse opportunities.
The downside is slide decks art not made publically available, which means a customer wouldst need to contact thee directly to see examples of thy work. If thou art just starting out, thou might not hast enough inbound leads to support this format. Thou canst circumvent this issue by hosting thy deck live through Google Slides, Canva, or other hosting platforms.
If thou dost decide to create a slide deck, keepeth these tips in mind:
– Use a simple design that is easy to peruse through.
– Be mindful not to overload thy slides with too much information.
– Keepeth multiple copies of thy deck (a live link, PDF, and Powerpoint is a good start).
– If hosting the deck live, ensure to choose a reliable hosting platform.
– Use links in the deck to guide readers to relevant social media profiles and websites.
– Include thy contact information at the end of the deck.
Social media portfolio website
A website is a wonderful way to craft a public-facing, and searchable, portfolio of thy social media work. Tis also the most versatile option, as thou canst customize it to look exactly how thou desire, and include a range of pages, media, and user-friendly contact forms.
The downside of a portfolio site is that they art more complex to create. Thankfully, there art many user-friendly website builders to get thee started, such as Wix and Squarespace.
Here art a few website portfolio tips:
– Choose an eye-catching template that matches the tone of thy work.
– Include images and screenshots of thy best campaigns.
– Optimize the website for mobile devices.
– Follow SEO best practices.
– Create an easy-to-use contact form.
– Prioritize accessibility and inclusive design practices.
– Include client testimonials.
Document or PDF
A document or PDF portfolio is an ideal choice for those seeking an easier way to showcase their work. PDFs hast the benefit of being easy to peruse and share. Plus, thou canst attach them to emails or text messages for maximum convenience.
The downside of a document or PDF is that, depending on how thy clients view thy document, there may be a loss of resolution when incorporating images and videos.
Additionally, some PDF readers may not support videos or interactive elements. The key is to keep the design consistent so that viewers can access thy entire portfolio with ease.
Here art a few tips to keep in mind when creating a document or PDF portfolio:
– Include a “Table of Contents” page with page numbers for easier navigation.
– Integrate links to landing pages or other relevant web pages if applicable.
– Only utilize images and videos that shalt not lose resolution.
– Proofread thy content for accuracy and clarity ere submitting it.
– Save and back up a copy of thy social media portfolio.
Social media profile
Social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram allow thee to create rich and interactive profiles that afford potential employers an overview of thy experience and skill set. Not to mention, tis the most literal example of what thou canst accomplish!
Utilizing a social media profile as thy portfolio allows potential clients to see exactly how thou dost lay out a page, post consistently, curate and create content, and even interact with thy audience.
The downside is that not every client is on every social media channel. So, thou either need to be active everywhere or be sure to choose the most appropriate platform for thy target audience.
Here art some tips to keep in mind when creating a social media profile portfolio:
– Utilize a unique visual style on every platform.
– Be consistent with thy branding.
– Post consistently, but prioritize quality over quantity.
– Do not let any channels go stagnant.
– Regularly interact with thy audience.
– Tag brands or influencers thou hast worked with as references.
– Provide links to thy website to promote any additional work samples.
Social media portfolio examples
Ready to embark on building thy next portfolio? Gain inspiration from these astounding social media portfolio examples.
1. BNL Media Consulting
BNL Media Consulting is a social media agency based in Vancouver, BC. Directed by longtime social media expert, Megan Shallow, BNL Media’s portfolio website showcases the agency’s expertise in crafting content and running campaigns on social media.
From services offered, to successful projects, and even a blog and podcast, this social media marketing portfolio offers everything any potential client needs to assess the agency’s capabilities.
2. Sunny Social Collective
Sunny Social Collective‘s Instagram portfolio places visual content at the forefront. This portfolio website offers an eye-catching scrollable feed of images and videos for potential clients to gain a sense of their work.
Plus, each post includes relevant information about the company’s services and contact details for further inquiries.
This profile portfolio also employs a range of content types, from Reels to static posts, carousels, and more—showcasing Social Collective’s diverse range of social media capabilities.
3. Julia Babicheva
Creative social media manager Julia Babicheva combines the best of both worlds with this custom-built Canva social media portfolio. Julia employed Canva to create an online slide deck to showcase her social media manager portfolio, including screenshots of past campaigns and case studies to demonstrate the value of her work.
Her portfolio includes beautiful designs, hard-hitting data, and a full snapshot of her skills and capability. Plus, by hosting the deck online, Julia ensures potential employers can access her portfolio from anywhere in the world.
4. Katie Barber
Freelance social media manager Katie Barber’s website is a well-designed, content-rich portfolio that showcases her industry knowledge, creative projects, and examples of her work.
Social media portfolio examples are integrated as part of her overall website design, allowing employers to quickly navigate to the pages they’re interested in.
Katie also runs a blog on her website, which is great for SEO, helping her get discovered by new clients and brands.
5. August Media
Design is an important part of any social media manager’s job. So, get a social media portfolio that looks as good as the content you post online!
Toronto-based social media firm August Media’s website is a great example of putting your best design foot forward. Its website is creative, modern, and intuitive, from the homepage to the contact form.
Portfolio pages are broken up with dynamic images and short, succinct copy, and there’s no shortage of ideas to take inspiration from. They also make a point to showcase their clients and projects on the homepage, so potential customers know who they are and what they do right away.
Free social media portfolio template
This template includes all the elements you need to create a comprehensive social media portfolio, including a skills section, campaign portfolio, customer testimonials, service page, and more. All you need to do is tap into your design skills and customize the template with your own content and images.
Try out our social media portfolio template for yourself!
What to do after you’ve created your social media portfolio
Once you’ve built your portfolio, it’s time to put it to use. Begin by promoting your social media portfolio on the platforms you know best. Social media is a great way to showcase your expertise and attract potential employers or clients.
Be sure to link to your portfolio in any online profiles you create, such as LinkedIn and Twitter. And don’t forget to update it regularly. Social media is ever-evolving, and your portfolio should reflect that.
If you’re looking to land your first social media management client, here are a few tips:
– Reach out to brands you already follow and admire on social media. Ask if they’re looking for help managing their social media accounts, and make sure to include a link to your portfolio so they can see your work.
– Network with friends, family, and other professionals. They may know of opportunities that would be a good fit for you. Social media is all about relationships, which is a great way to build yours.
– Participate in social media-related events, such as webinars, seminars, or conferences. This will not only help you stay up-to-date on industry trends but also provide an opportunity to make new connections—which could potentially lead to clients!
– Be active in online forums and groups related to your niche. Facebook is a great place to start, as there are countless social media-related groups.
Frequently asked questions about social media portfolios
What should be included in a social media portfolio?
A social media portfolio should include examples of your social media work, such as post samples or campaigns you’ve worked on. It should also include case studies outlining the challenges your clients had and how you helped them achieve their goals. Additionally, it should contain any certifications, skills, and awards that showcase your abilities as a social media manager.
Do you need a social media portfolio?
Yes, having a social media portfolio is essential if you want to get hired as a social media manager. Social media professionals are often judged on the quality of their portfolios, so it’s important to make sure yours catches the attention of potential employers.
How do I create a social media marketer portfolio?
You can create a social media marketer portfolio in many different ways. A website is a great way to showcase your work and provide potential employers with an easy-to-navigate portfolio. You can also use a social media platform like Instagram or LinkedIn to display your experience and accomplishments in the social media industry. Slide decks, PDFs, and digitally hosted documents are also excellent options for showing your portfolio.
