How can you design a professional portfolio that showcases your creativity?

This reminds me of "You're your first client". Infact, I got a lead who wanted me to write answers on Quora as a service, even before I started offering it as my service. My suggestion for choosing the right platform would always be (esply if you're a beginner): Create content on those platforms that already have a lot of audience. It'd be easier for you to gain attention and connect with like-minded people Eg: IG, LinkedIn, Twitter, Medium & now Threads (haha). Don't get started with directly posting on your website because on the website you must work a lot on SEO to gain traction. However, from above platforms, there is no right or wrong platform as such. Prioritise 1 or 2 that interests you & where your target audience hangs out.

While choosing the right platform, what oftentimes gets overlooked is the audience. Who your audience is, and how your reach would look like with your audience should ideally drive your decision of which platform to choose to build your personal brand.

Before selecting a platform, consider your field, the types of work you do, and your long-term vision. Researching different platforms, evaluating their features, and examples of portfolios hosted on them is important. Look for a platform that resonates with your vision and offers the tools you need to curate a stunning showcase.

Best hack: Know the client requirements & expectations and show them how you helped your past clients win in the same game! Include a diverse range of projects that demonstrate different aspects of your expertise. This will show your versatility & adaptability. Remember, Prioritize quality over quantity: It's better to have a few high-quality pieces than numerous mediocre ones. Choose work that represents the best of what you can offer. Also, keep updating your portfolio as you complete new projects or achieve significant milestones. This ensures that it remains fresh, relevant, and up-to-date. A well-curated portfolio not only showcases your abilities but also tells a story about who you are as a personal brand expert.

Your best work doesn't always have to do that one post/article/work that got the highest likes or reach. It can also be the work that you're proud of, that helped others, helped you gain confidence and made you come out of your comfort zone. Doing this will showcase your: - experience - expertise - creativity - interests - talent - and most importantly, showcases that you're passionate about the work you do to your target audience.

Storytelling isn't just a skill, it is an emotion. And no wonder why everybody connects to that. Therefore, the best way to tailor your portfolio/website is to start with a story. I still remember when I made my first webinar, I started my copy with my story that had the pain point of my target audience that they could relate to. Here are 2 steps of how I tell my story: 1: Share my own story of how I solved the problem I faced. 2: Show proof of the results, with the help of metrics, testimonials, etc. (This is vital as it builds trust) On LinkedIn, you can make the use of: Bio, featured section, experienced section and about section. About section can also be the best place to get started with your story.

Your story is what will build a personal connect with your customers, clients & audience. Tell your journey, and own it. This shows your authenticity as well. Use your bio, experience section, summary to highlight important aspects of your journey and achievements, expertise, challenges etc.

In my experience, one platform that potential collaborators go to to check you out is LinkedIn. So you need to get a water-tight LinkedIn profile. A brand storyteller, for example, should have a compelling bio, featured section, and Experience section. In your featured section, include links to brand stories for businesses, video campaigns, and accolades of your storytelling journey. Moving on to your accomplishments, we shouldn't just see a list of achievements but a visual representation of successful storytelling campaigns. We should see infographics, videos, and pictures depicting successful storytelling campaigns. Another authority booster is to have storytelling guides you authored, providing a taste of your expertise.

Some tips to remember - Highlight both, your best work and best clients. - Share success stories of your content eg a video created by you which went viral or an image which got hundreds of likes - Make your customer the hero of your story - Highlight your USP eg how you humanize a brand

Take time to work on your brand visuals as these will bring your personal brand to life. Working with a graphic designer is an excellent investment and any designer who knows their craft will spend time asking you questions, get to know you and your business will have a variety of ideas to give your portfolio the visual attention it requires. Don't let the visual details slip as they will let down all your personal brand efforts.

I have always had a strong belief that your personal brand doesn't just entail creating content and throwing it out there. Personal brand is also about building your community and that is a "two-way" street. You need to engage with your audience, take feedback, adapt.