Social Media Basics for the Creative: Generating Buzz for your Portfolio
When you are just starting out to work after graduating school, you may have struggles promoting your portfolio to hiring managers of agencies and companies for your creative career. If you have not yet grasped the true power of social media, now is the perfect time to work on and build up your personal brand.
1. Establish your personal brand
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers” (American Marketing Association). What feature do you most relate your work to? What do you associate yourself with most that sets you apart from everyone else? Sometimes, the art that you do defines yourself. Identify the kind of name you’d want to be affiliated with, and be consistent.
2. Create content - and be consistent
If you are just starting out on social media, here are a few social media platforms that you should work on to be workforce-ready:
Facebook
Instagram
Behance
LinkedIn
Your personal website
It is important that your work stays as relevant and consistent as possible throughout all those platforms. It will not give your brand a good image if you were to post everyday for a month and then disappear for 3 months. Inconsistency will only be detrimental to your total likes and shares, as social media algorithms are finicky and tricky.
3. Engage with the creative community
Face it – no one really likes a creative who never makes effort to engage with their audience. Audience here does not only mean fans, but with other creative users who are on the same boat as you. Especially if you are a freelancer just starting to work on your portfolio, engaging with peers in the same area is important. Being in a network helps you get up to date with the trends – and trends are one way to get your work noticed. Engagement in social media means that you need to be active in the community. Start liking, commenting and sharing other artists whom you want to be affiliated with. Repost their artwork as an appreciation of their hard work. Sooner or later, you will get an audience streaming to your profile.
4. Publicize your brand
You now have your own brand and you are constantly posting work and engaging with the creative community. What’s next? Have others talk about you, of course! Do some social media marketing. Just as it is important to be an active listener, it is crucial for others to see your work. Appeal to other social influencers or peers in the creative community, ask if you could collaborate with them. In one way or another, followers from other users will notice your portfolio and come flocking to your profile.
If you are wanting to get on the good side of hiring managers, leveraging your social media presence is a great way to start as a professional creative in your career.
- Kania Putri, ArtBound Initiative Team
Join the ArtBound Initiative Program to receive further one-on-one career coaching from industry advisors. Become part of our global, professional network of creative professionals who will become key players in their own industries and regions. More info at www.artboundinitiative.com.