As more of the later generations are looking to freelance work as a viable option for the future, creating an impressionable online presence becomes a necessity when looking for projects or even, a career. In 2019, 57 million Americans which is 35% of the US workforce were freelancing. And it’s understandable why so many are turning to freelance work: it offers flexibility and independence from the traditional 9 to 5.
So, grab the attention of potential clients with an attention-grabbing portfolio online – from your website to your social media accounts. Here are a few tools you can use to boost your portfolio for online work.
1. Instasize
With one billion people using Instagram every month, it becomes vital to elevate your profile. Instasize is a free photo and video toolkit meant for Instagram. Social content creators and the like can get creative with posts using Instasize’s collage maker and an array of filters.
Give life to your feed with the app’s variety of borders and background. Instasize also includes a text editor and over 30 fonts to professionalize each post. Instasize is free to download for both iOS and Android but offers a premium version that unlocks exclusive filters, fonts, and editing tools that are updated each month.
2. Behance
For creative professionals, Behance is one of the ideal platforms to showcase your design portfolio. Behance displays all of your works, whether text, audio, video, or image, in your profile as an online gallery along with more than a million creative professionals worldwide hosting their work on the platform.
Behance boasts of 60+ million page views a month so your work can easily be viewed by potential clients. With Adobe’s acquisition of the platform in 2012, Behance has been assimilated into Creative Cloud. Those using Photoshop, Illustrator, and the like can share their designs, as well as their works-in-progress. A personal portfolio website will cost $11 per month on Behance’s ProSite which allows you to make your own website sans the coding.
3. Pinterest
While Pinterest is an online bulletin board meant for photo and image sharing, it can also be a great platform to showcase your own works and link back to your blog or website. According to tech blogger
However, the platform does not support text or audio formats but is best for photos and even videos which will end up as a still image as a ‘pin.’ But because the ‘pins’ are thumbnails, Pinterest still is in favor of those in the visual industry but can cater to other content creators provided they create ‘engaging pins.’
4. Canva
Canva allows anyone to create designs for their online presence from scratch or from the thousands of templates and themes available on its platform. That said, it’s a great tool to use to build your online portfolio, especially if you’re just starting out.
Pre-made templates for various channels are available — from social media posts to websites. It’s all up to you to customize various elements and fill in the details. Canva also offers its own gallery of photos and illustrations you can choose from. While Canva is free to use, it does offer a pro version and in-app purchases.
5. Wix
Wix is a free website editor that you can use to create your own website which you can use as an all-encompassing online profile. With a simple interface that allows users to drag and drop elements, it’s an easy way to build your brand online and even showcase your works or products.
With a professional website that lists your accomplishments and previous projects, you can up your profile and offer your rates as an independent contractor. Wix is not limited to just a website editor, it also offers customizable features such as a blog, an online store, and more, including a nifty SEO plan.
6. WordPress
While considered the most popular website builder, WordPress claims that 37% of the web is built using its platform and that’s easy to believe. Tech blogger, Antoine Bechara says “With its diversity in features and add-ons, it’s no wonder so many have chosen it to create websites and build from there.” As you install add-ons and plug-ins to add more features to your website, the process becomes more complicated but the possibilities almost endless.
As more and more of the younger generation look towards freelancing as a viable career in the future, an online presence may no longer be enough. Especially with increasing competition for positions and projects online, it becomes necessary to have an established online portfolio – whether as a website or a compilation of all the channels you use professionally. Fortunately, there are endless tools for Instagram tools, Facebook, etc that you can use to boost your portfolio online that even a novice can take advantage of.
7. Jarvee
On top of the work that goes into creating content, a lot of effort also goes into managing your social media accounts. Without the correct know-how, you could easily waste hours in a day trying to grow your page with little returns. This is where Jarvee can help you. Jarvee takes the job of an entire social media team and automates all your social accounts. From scheduling, hashtag research, liking and reposting, and even interacting with your followers — Jarvee can do it all without losing the human touch.
The tool also makes it easy to manage your messages, monitor your posts’ performance, and follow valuable users within your niche. With a tool like this in your arsenal, you can focus on enhancing your portfolio and watch your followers and customers grow with minimal effort.
Jarvee can work 24/7 from anywhere in the world, a great growth hack for remote workers.
About the Author
Luke Fitzpatrick has been published in a variety of publications such as Forbes, Tech In Asia, and The Next Web. He is also a guest lecturer at the University of Sydney, lecturing in cross-cultural management and the pre-MBA program.
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