Earn money online with a portfolio [Easy tips!]

You may not be aware of it, but whether you are looking for a job, are a freelancer, or have your own business — you need a portfolio. Why? Because it is an invaluable way of promotion. Thanks to it, in a professional, original, and, most importantly, credible way, you will promote yourself or your brand, present your experience and completed projects, or indicate why the client should choose you. Find out what a portfolio is and how to make huge profits from it.

Originally, the portfolio meaning was a briefcase or other type of binder in which the works of a specific artist were collected. Over the years, the portfolio concept has evolved, and now it means the presentation of the achievements of a person or company, in the form of samples or finished works.

Today, the portfolio takes many different forms. It is either a folder with collected works or an advanced website with photos and descriptions of completed projects. Despite the difference in shape, the portfolio’s goals remain the same. Its purpose is to best present your skills, achievements, and projects so far. It is to help you get your dream job, a large portion of orders, or new clients!

The times when the portfolio was created only by artists are long gone! Thanks to the Internet, it has become more and more used by entrepreneurs from various industries and freelancers. It is not the end! Nowadays, the portfolio will also allow you to achieve many more goals — regardless of whether you are a freelancer or run your own business.

Trust of recipients

By presenting your experience and completed projects, you build the trust of your recipients towards yourself. Seeing the documented effects of your work, they are more likely to establish cooperation with you. By giving them an insight into your work, you show that you are transparent and confident in what you are doing. The portfolio is like an unspoken loud declaration: I am sure that I will give you the best results of my work

Beating the competition

A portfolio is a popular way of promoting and gaining new audiences… but hardly anyone has it. However, this is your chance! Thanks to having a portfolio and presenting yourself in it as best as possible, you will gain an advantage over the competition. Recipients don’t like to read dry descriptions; they always prefer to see details. And that’s what a portfolio is best for! Present your projects in it, describe how they were created, and show their results. Get a competitive edge by providing your audience with all the answers they need and more.

Strong brand and recognition

A portfolio is an excellent tool for building a solid brand! Having it, you will be able to show your development and reach a larger group of recipients. By placing a link to your portfolio on social media or sending it to interested people, you will gradually and effectively increase your recognition, reaching more and more recipients.

Just having a portfolio is only half the success. Now you need to make sure it is attractive to your audience. But how to do it?

Show professionalism

Building the image of an expert in your niche is another goal of having a portfolio. Don’t expect positive results if you approach this project sloppy and without giving it a lot of attention. If you get serious about creating a portfolio right away, the time and energy put into the entire process will pay off with a vengeance. If you want to show your professionalism, it is necessary to:

• think over the structure of your portfolio,
• place all contact details in a visible and easily accessible place
• show few of your projects
• make it easy to navigate through the portfolio

Show off your way of working

A portfolio is a perfect way to show your unique style of work. So describe the different stages of creating a project. Show that you take every project seriously — without exception. It will be a great idea to use storytelling for this purpose and guide recipients — in turn — through each stage of the work.

The original way is to use photos or notes taken during this entire process. Thanks to this, you will show that you have developed your work rhythm and know exactly how to bring the project from “A” to “B”. An additional advantage is that the potential recipient may have regard to the way you work in advance, thanks to which he will know if you are the right person for him to cooperate with.

Get your audience’s attention

You can afford more in your portfolio, unlike a regular CV. You should give up the mere enumeration of your skills or created projects. Go for something more creative. Add photos, graphics, visuals, videos (if you’ve opted for an online portfolio), or anything else you want. Remember that you should choose how best to communicate what you want to your audience. Therefore, your portfolio must draw attention and be legible and understandable.

The great advantage of the portfolio is its versatility. If a photographer presents photos he has taken as proof of his professional skills, what prevents an entrepreneur from the construction industry from doing the same by showing his renovations? The portfolio can work in any industry. Each company that operates in this economic sector can present its offer and skills in this way.

Just as sellers prepare practical and refined product catalogs to present their offers, service providers should prepare a portfolio that will play the same role. The portfolio awakens customers’ desire to have what you offer. Seeing a service well done, they want exactly the same at home. What’s more, the portfolio is one of the few very objective tools — and at the same time credible — able to show that you can be trusted!