How to Put Together an Online Marketing Portfolio

A marketing portfolio can help you obtain new work.

Online marketing is the practice of marketing products or services on the Internet. A portfolio allows online marketers to display work already completed. According to the Career Services center at the University of Victoria, creating a portfolio helps job seekers identify patterns in previous projects. Presenting these patterns helps an online marketer identify her strengths and provide concrete evidence of her core marketing abilities. When putting together a portfolio, job seekers should aim to display quality over quantity.

Instructions

1. Decide what to include in the portfolio. According to the "Star Tribune," common items include letters of recommendation, writing examples, case studies, certificates and academic curriculum. An online marketer's portfolio should also include previous campaign results, design creative, split test and multivariate test results and a list of marketing technologies he is comfortable using.

2. Organize samples in a way that makes sense. The Freelance Switch website suggests organizing by size of client, size of project and age of work.

3. Decide how to showcase the portfolio. Two common ways include printing and binding it or putting together a basic website. Showcasing a portfolio provides an additional opportunity to display creative and technical skills. Be sure your design, layout and examples support the skills listed in the portfolio. According to "Smashing Magazine," the portfolio should contain only large, high-quality examples of design, creative, testimonials from previous clients and a detailed list of each stage of a project. When putting together an online portfolio, link to live marketing campaigns when possible. If a campaign has already been retired, include screenshots of the creative, as well as a description of the campaign results.

4. Consider the type of work being applied for. A master portfolio will include all quality online marketing examples. However, when applying for specific positions, choose examples based on the type of work being applied. This shows relevant experience.

5. Update the portfolio often. When displaying new campaign results, be sure to have the client's permission. Some results may contain confidential data. However, the portfolio may still display the work that achieved those results.

References

• University of Victoria: Toolkit: Put Together a Career Portfolio
• "Star Tribune"; Creating a Winning Marketing/PR Portfolio; Barbara K. Mednick; May 2003
• Freelance Switch: How to Decide What to Put in Your Portfolio; Brad Fitzgerald
• "Smashing Magazine"; Creating a Successful Online Portfolio; Sean Hodge; March 2008

Resources

• Smart Fuel Marketing: Using a Portfolio: How to Market Your Business by Hand