This is a guest post contributed by Sophia Bennett.  Sophia is a skilled chronicler of the world of business and real estate. With a sharp eye for detail and a passion for these subjects, she provides valuable insights and inspiration to her readers through her writing. When she’s not working on her craft, Sophia can be found seeking new experiences and adventures, always on the lookout for the next great story to tell.

If you’re a creative in the freelance world, your portfolio is a foot in the door, your business card, and one of your best marketing tools, all rolled into one.

And in order to succeed in creative spheres like graphic design, photography, and fine art, you need to effectively represent your past and present work. With a strong, visually enticing portfolio, you can give potential clients a window into your style and make it easy for interested collaborators to understand who you are and what you do before making contact.

However, creating a portfolio isn’t as simple as just uploading HD images onto a website. If you really want to stand out, it’s important to follow some best practices.

Below, we’ll walk you through the basics of creating a portfolio that wows your audience.

7 Ways to Elevate Your Creative Portfolio

Differentiation is key for any creator.  The freelance market is booming, which means competition for gigs can sometimes be fierce. Instead of letting that dissuade you from jumping in, consider it a motivating factor to niche down and refine your creative identity. Stand out. Be bolder with your offerings. And get really clear on who you want to serve. Then let your portfolio tell that story.

From adding personal touches to creating a seamless user experience, here are some simple steps you can take to make your portfolio distinctive and impactful.

1. Establish your unique style.

The first and most important point to remember: Don’t mimic other portfolios you admire.

Of course, there will always be vague similarities, since most of us are using online templates these days. But cultivating an original style, palette, and aesthetic is key to highlighting your portfolio as a frontrunner. Maintaining a fairly cohesive style across your portfolio, social profiles, and website also helps tie your whole brand together neatly and make a strong impression. It adds a level of professionalism that ups your odds of being hired.

2. Select your best work.

You must resist the temptation to upload every single image of every single project you’ve ever created. If you don’t love it, don’t load it. While there’s some value in demonstrating your range, the strongest creative portfolios are typically a small sample of an artist’s or creative’s best work, not a chopped salad of everything.

Make it easy for potential clients to understand who you are and what your work is all about by choosing to display only your most successful and accomplished projects. And be sure to choose the ones that you actually enjoyed working on! If you want to magnetize even more aligned opportunities, highlighting the most fun and rewarding projects will help attract more like them.

If you’re not sure which images of your work are the strongest, consider asking a trusted colleague or friend which works they think best represent your style and capabilities.

3. Make it personal by sharing a bit about yourself.

The best portfolios don’t just showcase a creative professional’s work — they also introduce you to the creator. Giving people a window into who you are helps bring your work to life.

This is crucial because no one else has lived your story — it’s completely, 100% unique to you.

This means it’s also your secret weapon. Use it to network, draw potential clients in, and engage with them on a more emotional level. Reserve a small part of your website or PDF portfolio to share a little bit about your background, inspiration, goals, and personality.

Remember: People choose to work with people, not portfolios. So while your work should lead, it’s you who will seal the deal.

4….But don’t share too much.

Oversharing is a no. It’s also important to remember that too much focus on yourself can be just as unhelpful as too little.

Don’t go deep on your childhood, your role models, and where you see yourself in five years — those are the sorts of questions you can answer if asked directly by an interested client. Instead, focus the bulk of your attention on your work and let the rest speak for itself.

5. Focus on great UX and UI.

If your creative portfolio is on a website as opposed to a PDF, you can make it stand out by creating an excellent User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) design.

Nothing sours you on work faster than a hard-to-navigate and slow-to-load portfolio. Clients want to see your work, and they want to see it fast. If necessary, hire a professional designer to build or streamline your portfolio for you. It’s worth it!

6. Update your portfolio regularly.

Constant creative evolution is important.

A good portfolio should be treated as an ongoing project, not just a proposal you send off once and then forget about forever. Just like you, your work is continuously evolving, and your portfolio should reflect that.

Review it every 3-6 months to see if there is anything you can change, update, or improve upon to better match the current you.

7. Promote your portfolio online.

Finally, don’t forget to promote your portfolio and make it easy for people to find online. If clients can’t access your portfolio easily, they’re going to be less likely to get in touch.

Choose your channels based on your niche. If you’re building up your product photography portfolio and want to get more views, LinkedIn is a great place to connect with businesses that might need your services. If you’re a graphic designer focusing on the fashion industry, Instagram can help you to connect with influencers in your niche. Whatever you do, be sure to promote yourself in all the right places.

The Takeaway: Your Portfolio Portrays Your Professionalism

Knowing how to market your work is essential for any creative freelancer.

Your portfolio is how potential clients are introduced to your skills. And putting your best foot forward is the best way to garner consistent, positive attention.

By cultivating a unique style, carefully curating the images you use, focusing on quality UX, and promoting your work in the right places, your portfolio can stand out from the crowd and get you hired.