Tweet Let's wrap up the portfolio talk of The Ad Grad Project with comments on portfolio placement. On previous posts, you know I'm not a fan of portfolio sites, where hundreds of you throw on your work in hopes of someone stumbling across it. I don't think there's really anything harmful about them. I just strongly believe in building your own site and building your personal brand. It's harder to do in a warehouse of other creatives.

Yes, I know you're a starving artist and those sites are generally free to post. But as I've said in the past, if you've enticed someone to check out your work, why give them reason to look at other books? (Make those candidates work to find their own contacts.)

Now I'm seeing more portfolios on Facebook. They've always been there, but in my opinion, they aren't being used properly. Facebook does not offer the best display format for your work, but it is a place to start conversation. After all, it is the "social network."

• Post a great project, possibly a "work of the week" post.
• Tag your business contacts.
• Get their opinions.
• Create a call to action. Refer them to a real portfolio site that properly showcases your work.
• Refresh the content often and give people reason to return.
• Don't stalk your contacts. If they don't comment or they are just being courteous with their replies, they aren't interested. So don't tag them with every post. You'll still appear on their news feed. Let them return on their own.

To set up your Facebook portfolio:

• Create a new account. You don't want to use the same FB page where you gossip with friends and play Farmville. Keep your portfolio page professional.
• Limit the scrolling. Limit the posts of work. As you saw in The Ad Grad Project, no CD wants an endless stream of "stuff and fluff." In fact, if you have to hit the scroll bar 2-3 times to see your work, think about scaling back.
• Don't offer open access. Again, this is not the buddy page. Extend the invitation to only those who need to see it. (This also gives you the ability to see who is checking you out. It also creates an extra step in "friending" them on your part, so don't make them wait for your response. 
• Only display YOUR work. I told you stories about seeing someone take credit for my work and others on their portfolios. You want to really get called out? Then put those lies on Facebook.
• Don't take all of the credit. Just like the previous point, explain your contribution to the project.

Facebook has made the world a lot closer. There's no reason why it can't bring you closer to the job you want.