Create an Effective Digital Marketing Portfolio in 2024

Summary

In this insightful review, Ed, the Chief Marketing Officer at Career Foundry, evaluates digital marketing portfolios, emphasizing the importance of including a portfolio with job applications. He outlines six key components for an ideal portfolio: personal introduction, skills and services, familiar tools, work samples, proof points, and contact information. Ed stresses the need for portfolios to be purposeful, specific, and clear, reflecting on three diverse examples that demonstrate varying approaches to showcasing digital marketing expertise.

Takeaways

• 😀 Ed, the Chief Marketing Officer at Career Foundry, emphasizes the importance of digital marketing portfolios, highlighting that they give candidates a significant advantage.
• 📚 He suggests that an ideal digital marketing portfolio should include six key elements: professional identity, skills and services, tools and systems expertise, work samples, proof points, and contact details.
• 🎯 Ed advocates for a shift in the industry where every digital marketing application is accompanied by a portfolio, similar to how designers and developers submit portfolios.
• 🔍 When reviewing portfolios, Ed looks for three principles: purposefulness, specificity, and clarity, which help determine if the applicant is a good fit for the role and company.
• 🤔 The portfolio should demonstrate the applicant's understanding of the target company and role, whether it's a broad skill set for a small company or a more specific expertise for an established one.
• 📈 Ed stresses the importance of including proof points in a portfolio, such as marketing collateral, client testimonials, or data from successful campaigns, to showcase the impact of the applicant's work.
• 📘 He reviews three different digital marketing portfolios, noting the strengths and areas of improvement for each, such as the clarity of the portfolio's navigation and the depth of the project details provided.
• 💡 Ed appreciates portfolios that include video overviews of projects, as they offer context and depth, helping to understand the applicant's thought process and the results of their work.
• 📊 The inclusion of metrics and results in a portfolio is crucial, as it allows Ed to assess the impact of the applicant's marketing efforts and their understanding of those impacts.
• 🛠️ Portfolios should be intuitive and easy to navigate, with a clear hierarchy that guides the hiring manager to the most important or impressive projects first.
• 💼 Lastly, Ed encourages digital marketers to reflect on their work, as shown in one of the portfolios, demonstrating a willingness to learn and improve, which is highly valued in the industry.

Q & A

What is the primary role of Ed in the video?

Ed is the Chief Marketing Officer at Career Foundry, responsible for reviewing digital marketing portfolios and hiring for various roles including designers, developers, product managers, and marketers.

Why is submitting a portfolio with a job application advantageous for digital marketers?

Submitting a portfolio with a job application gives digital marketers a significant advantage as it allows hiring managers like Ed to review their past work and understand their experience, which is not as common in digital marketing applications compared to other roles like designers or developers.

What are the six key components that Ed suggests should be included in an ideal digital marketing portfolio?

The six key components are: 1) Introduction about who you are, 2) The skills and services you provide, 3) The tools and systems you are familiar with, 4) Samples of your work, 5) Proof points such as testimonials or data from successful campaigns, and 6) Your contact details.

What are the three principles Ed looks for in a portfolio regardless of the profession?

The three principles are: 1) Purposefulness - knowing the kind of company and role they are aiming for, 2) Specificity - being clear about the exact skill set and value provided, and 3) Clarity - ensuring the portfolio is presented in an intuitive and clear way.

What does Ed mean by 'purposeful' in the context of a portfolio?

A 'purposeful' portfolio is one where the applicant knows the type of company and role they are targeting, such as whether they are aiming for a freelance or in-house role, and the size and nature of the company, which influences the content and presentation of the portfolio.

What is the importance of including 'proof points' in a portfolio according to Ed?

Proof points are crucial as they provide tangible evidence of the applicant's work, such as marketing collateral, testimonials from clients, data points from successful campaigns, or a combination of these, which help validate the skills and experiences presented.

Why does Ed recommend including a mix of well-known and lesser-known company logos in a portfolio?

Including a mix of company logos helps to showcase the breadth of the applicant's experience and avoids giving the impression that they only work with large, well-known companies. It can also reassure potential employers that the applicant would be interested in working with their size or type of company.

What does Ed suggest about the hierarchy of projects in a portfolio?

Ed suggests that the most important or most impressive project should be front and center, with other projects ranked in a lower hierarchy. He recommends not featuring more than two or three projects to keep the hiring manager's attention focused.

What is the significance of including a case study in a portfolio, as per Ed's review?

A case study in a portfolio provides a detailed account of a project, demonstrating the applicant's process, approach, and the results achieved. It helps hiring managers understand the applicant's work methodology and the impact of their work.

What feedback does Ed give on the importance of including personal reflections and project reports in a portfolio?

Ed appreciates personal reflections and project reports as they show the applicant's ability to learn from their work, be responsive, and improve. This level of self-awareness and willingness to learn is highly valued in the hiring process.

What advice does Ed offer for those starting out in digital marketing and considering a career in this field?

Ed recommends signing up for a free short course to understand if digital marketing is the right career choice. For those ready to start building their portfolio, he suggests the full Career Foundry digital marketing program, which helps beginners become job-ready and assists in job placement.