If you're an influencer or content creator, you've probably heard by now of Instagram's Creator Portfolio feature. But what is it exactly? And how can you make the most of it?
This post will explain everything you need to know about the feature, including how to set up your portfolio and optimize it for success.
Read on for all the details!
Instagram’s Popularity for Influencer Marketing Instagram has become the mecca site for influencer marketing. 68% of brands name it as their preferred platform for campaigns.
But why does Instagram still lead in brand and creator partnerships when apps like TikTok continue to grow in popularity? Probably because of its highly engaged user base.
Almost all Instagram users follow at least one business account. Instagram has mega marketing potential, and brands have taken notice.
Ironically, what Instagram has in terms of brand marketing success, it lacks in content creator satisfaction. Instagram chief, Adam Mosseri, spoke out about this publicly in his statement, where he admitted that Instagram "lag[s] behind TikTok and YouTube on all the dimensions that are most important to creator satisfaction," including several unrelated to the ability to make money, such as "fun, reach, fair algorithm and care."
Mosseri also said the team is "behind where we need to be" on initiatives to help creators make money on the platform but is "upping our urgency and progress."
So Instagram is in a weird spot. Brands highly favor it over other platforms, but content creators have slowly moved to heavier usage of other apps. To fight this, Instagram has been making changes to keep its user base happy. And so, the feature Creator Portfolio was invented.
Creator Portfolio In October 2022, Instagram released its much-anticipated Creator Portfolio . This portfolio allows influencers to create their own media kit directly on the Instagram platform without ever having to leave.
Through this portfolio, creators can display successful brand partnerships, their analytics, top posts, and more. Anything you would put into your traditional media kit can be included in the Creator Portfolio.
This tool works hand in hand with Creator Marketplace and is helping form a one-stop shop for all things brand deals and marketing.
It's pretty obvious Creator Marketplace and Creator Portfolio are both attempts to incentivize influencers to stay engaged and active on Instagram. We definitely think it's a step in the right direction.
How to make a Creator Portfolio Setting up a Creator Portfolio is pretty straightforward once you have joined the Creator Marketplace .
From the professional dashboard;
1. Under Your tools , click Branded content .
2. From here, select Creator Portfolio .
3. Here, you can choose your cover image, which is the first thing a brand sees when they open your portfolio.
4. Now, you can add sections to showcase your work. You can choose from the following;
Text: To describe your work. Post: Where you can share your posts and Reels. Instagram Profiles: To feature the profiles of brands you have worked with. Insights: To display key metrics about your followers and engagement. 5. Once you have it set up how you would like, tap Save.
6. Press change visibility to ensure your portfolio is available for public view.
Best Practices for Portfolio Performance This feature is still pretty new, so optimization methods haven’t been thoroughly researched yet. But we do have three tips to help you set up your portfolio with your best foot forward.
1. Show Your Best Work - It can be tempting to choose quantity over quality. But don't. Instead, choose your best-performing posts and partnerships. You can do this by including links to brand deals you completed, or you can add a short description of what you achieved in a specific campaign. Make sure the work you upload is niche related and doesn't somehow hurt your reputation in the long run.
2. Quality Images - This should go without saying, but it's so important we're going to mention it anyway. When designing your portfolio, only choose high-quality images that present you as a true professional. Since IG is still an image-driven platform, you want to make sure any visuals included in your portfolio are top-tier.
3. Display Analytics - This portfolio feature lets creators present their Instagram Insights neatly in one place, making it easier than ever for brands to access engagement rate and follower count. Brands love quantitative evidence, so even if you are a micro-influencer starting off, include it.
Conclusion All in all, this new feature is an excellent addition to Instagram. We are sure the Creator Portfolio will evolve in the upcoming months, but as it stands, this feature is a worthwhile investment for influencers to put time into. It's easy to use and makes creating a portfolio quick and simple.
We hope that Instagram continues to update the platform and add more features that make it easier for content creators to showcase their work.
What do you think? Is there anything else you would like to see added? Do you think Instagram is improving its lack of user satisfaction? Let us know!
