Why is creating an online presence within the animation industry important?

Within the creative industries establishing an online presence is essential for everyone regardless of what field of the creative industry they work in. There is a lot of competition for work and so how you present yourself online and showcase your work and portfolio publicly is very important to how potential employers find you, as well as the ability to network with other people and companies within the animation industry.

Establishing an online presence can be done on various social media platforms such as twitter (now referred to as “X”), Instagram and Artstation, however, one of the more formal platforms to use is LinkedIn.

 

What is LinkedIn and why is it commonly used within the creative industries?

As it describes on the LinkedIn website itself:

“LinkedIn is the world's largest professional network on the internet. You can use LinkedIn to find the right job or internship, connect and strengthen professional relationships, and learn the skills you need to succeed in your career. You can access LinkedIn from a desktop, LinkedIn mobile app, or mobile web experience.” 

With over 774 million active users and 55 million company profiles on the site creating your own profile opens many opportunities to establish a network with many people within the same field of work as you. With these networks available you can also build connections with potential co-workers and companies.

 

Creating an online presence on other social media:

However, creating other social media accounts is still beneficial. By uploading your work on platforms such as Twitter (“X”) and Instagram you can reach a large audience of different people. The people who come across your work will often be casual viewers but there is still potential for other people within the creative industry to see your work, which can then lead to building connections and creating an online network related to your field of work. 

On social media there are many ways to advertise yourself and your work, by regularly uploading and showcasing your work whenever possible you can attract an audience of people that show interest in your work, big or small. It is also crucial to update your portfolio with your best work and make it easily accessible to clients or companies looking to hire people.

Showcasing your work and portfolio:

To make your portfolio accessible I would recommend creating your own website and including a link to it on your social media profiles, as well as including your contact details so that potential clients can find a way to contact you. You do not have to use your personal email address in case privacy is something you are concerned about, instead you can create a work email address for companies and clients to contact you with, you should also display these contact details on your social media profiles as well to make it easier for people to get in contact with you in case they want to offer you a job or ask to commission you.

When showcasing your work on social media being different and more experimental with your work can help you stand out of the crowd, the creative industries can be very competitive when it comes to finding jobs. You can regularly post updates on what type of work you’re doing, character design, storyboarding, or maybe you’re starting to learn new skills like editing? 

Regardless of what it is, posting about it and showing your progress frequently shows potential employers that you’re passionate about the industry and the field of work you want to potentially get into. By uploading your work regularly your posts can gain traction and attention from other people within the industry, you may even be given feedback about your work and helpful tips from those who work within the industry that can help you improve your skill sets.

 

Do’s and don’ts:

When presenting your work online there are a few do’s and don’ts, for example, when creating your website for potential employers and clients to look at paying attention to how the website looks, functions and how easy to navigate it is helps from deterring potential clients. This doesn’t mean you can’t get experimental with the layout of your website, but sticking to a limited colour pallet, simple design layout and overall appearance for a website while having readable text is crucial for the visitors coming to your page. 

Information such as your contact details, portfolio, who you are and what you currently do be it studying or working, are very important and must be easy to for the viewers to find. If a potential employer comes across your website and is having difficulty navigating your website while trying to find your portfolio and contact details, they may not have the time to look for it and will search for other potential employees.

 

I consider having a strong online presence to be very crucial within the animation industry, especially when it comes to networking and employability. With the internet and all these social platforms giving you and everyone else wide access to find other people who have similar interests and professions, finding work has been made more accessible and easier to many. It is also thanks to the animation industry becoming more flexible with where you can work that you can even be employed by companies from different cities or countries, due to the wide reach of contact you can access through the web.