At some point, you took the plunge and joined The Whole 9. It seemed like a great idea at the time, eh? And it was free. Now that you’ve done most of the work, it’s time to reap the rewards. Read on and learn how to make your Whole 9 membership (and your TW9 portfolio) work for you.

GET A JOB! Check out JOBS ETC often for jobs, gigs, call for artists & writers and other opportunities. And be sure to forward opportunities to your friends.

HIRE FROM WITHIN. Looking for someone to do your business cards? DJ a party? Photograph your wedding? Give you a massage? Find them in The Whole 9 PORTFOLIOS section or post an ad for FREE in JOBS ETC. You can also post something if you’re looking to collaborate on a project or are interested in bartering your services. Strong communities are built when members utilize the talents of others within the community. Take some time, take a look and reach out.

KEEP IT REAL. Your real name that is. Use your real name or your business name as the name for your portfolio. Why? It not only looks more professional, but using your real name ensures that your portfolio shows up when someone Googles you. If you’d like to change your portfolio name, simply log-in, click on Edit Profile, Portfolio & Images, click on PROFESSIONAL PORTFOLIO and change your portfolio name.

GET ‘EM UP! Your images, writing samples, music samples and video. We’ve recently revamped our image system and newly uploaded images will display much larger (almost full screen in fact).  You can also create separate galleries and caption your pieces.  Be sure to put your strongest image first. Once you’ve got everything up, keep updating it — Google loves pages that are updated frequently. What the heck does this mean? If your name is Joe Smith, your ranking on Google increases if you’ve got a website or page that is frequently updated.

SELL YOURSELF (without standing on notorious street corners). Take a few minutes to build your credibility and list past projects, shows, etc. and also tell people why they should hire you. If you don’t, who will?

DON’T BE SHY. Build your Creative Circle on The Whole 9. You’ll be able to keep track of these people (and they’ll be able to keep track of you) via your personal home page. Just log in and visit other members’ profiles or portfolios and then click on ADD TO MY CREATIVE CIRCLE and send them a note. To find someone specific or others in specific industries or professions, search by their member name, their portfolio name, their industry, etc. Questions? Click here and send us a note or just leave a comment on this post.

CHECK CHECK. Log in and click on View My Portfolio in the right-hand column and make sure your website link is working (as well as your other links) and that all of your images, music samples and video are working properly. Hint…if you’ve got http: included, it won’t link.

LINK IT UP. Link your portfolio directly to your profile. This can be done by logging in, clicking on Edit Profile & Portfolio, clicking on PERSONAL PROFILE, going to TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF and checking the box under Occupation to link your portfolio to your profile. Linking here exposes your portfolio to even more people.  NOTE:  For this to work, you must also have your profession shown in your personal profile.

SPEAKING OF LINKS. Create an email signature that includes a link to your TW9 portfolio. Your Whole 9 address is  www.thewhole9.com This is super easy, just find the account settings in your email client and look for the option that says “add (or use) signature.” From there you can customize it by pasting in your TW9 portfolio link. Now every time you send an email, the receiver will have your portfolio address, generating more hits and potential jobs for you!

CHECK IT OUT. Other TW9 portfolios, that is. These are great for inspiration when you’re in a rut. They give you an idea of what other members are doing and where they’re finding work. And for the love of creative-types everywhere, leave comments! People want to hear what you think of their portfolios. Remember to play nice while using constructive criticism. Even if it’s something as simple as giving a shout-out to someone who has great black and white shots, let them know. Comments are also a great way to make yourself known.

TELL A FRIEND. That’s right, spread the love and invite your friends to join you on The Whole 9…the more people, the more opportunities.

And finally, STAY TUNED. Later this month and in the following months, we’ll be making significant changes to The Whole 9 including an EVENTS section that enables you to post events, invite others and meet TW9 members who will be attending.

Thanks for joining us…and if you’ve got questions or comments, don’t hesitate to leave them here.