Your Black Friday & Holiday Portfolio: 7 Steps to Level It Up and Land More Collabs

Brands are picking creators for Black Friday and the holidays right now. Can they tell what you're capable of from your portfolio in just a few seconds?

The end of the year is peak season for brands. Black Friday comes first, and the holidays follow right after. Campaign budgets grow, and brands look for creators who can deliver authentic videos: gift unboxings, shopping tips, wishlists or cozy holiday routines.

At that moment, your portfolio is the first (and often the only) thing they base their decision on. It isn't an archive of everything you've ever filmed. It's your business card.

In this article, you'll find 7 concrete steps to improve it. You don't have to do them all at once. Some creators finish in a weekend, while others fine-tune things over several weeks. Both approaches are fine.

Before you start: What do brands want for Black Friday, and what do they want for the holidays?

The two campaigns run back to back, but brands expect different things from each:

Black Friday = speed and action.

• Short videos that stop the scroll within the first few seconds and clearly tell viewers what to do: add to cart, grab the deal, buy.
• Hooks like "This is the one thing I only buy once a year" or "Why I'm not waiting until January" work well.

Holidays = emotion and inspiration.

• Gift ideas, unboxings, cozy routines and content that helps viewers choose a present for their loved ones.

Your goal: have both in your portfolio. That way, a brand can see right away that you can handle the whole season.

Step 1: Take inventory of your content

The most common mistake is a portfolio crammed with everything. Brands don't have time to scroll through 40 videos. They want to see your best work, fast.

What to do:

• Go through your content and pick about 20 videos you're proud of.
• Ask yourself three questions about each one:
  • Is the lighting good and the audio clean?
  • Does it match the style I create in now?
  • Would a brand want to run it as an ad?
• Anything that doesn't pass all three, cut it.
• You should end up with your 10–15 strongest pieces. It's recommended to have 10–15 quality samples ready before reaching out to brands, because quality beats quantity.

No paid collabs yet? No problem. Plenty of creators build a strong portfolio using products they actually use or practice briefs. And that's exactly the next step.

Step 2: Add two seasonal videos

If your portfolio has nothing seasonal, film it yourself. A product you already have at home is enough: a candle, skincare, coffee, a scarf. Shoot it as if it were a real paid job.

Black Friday video (15–20 s):

• Hook (0–3 s): "This is the one thing I only buy once a year."
• Product (3–15 s): Show it in action and share the one main reason you love it.
• CTA (15–20 s): "If you've had your eye on it, now's the time."

Holiday video (20–30 s):

• Hook (0–3 s): "A gift for the person who has everything."
• Story (3–25 s): Unboxing, a cozy atmosphere, who the product would be perfect for.
• CTA (25–30 s): "I'd be thrilled to find this under the tree."

Carl tip: Don't overdo the decorations. Not every brand wants red-and-green glitter. The ideal is seasonal content without the clichés. Brands also appreciate videos they can keep running as ads after the holidays. Instead of "Merry Christmas with my moisturizer," film "The moisturizer that saved my skin this winter." It works in November, December and February.

Step 3: Sort your videos into sections

A brand selling face creams wants to see your beauty videos, not your headphone review. When you organize your samples, they'll find what matters in no time.

Pick one of these two structures and stick with it:

A) By format:

• Unboxings and first impressions
• Promo videos (Black Friday)
• Gift ideas (holidays)
• Reviews and honest opinions
• Tutorials and how-tos
• Lifestyle and routines
• Voiceover

B) By industry: beauty, fashion, food and drink, sports, travel, home.

Carl tip: If you have videos made specifically for ads, put them in a separate section. Brands rely heavily on paid ads for Black Friday, so this sends them a clear signal.

Step 4: Write a short caption for each sample

The video alone isn't enough. A brand needs to know right away what they're looking at. Use a simple template:

Format · Industry · Result or skill

Examples:

• "Unboxing · Beauty · 32K views, 800 saves"
• "Gift idea · Home · own script and editing"
• "Black Friday video · Fashion · shot and delivered within 48 hours"

Short and clear, and the brand gets it in 3 seconds.

Step 5: Add numbers that make sense

This is what separates a good portfolio from a great one. Brands don't just want to know you can make a nice video. They want to know it will deliver results.

Which numbers to use:

• Views: "48K views in the first week."
• Saves and shares: Especially for gift ideas, because people save the video to come back to it when they shop.
• Before and after: "Profile reach grew from 10K to 35K."
• Brand feedback: "We used the video as an ad because it performed best in the entire campaign."

How to present them:

• One or two numbers on selected samples are enough. No charts or tables.
• Write like a human: instead of "ER 7.2%," write "7% of viewers engaged with the video."
• Never make numbers up. If you don't have them, highlight your skills instead: fast delivery, your own script, editing.

💡 All your profile data is neatly in one place in the Carl for Social app, so you don't have to dig for anything.

Step 6: Prepare your bio and your offer

Bio (2–3 sentences). Who you are, what you create and for whom.

• Template: [Who you are] + [niche/style] + [what you bring to brands]

Example: "UGC creator based in Brno. Beauty, lifestyle and cozy home content. I make videos that feel natural and sell."

Make sure your bio reflects what you want to be booked for now, not six months ago.

Your offer. Start with a clear base offer, such as one edited 15–30-second video, and add a bundle of three to five videos at a better price. A special seasonal bundle works well too, for example "Black Friday + Holidays: 2 videos for both campaigns."

Step 7: Upload your portfolio to Carl and choose your collabs

Your portfolio is ready. Now put it where brands will see it.

• Download the Carl for Social app (currently iOS only).
• Complete your profile: photo, bio and the categories you create in.
• Upload your portfolio directly to your profile.
• Browse collab offers and pick the ones that fit your content.
• Send an application. It's FREE, and you see the terms and brief upfront, so there's no unnecessary back-and-forth.

Final thoughts: You don't have to say yes to everything

The season from Black Friday to the holidays can get hectic, and it's tempting to say yes to every offer. But brands value quality and a good fit more than creators who agree to everything. You're better off making three great videos than ten average ones, and you'll save yourself the stress.

Final checklist: Is your portfolio ready?

• Your 10–15 best samples, weak pieces removed
• One Black Friday–style video (hook + clear call to action)
• One holiday video (unboxing, gift idea, cozy routine)
• Samples organized into sections by format or industry
• A short caption for each sample (format · industry · result)
• One or two real numbers on selected samples
• An up-to-date bio and a clear offer
• Portfolio uploaded to your profile in the Carl for Social app

Portfolio ready? Now find the collabs that fit you.

Download the Carl for Social app (iOS only), upload your portfolio directly to your profile and choose your Black Friday and holiday collabs. Applying is FREE. 📲

👉 Download Carl for Social on the App Store