Rachel Karten Portfolio
Former social media lead at Bon Appétit and Epicurious who now writes Link in Bio, a newsletter with over 120,000 subscribers dissecting real brand social strategy. Consults for brands including CAVA on social approach.
What makes it work
A breakdown of the choices that make this portfolio stand out.
Case studies built from firsthand practitioner experience, not theory
Karten writes from years actually running Bon Appétit and Epicurious's accounts, so her breakdowns name specific platform mechanics and internal tradeoffs rather than generic "best practices." That practitioner voice is what separates a real portfolio from a marketing blog.
A single, consistently updated publishing channel as the whole portfolio
Instead of a static "work" page, Link in Bio itself is the evidence of ongoing expertise — each issue is a dated, public artifact of her thinking. For a fast-moving field, a living publication demonstrates currency better than a fixed portfolio ever could.
Naming real client work without overselling it
She discloses specific brand consulting relationships (e.g., CAVA) rather than vague "Fortune 500 clients" language, which reads as more credible to anyone vetting her for hire.
What Social Media Managers can take from this
Specific, actionable tips to apply to your own portfolio — no generic advice.
If you write regularly about your field, treat the publication itself as your portfolio — dated, public work is harder to fake than a static case-study page.
Name the specific brands you've worked with by name when you can, rather than hiding behind vague client-category language.
Write from what you actually did day-to-day, not generic listicle advice — specificity about internal tradeoffs is what signals real experience.
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