It’s a commonly known fact, that the internet generates an enormous percentage of new clients, new contacts and new customers for today’s professional. Regardless of the type of business or service you or your company provide, chances are, people will be checking your online presence on Facebook, LinkedIn and on your company website.
The quality of your profile photo can quite literally make all the difference to whether or not your potential clients and contacts will choose to hire or work with you. It may be shallow, but we humans base a lot of our choices on visual information.
Here are a few tips that will help you to ensure that your online profile photos generate the right response from the people who view them…
1 – Hire a professional to look professional:
If you’re presenting yourself as someone with expertise or qualifications of any kind, your online photos need to reflect that. There really is only one right way to do this. Use an image taken by a professional photographer who specializes in business and/or headshot photography.
2 – The kinds of photos you do NOT want to use:
- Candid photos taken at a social event.
- Arm’s length self portraits.
- Webcam shots.
- Professional photos that are clearly over 5 years old.
- Photos that you think look convincingly professional, but in reality, were taken with by a family member or friend who was using an automatic point and shoot camera.
Here’s why not… Would you hire or want to work with someone who gave you a first impression that they don’t make much of an effort, even in how they present themselves?
3- Why it’s worth investing in a professional photographer:
When someone is considering either hiring you or working with you, they want to know that you’re a skilled, talented, successful person who offers something of quality. Someone with a good professional profile image is much more likely to be seen as a person with something of value to offer their contacts and clients.
Yes, hiring a professional photographer does come with a bit of a cost, but when you consider the benefits, and the fact that you can use those images for up to five years, it’s an investment that absolutely will be worth it.
Tamea Burd is a Vancouver portrait, wedding, corporate and headshot photographer. Her website: www.tameaburdphotography.com
