Your headshot is the most important social media component, here are five reasons to backup this statement. If you want to read an article about what is a good headshot and a bad headshot, please click elsewhere as there are plenty of information and mostly misinformation online about “a so called good vs bad headshot”. Written by non-photographers, amateurs and people who don’t specialize in headshots.
A headshot is a modern portrait for today’s social media and branding needs. It can be full body or partial but the focus is the person’s energy.
Five reasons why your headshot is the most important social media tool, in no particular order:
Engagement Factor
Neuroscientists have determined that while looking at a magazine, a screen or just about anywhere, it is in our makeup to look at people’s faces’ first. Not having a headshot in your social media profile such as Google Plus, LinkedIn, Facebook, emails or even your websites “about us” page will likely result in having your potential viewer click elsewhere.
Nothing, will engage greater interest than a headshot photographed by a talented photographer specializing in portraits, arousing and stimulating curiosity in the minds of your reader, viewers and potential clients.
Content Delivery
“The secret to a great headshot is that it will convey a wealth information in milliseconds”. Remember the saying “ A picture speaks a thousands words “, now I believe it to be an understatement. You headshot will speak to the viewers mind in ways that content can not. A great headshot is produced by the photographers’ ability to draw out what is important in the person photographed.
Professionalism
Often I chuckle silently when a so called social media guru sends me spam and I see their LinkedIn profile being a dark and underexposed image, a picture of someone in a basement or worse – no profile image. How can you call yourself a Guru, a professional, a seasoned social media person without a headshot?
Having a professional headshot won’t make you a professional, but not having one will definitely say something about you. It may say that you do not understand our times, lack confidence or are fearful or an amateur.
Branding Power
It’s amazing what a headshot can convey for personal branding. Who are you? Are you a republican, a democrat, religious, not religious, and artist, physical, happy, etc…
Consider the following contrast of company A and B:
Company A writes that they are a top employer and a desirable place for their dynamic staff but has no headshots. Or worse, has pictures taken by amateur’s where one person may have a modelling styled picture in color, the other an over-exposed black and white, pixelated and some profiles are missing headshots.
Company B doesn’t say anything about being a top employer but has dynamic portraits of their staff with a bio written next to the affable looking professional.
Sample of Corporation Headshots http://artofheadshots.com/corporations/
Because its you
This is the most important reason for having a headshot; we are alive and would like to be remembered as we are.
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