Top 8 Reasons Why You Need a Professional Headshot.
Gone are the days of only executives needing a professional headshot. Here are XXX reasons why YOU need a headshot.
PROFESSIONALISM:
A quality headshot provides you with credibility and professionalism. Potential employers, future clients, investors, even the father of the girl you just started dating will find these pics whether you share them on LinkedIn, website, or other social media platforms. You want them to be impressed with what they find.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
Within the first SEVEN SECONDS of meeting, people will have a solid impression of who you are —and some research suggests a tenth of a second is all it takes to start determining traits like trustworthiness. If someone’s first ‘meeting’ of you is seeing a photo of you online, do you want a blurry photo taken from a wedding where you cut your date out of it to be their first impression?
Real-life example… An attorney has an out-of-focus photo of himself on their law firm’s website. As a potential client… How confident am I in his attention to detail and professionalism to handle my case satisfactorily if those are his standards and pride in putting his best foot forward for himself?
PERSONALITY:
People want to work with those they like, know and trust. And that starts with your headshot. You can convey friendly and inviting with a smile and pose leaning towards the camera or serious and driven with a straight posture and different expression. Depending on your profession, you may want to make sure a certain aspect of your personality shines through in the pics.
CONFIDENCE:
While it’s not common for adults to enjoy getting in front of the camera it is very common for adults’ confidence to improve by having a professional headshot they like. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had men and women step in front of my camera and tell me, “I’m not photogenic.” “Oh, my triple chins.” “ Oh I hate this.”
And within minutes after getting to know them, cranking up the music, and snapping some pics, I’ll show them a photo on the back of the camera. I’ve had literal tears from my client's eyes as they look at themselves. No photoshop. No ‘magic’. It’s a photo of themselves just as they are and I know they feel beautiful. No greater compliment I can receive than to see the reactions of those who I’ve photographed.
I do have a professional hair and make-up artist I work with which is an awesome service to help build that confidence before the session even begins. Besides, it’s so fun to get pampered so why not?!
RECOGNITION:
Have you ever been to an event and someone looks familiar but you can’t place their name? They know you and are asking specific questions about you, your family, and your business. So when you get a second to sneak away you’re searching on Facebook for clues (maybe you know you know someone in common so you’re looking at ‘mutual friends’ on Facebook) or know they work for a specific company so you’re looking at the business's website to find a photo so you can confirm who they are and go back and have a conversation with them by name so you don’t look like an idiot.
No?! Oh…. uh… me neither.
The same can be true for people who meet you. You hit it off at a networking event and look forward to connecting with them to discuss opportunities. But you didn’t exchange info prior to leaving. Your headshots on social media can provide a visual cue when they see your profile to reach out to you. Crisp, clean, and current headshots will help you stay top of mind as they scroll through social media and see new posts.
SOCIAL MEDIA:
With social media expanding by the minute it’s critical everyone has one. Did you know there are 2.89 billion Facebook users? LinkedIn has over 740 million users and 55 million companies are registered users.
And don’t forget about Twitter where 500 million Tweets are made daily and Instagram where 95 million new photos and videos are added each day.
That is a lot of active users. That is a lot of eyes on your profile photo. Potential employers will google you. What do you want them to see?
STAND OUT:
In an online world that is so noisy, stand out from the rest with a great headshot. And yes, EVERYONE needs a headshot.
College students could use one when searching for internships, announcements for awards, or when they are elected to serve on a committee.
Stay at home moms will need a photo when the local news does an article on her fundraising efforts for a local organization, the first impression for a part-time nanny job she wants to apply for, or for serving on a board of a local non-profit.
Corporate executives, golf pros, attorneys, salesman, mechanics, teachers, daycare providers, entrepreneurs, authors, retirees,, etc. Everyone needs a headshot.
Every single person should update their headshots at a MINIMUM of every 5 years. If you’ve had drastic weight loss/gain, major hair cut/color change, etc-update more often.
There is nothing worse than arriving to meet someone and not even recognizing the person because they are 15 years older and 40 pounds heavier in person than the photo you saw of them. Be proud of who you are now and show it off instead of hiding behind a really old pic.
BRANDING:
As I mentioned before, gone are the days where only CEO’s and bankers needed headshots. Every single person should have a nice professional headshot.
Choose a headshot that suits you, your profession, and your personality. Is a studio or environmental headshot better? Does wearing a suit or jeans and a nice shirt make more sense? It would make sense for a car mechanic to have pics in the shop as opposed to in front of a backdrop. Backdrops are great for attorneys.
We will talk through what look and feel you want to achieve to choose headshots that showcase you and your profession well.
To inquire about a professional headshot session, reply to this email to get the conversation started. The process is efficient, enjoyable and you will have an image you will be proud to show off.