If you are on social media (you probably are), the profile pic is very important. It is your professional headshot. Your online profile is your resume, especially if you’re in the modeling or entertainment industries. For other businesses, online presences are crucial, as it helps to establish a brand, particularly the headshots of executives and associates.
What is a profile picture? If we put it into a Facebook context, “it is the picture that friends see next to your name everywhere on Facebook. This is how people recognize you.” Recognition is certainly important. You must ask yourself, “How do I want people to recognize me?” Wouldn’t you like it to be professional looking and attractive? After all, people associate the picture with YOU! The profile pic is a part of your brand. Not only that, the profile pic is part of something bigger: the professional headshot. Many people choose to use a professional headshot as his or her profile pic. The profile pic and professional headshot are one-in-the-same. A professional photographer should snap it! Let’s break down your profile pic.
What does your profile pic look like? If there is a drink in your hand, get rid of it. While it might be a flattering picture of you, it is a red flag. We all enjoy a good drink and a rousing party, but by making it your profile pic (and by extension, your professional headshot), you are telling the world that this is what you want to be known for – a partier. I’m sure your friends appreciate the partier in you. Possible employers and business collaborators, however, do not. It might work for artists and musicians, but for everyone else, it is a big no-no. You want it to be impressive.
Youth is precious and fleeting. It is foolish trying to maintain your youthfulness in your profile pic and headshot. Seriously, how old is your pic? Is it up-to-date? If someone were to meet you for the first time after seeing your pic, would he or she be shocked? If the answer’s yes, you have a bad profile pic and an ineffective and misleading headshot, two qualities that no person and business want to work with. Get rid of it.
What do people look for in terms of a business relationship? Both customers and collaborators look for someone they can trust, an intimate connection. Your profile pic and headshot needs to be trustfully attractive. At Kelly Williams Photography, I can make that happen. If you are in the Dallas, TX area and a need an acting headshot or a business portrait, contact me today!