5 Ways To Enhance Your Personal Brand With Professional Portraits
When you first come into contact with a business, undoubtedly you will utilise the wisdom of Uncle Google to learn more about ‘the man’ behind the brand. When you click on Mr Smith’s profile and see a nervous looking man, in a creased shirt and tie with slightly blurry features you quickly make a decision that this may not be the business for you. Professional fashion portraits do paint a thousand words and nowadays, more often than not, the first impression happens online. So what does your website, social media account or advertising say about you and your personal brand?
1. LinkedIn
If you are the man in the creased shirt, it is time to say goodbye to that amateur snap and time to say hello to a professional photographer – those people paid to make you look good. Linkedin is the world’s largest professional social network with over 200 million users in over 200 countries and territories. It is relied upon by many HR and sales professionals and is often the first place that potential employers look for information about you.
As well as this, it is becoming increasingly common for brands to create a company profile that links to their employees profiles. Depending on your company, having a very strong photo of yourself can go a long way. In fact, a professional portrait can make all the difference in developing credibility, trust and professionalism on Linkedin. It doesn’t have to be a boring head shot. You can still be creative and capture the real and authentic you, whilst portraying confidence and expertise in what you do.
2. Social Media
There’s no point having the most professional portrait on LinkedIn if your public Facebook profile tells a completely different story. With the high emphasis that search engines place on social media profiles, it’s easier than ever for potential employers, business partners or clients to have a stickybeak into your personal life.
If your business is you, then you need to look like you mean business. Whether you’re a consultant, performer, creative or business professional, having up-to-date, relevant and respectable photos on your social media profiles is important. Be sure to use the security settings and remember that you are selling a personal brand!
3. Print
Even your print collateral can be brought to life with some great professional portraits.
Kylie Ryan, a well-known life coach and weight-loss mindset specialist, uses professional portraits throughout her brochures to convey the personal touch of her services. Kylie’s portraits sell her weight loss program the same way photos of the Eiffel Tower sell holidays to Paris.
Have you ever thought about adding a professional photo to your resume or business card? Particularly in creative industries it’s becoming increasingly common!
4. Website
Most websites have an About page, but why spend so much money developing a fantastic website only to weaken it with an amateur photo of yourself?
A professional portrait of you combined with great content and a short biography will help people to trust, like and support you and your personal brand. It shows people that you care about everything within your business, including your own image, and how that is portrayed to the public. It also conveys transparency, which in business today is of extreme importance.
5. Blog
Many people use a blog as the primary platform for promoting their personal brand. Blogs are a great way to communicate your opinion to the world and establish yourself as a thought leader in any industry.
Especially if your line of work is visual such as interior design, it’s of utmost importance that the photos posted to your blog are of the highest quality and reflect your personal brand favourably. Photography is visual-storytelling and people make swift judgments based not just on what you say but how you say it.
Whether you work in a creative or corporate industry, professional portraits are a great way to strengthen your personal brand and help you stand out from the crowd. Done well, they communicate a carefully targeted message and leave a lasting positive impression.
