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We are all looking for that silver bullet to elevate our careers and help us reach our goals. Whatever your field is, you can use your headshot to boost your brand. Certain rules apply across the board, no matter your industry. And one of those universal rules is this: Having an awesome, professional headshot can boost your career. We have done the research and compiled the top ten ways to use your headshot to boost your brand. Read on to see what resonates the most for your and your career aspirations!
1. Build Trust to Use Your Headshot to Boost Your Brand
Building trust is vital to growing your career. Trust is important in all relationships, so that applies to both potential clients and employers. As humans, we are hardwired to seek out others we can rely on based on how trustworthy we think they look. Researchers found that the more trustworthy people looked, the more their peers accepted them. Therefore, how you look to the world can greatly impact your job prospects as people make snap judgments about you! When you carefully plan your photo to make you appear trustworthy, you can use your headshot to boost your brand.
Since people are still swayed by first impressions, your headshot is an opportunity to put your best self forward. It is the first image people see when researching your business. However, that first impression can be professional and trusting, or it can appear outdated and sloppy. So which version of yourself will you be putting out there for the world to see?
Whether you’re a seasoned business owner or just getting started, there is one basic concept that should always be top of mind: building trust. Your headshot is the first step to building that trust and forging new business relationships.
2. Stand Out
In today’s image-savvy online environment, your headshot can do a lot of the talking. You can use your headshot to boost your brand and differentiate yourself from your competitors.
Photos do a much better job of telling stories, conveying emotion, and selling products and services than simple words. In fact, research has shown that 93% of all human communication is visual.
A well-planned headshot, like one designed with Headshots.com, will grab your client’s attention better than any number of words. Our step-by-step tutorial and planning guide helps you determine your brand and the best way to represent yourself visually. Your photos inject personality into your business. When your clients feel like they’re interacting with a real person, rather than a faceless business, you’ll really stand out.
3. Promote Brand Consistency
When you use a headshot that was taken specifically for your business, you can promote a consistent brand look. In fact, in this world of visual marketing, consistency really matters!
Be deliberate with your headshot. Consider how you will use your photos, and make sure your brand colors are present. This way you can use your headshot to boost your brand by easily mixing it into your website or social media aesthetic.
There are many ways to utilize your headshot – more than you may initially realize. When you update all of these areas with a new headshot, you are promoting brand consistency.
Here are some places where you should be using your headshot online to benefit your business:
- Your phone: What image comes up when you call or text someone?
- WhatsApp: Have you updated your profile picture?
- All your email accounts: Make sure you have the same professional image on all your accounts.
- Your Gravatar: Some online resources including WordPress, Hootsuite, etc. ask for your Gravatar – a globally recognized avatar. Set up an account and add your headshot to ensure the right version of your face appears on any online tools you use.
- Networking sites: Most people put their professional headshots on public social networking sites like LinkedIn. But are you using yours on private membership groups you belong to? You should! For example, Facebook professional groups, Clubhouse, etc.
- All your online tools: Practically every online tool will ask you for a profile picture. Check your Dropbox, Skype, Zoom, and Eventbrite accounts, and any other sites you use to do business.
4. Enhance Your Social Media
We all know that people spend a lot of time on social media. Therefore, regardless of how you feel about social media personally, you need to be using it for your business. Great headshots can be used across social media platforms to reinforce the image you project about yourself and your business. In fact, just as a well-designed brand helps customers recognize a business, the same goes for social media. Why would you hire a designer for your brand/logo, then fill your social media with selfies or old photos? That just wouldn’t make sense! That’s why you should use your headshot to boost your brand across social media.
5. Create Print Collateral
Brochures and postcards are some of the classic methods of promoting yourself, your business, your services, products. In fact, you can even use print collateral to promote your web presence and social media profiles. And what’s the best way to tie all of those approaches together? By putting a face to your great business or service!
When you develop print collateral, you can prominently display your headshot. Whether via a brochure or direct mail, your print collateral offers a unique opportunity. Your target audience will recognize you as an authority. They will see your professional appearance and feel that they know and can trust you.
6. Update Your Digital Content
Because digital content has a seemingly eternal shelf life, it can be easy to “set it and forget it.” But that’s a mistake for you and your business! We recommend you update your headshot every 5 years, or after you make any major change to your appearance. For example, if you used to have long hair and now wear it very short, update your photo. If you used to be clean-shaven but now wear a beard – yup, update that headshot! Additionally, if you’ve lost or gained a significant amount of weight you may want to freshen your digital look.
The key is to make sure that the image you share digitally matches up with what you look like in real life. This all goes to creating trust with your audience. If you schedule an in-person meeting with a client who’s only ever communicated with you online, you don’t want to look totally different. If you do, they may feel uncomfortable or like they’ve been tricked.
7. Get Your Face Out There When You Use Your Headshot to Boost Your Brand
Having a unique and authentic headshot communicates who you are and what you do. Creative images tell your story and allow you to use your headshot to boost your brand. They allow your clients to get to know you and build a personal connection before you’ve even spoken to them. Updated, high-quality headshots give you an opportunity to put yourself out there. You can send your headshot out to anyone requesting a photo for online or print publications, speaking events, and blog contributions. When you have a fresh headshot that speaks to who you truly are, it can open doors to new opportunities.
8. Boost Your Confidence
One of the benefits of having a great headshot is that you’ll feel confident and proud to send it to anyone that asks for it. You can be certain that you look good online, and that by doing so you’re appealing to your dream client. To bring a little more sparkle to your shoot, Headshots.com provides tools to guide you through the whole process. From planning right through to posing, we’ll teach you how to take your headshot photo. Then, our world-class editors will retouch the image and deliver your professional headshot within 3 business days. We guarantee customer satisfaction because we know that you will use your headshot to boost your brand AND your confidence.
9. Show You Care
Investing in your branding shows clients that you value your own business. Reassuring them that if you care for your brand, you will look after them & their needs with similar care & attention.
First impressions count. A consistent visual identity across all of your business & marketing collateral looks professional & will build familiarity, trust & a recognizable brand.
10. Be Your Best YOU and Use Your Headshot to Boost Your Brand
Think of how great it will feel to have a headshot that speaks directly to you and your business. By now, you’ve realized the importance of promoting your professional headshot across the internet and in print. It can help showcase you as the best version of yourself. And Headshots.com is here to help you take action and get the most out of your professional headshot.
Just remember the invaluable benefits of having a portrait that helps you and your business shine. First impressions count, and a great headshot will help you can stand out in the world of information technology and social profiles.
Therefore, the best way to leverage your first impression is by having an awesome business headshot created by the person who knows you best: YOU. And with the support of our team of experts, that photo will have the professional polish you need to boost your business. So let’s get started on your headshot today!
