Selling your ‘face’ used to be something done only by popstars, celebrities and Instagram influencers.
Now however, putting your headshot out there is a popular marketing tool in business and used heavily in social media business sites such as LinkedIn.
It’s easy to see why professional headshots matter. People get a sense of who you are by looking at a photo, and will draw conclusions about your business from that. It’s not about being beautiful or glamorous, but presenting an air of confidence that engenders trust.
LinkedIn Headshots with Cairns Photographer Catherine Coombs
But here’s the most important thing: professional headshots must be high-quality and clear, and suitable for placement in the platforms where they can be most effective.
That is why using my services is such a wise business investment. I am able to capture your headshot which is professional, but still manages to be warm and engaging, and gives people a good feeling about you.
I work with you and find out how you are planning to use the headshot, and ensure it is sized to suit your purpose. I deliver your final images in a range of sizes from small files for website use to high-resolution for print purposes such as in a magazine, like Brand Foucs or CityLIfe.
So where can you use a professional headshot for business marketing? There are quite a few different options.
As mentioned, social media platforms such as LinkedIn and Facebook place quite a heavy reliance on visual elements for maximum viewer impact, and headshots are certainly an important part of that. The old saying that “a picture paints a thousand words” holds true with professional headshots, and provide a great way for people to form a connection with you before you even enter into business with them.
Your website is often the first port of call for people interested in your services. It is vital therefore that they stop at your page and search no further. A photo of you will help in that process, because it “humanises” a business and creates an instant bond. People are also more inclined to pick up the phone and call you if they feel as if they already kind of know the person at the other end.
In business, it’s not just your face that helps the marketing process, but the faces of everyone else in the organisation. The “about us” page on your website is one on which every person browsing online will click on, because we are a curious species and like to look at other people. We also don’t want to read hundreds of words if we can get the same sense of trust by looking at photos.
There used to be a lot of debate about whether a headshot should be used on a resume, but the latest thinking on the subject seems to come down in favour of it. Again, it helps to build a connection, gives a sense of who you are, looks professional, and helps to create a full picture of your business.
A vital part of business success comes down to the creation of high-quality marketing and branding collateral. Everyone seems to be talking about “branding” these days. But it really is much more than a trend or a cliché. Branding is all about forming an emotional attachment to your customers, and nothing can be more effective in that than your face. Professional headshots will be useful on any collateral that is created for promotional, editorial or advertising purposes.