For your resume, it may have been slightly more acceptable to use a low-quality image, if you were just looking for something part-time to get you through college, but with your professional career, this is just not going to cut it. Your image is going to be a defining element in your ability to network, attract new clients or customers and will determine just how serious you will be taken in any industry. Since we are living in a fast-paced, everyone on the go, type of world your headshot is becoming more important than you are even aware of.
If you don’t think you need a headshot, you might want to reconsider. While many people think that headshot is needed for resumes or auditions and that’s all, look around a see how many other businesses feature headshots of their employees on their website, or social media sites. Your headshot is the first impression you give to other professionals as well as potential customers. Most often you only have a few short minutes to make a great first impression and your headshot will be a huge contributor to this first impression, if not the only contributor.
Not only is your headshot necessary to keep your company or business image aligned with who you are, your potential customers are making a split-second decision as to whether they want to work with you based off this one, simple image. Consider where your potential customers are searching for your type of service? Nearly all searches are being done through mobile devices and before anyone is going to continue gathering any additional information about you or what you have to offer, they are going to see your headshot first.
This is especially true on nearly all social media sites. Before anyone decides to read on about your qualifications they are going to make a judgment about the image you have featured on these sites. Are you giving a professional appearance?
Not convinced on just how important your headshot is? Here are five reasons that might just change your opinion.
This is key to making a good first impression. While in person it can be easier to look the part; with the online world, this can only be accomplished through the right professional headshot. If you want to be treated like a professional then you need to look the part, both in person and online.
Having a professional headshot is a small investment that shows you not only take yourself seriously but that you also take your career seriously. The right headshot will give the impression that you are trustworthy and experienced, which in turn can attract more people to what you have to offer.
When you have a high-quality image it leaves a more positive and lasting impression. People will take more notice of a professional and high-quality image and this can lead to more contacts. You don’t want to rely on a selfie shot or something a friend took with their point and shoot; these images are often not visually appealing and are more likely looked over instead of looked at.
Having a professional image that is linked to your social media accounts will make it easier for those you have just met to find you. This allows you to not only stay fresh in a person’s mind but you make your brand more human and more relatable.
As already mentioned, your headshot is the first impression that others will get of you and often this could be the last. A professional headshot ensures that you make a good and memorable first impression.
It is just as important to keep your headshot up to date as it is to have one in the first place. Maybe when you started out you had an image that shows your face but it is really dated or just isn’t true to the image you want to be giving when thinking about your business. Not keeping your image up to date can be taken as a discredit to your new clients or customers, since they may be expecting someone who is completely different from the image they first related to. If you have had any noticeable changes to your appearance you will want a headshot that reflects the real you, not a younger version of you. You should consider updating your headshot every two years, not only keep up with your looks but to also give your professional appearance a fresh look.
Your professional headshot is something you want to leave to a professional to take. You want someone who can not only create the right lighting and get the right angle, but professional corporate photographers have the ability to really capture you in a way that mirrors the image of your brand. This is a skill they have developed over years of experience and is not something most amateurs, or your friends with a fancy camera will be able to duplicate.
You don’t want to give the impression that you don’t take your career serious. Indigo Events can help give you the professional new look that will make a lasting first impression!
