5 Powerful Ways to Use your Headshots
According to a 2019 Linked-In article, research has shown that having a quality picture of yourself makes your profile 14 times more likely to be viewed by others. Since your profile picture, or headshot, is the first impression of your online presence, it's a good idea to make sure that your headshot is saying all the right things! Once you've gotten just the right headshot, it's time to use it to maximize your investment. Here are 5 powerful ways you can use your new headshot.
1. Update all of your Social Media
Having a strong visual presence of what you look like helps reinforce your brand message, attract your audience, and makes meetings with colleagues so much easier. Using your headshot consistently will help build trust and authority in your industry. Below you'll find a checklist of popular apps and sites that you may want to update with your new profile picture.
2. Power-Up your Emails
If you aren't using a headshot in your email signature, you're missing a valuable opportunity to further connect with your audience. Depending on which email service you use, it can be easy to add this personal touch to your signature. Tip: Some email services require a bit of a workaround to do this, but there are several 3rd party options available such as youtube tutorials, free guides and downloadable templates. Be sure to research what your email service offers and go from there. I personally bought a template from Etsy and customized it in Photoshop, but there are many other alternatives.
3. Print and Promote
We may be living in the digital age, but that doesn't mean print is dead. In fact, many people prefer tangible items over digital, and here are a couple reasons why:
It's much harder to stand out in the digital world. There is nothing tactile or physically different about digital content, but with print, the sky is the limit. From creative packaging to embossed business cards, these small physical touches can definitely make you stand out.
Print occupies physical space. If you turn away from a website, you may never think about it again. However, if you put a printed piece down, it remains, and reminds you of its presence. You could pick it up again and as a result, you are reminded of its content.
4. Show the Face behind the Product or Service
More and more businesses are discovering the benefits of “showcasing” their people on their websites. It’s simply not enough any more to think that your logo alone or business track record will get you the business you want. Knowing the person behind the business is critical to establishing long lasting relationships.
Any company website with nothing more than generic images, text, and a logo, appears faceless and thereby raises question marks about “who” are the people actually behind the company. Don't be shy about sharing your headshots all over your website, we are drawn to peoples’ photos because faces offer a personal dimension to our everyday business interactions.
The true face of any business are the people who have direct and indirect relationships with clients. That being the case, the faces of a company (i.e. corporate headshots) are what clients often look for when researching a company.
Below is one example of a local dentist that came to us for a headshot that he now uses on the front page of his website. As a dentist, it's important that his potential clients see a friendly demeanor and welcoming personality to create a sense of ease and trust.
5. Instant Connection and Solutions
If you operate a business, you already know that great customer service is the backbone of a successful company. Small and large companies can benefit from giving their clients immediate access to getting their questions answered. There are a wide variety of services that can give your audience instant access to you or an employee. Most of these chat tools prefer you to add a picture. Adding a photo to your chat feature can transform a sterile, text only conversation, into a more trusted and meaningful interaction.
My company uses a free service called Tawk.to , that has been a wonderful addition to our website. I booked a new client right from the chat box within just a few days after installing it. If you operate a Facebook page for your business, their message feature also has a spot for a profile picture, as do many others.
Don't pass up an opportunity to connect with your audience, make it easy for them to contact you, and show them who is behind that keyboard!
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