Benefits of Professional Headshots

The path to executing marketing strategies is lined with roadblocks. These roadblocks are a marketer's nemesis, and many are unknowingly self-inflicted by leadership. There is both art and science in marketing. But often, what goes uncredited and unnoticed is how much a good marketer needs to be able to clear roadblocks, including those that get personal for team members or leaders. Recently, I held a workshop on LinkedIn for a client's team as part of an employee advocacy campaign, helped another client plan the launch of a new website, and planned a strategy for showcasing the thought leadership/expertise of company leaders. Want to know the common roadblock that came up for each of those projects across all positions, from Founders to entry-level? The landmine of the personal photo. There are three paths with personal photos: 1. Great photo! 2. I think we might need to revisit your choice of photo. (Not fun for either of us.) 3. Where is your photo? Answer 1 happens about 20% of the time.  Answer 2 comes up more than it should, but answer 3 is the most prevalent. This one asset can grind projects to a halt. Without good headshots, website launches are delayed due to an incomplete “About Us” page, author posts on blogs go unused, press releases don’t go out, social selling projects don’t get off the ground, and more. We all judge ourselves differently in photos compared to others. We often choose the photo we think makes us look better, thinner, or younger. The Insta-worthy shots someone took of us on our last vacation or at an event. Sometimes, we dread it so much that we snap a hastily shot mugshot that looks like we might have been arrested or taken hostage. That's not how you want to be known. You want your entire team to be seen as approachable, personable, knowledgeable, and professional. Here are my recommendations to get past this roadblock: 🔸When “choice of photo” is the issue, I recommend using PhotoFeeler for objective opinions. (Link to this tool in the comments.) 🔸Make an investment that will yield one of the best ROI in your marketing: Invest in professional headshots for your team. 🔸 Hire a photographer to shoot photos in your offices or a professional setting with a real-life, uncluttered background.  🔸 Shoot all headshots in a similar style for a polished look for your brand. Remember to plan how you can replicate one-offs as new team members join. 🔸Negotiate a package where the photographer releases all images to you and includes basic clean-up/retouching. Don't let something as simple as photos block growth initiatives. If someone on your team is integral to the project's success, make sure they are included. Even with an employee advocacy campaign, where you invest in a photo for every employee, the ROI is substantial. Achieving the reach and frequency of your employees' posts, reviews, and referrals would be far more expensive with an ad campaign. #Marketing #Brand #EmployeeAdvocacy

If you’re a business or individual, getting “noticed”, standing out from the crowd, differentiating from your competitors is an ongoing effort and a key to successful marketing (and yes, if you’re looking for a job or changing careers, it is a marketing effort!). The widespread adoption of search engines as a research tool, and the ongoing incorporation of AI-based search further amplifies this – on one hand, it can make it easier for potential clients to find you, on the other hand it also can present more competitors. There is a good deal of emphasis on how to improve your search rankings. But when the resultant link from the search takes the viewer to your website or LinkedIn profile, the content/messaging/positioning needs to do several things: 1)     Makes it clear what you/your company does 2)     Shows you have an understanding of the viewers’ potential needs/problems that you can help them with 3)     Clearly shows why you’re different/better in areas that have meaning to the viewer 4)     Shows confidence, experience, and approachability When I’m looking at my own marketing, messaging, etc., I try to put myself in my potential client’s shoes – what are they looking for, what resonates with them, what concerns do they have. High quality, consistent headshots of your team personalizes your business – it shows that your business is more than just words and a website – it’s about the people who make the business successful. This is especially true for any type of services business, where the people are the product. Potential clients want to “check you out”, see who you are – many people have a gut reaction when they see those images and often make decisions about whether or not to engage based on that gut reaction. Show of hands here of how many people have searched for a service provider, checked out their profile including their picture, and been influenced by their gut feel when they see their headshot? I know I have. High quality, consistent headshots for your team conveys a level of professionalism, attention to detail, teamwork, and success. For individuals, your LinkedIn profile picture is the first thing someone sees when viewing your profile, creating a lasting impression. That impression no doubt influences a recruiter, particularly if they’re having to select a handful of candidates out of hundreds (if not more) for a first round of interviews. Look at the examples below The collection of images on the left were shot against different backgrounds, have different color balance, different lighting, crops, etc.. Compare that with the images on the right - which one creates the better first impression, shows that the company pays attention to detail, – in short looks more professional? Suppose you’re searching for products/services and you came across these 2 companies who both seemed to have similar offerings, and they each had these images of their team on their website – which one gives you a better gut feeling?

Your image isn’t just a picture. It’s positioning. Before someone reads your résumé, before they check your credentials, before they even read your headline… they see your photo. And in that split second, they make a judgment. 🔹 Do you look confident or unsure? 🔹 Do you appear polished or unprepared? 🔹 Do you stand out or fade into the background? Your headshot isn’t just for LinkedIn. It’s your personal brand. It’s the difference between being overlooked and being taken seriously. Top performers, executives, and entrepreneurs know that how they present themselves online shapes how people perceive their credibility, influence, and authority. They invest in an image that says: 💼 “I’m the expert you need.” 🚀 “I take myself and my career seriously.” 💡 “I belong in the room where decisions are made.” So, ask yourself, does your headshot align with where you are or where you want to be? If you’re ready to position yourself for bigger opportunities, let’s make it happen. P.S. I’m looking for a new book to read for March. DM me your suggestions. I really enjoyed working with Michelle Tisdale to create these stunning headshots.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭? It is a close-up photo of you with the focus on your face. It’s typically photographed from the chest up. The clothing you wear should be how you want to show up in business, whether that’s a jacket, button down, blouse, etc. These photos are most often seen on LinkedIn, a company website, when seeking board seats or for their about page, for speaking engagements or websites, business cards, social media & other marketing materials. And, other uses where people will often see your photo before they ever meet you in person. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭? It's to connect the viewer to the person in the photo & achieve camera invisibility. That’s when someone feels like they know the person in the photo. They can feel who they are. The photo captures their essence & inner strength, confidence, power & character. When an executive photo is done by a photographer who gives their client room to reveal their inner qualities, the photo will capture the real you. Public speaking & public appearances are major events for many executives. Having a headshot on the event site & in event publicity can create a connection between the executive and those in attendance before the event date. Imagine having a room crowded with attendees waiting to hear from an executive who they feel they know due to that empowering headshot. Imagine too, the encouragement it gives to the executive to have the strength of that headshot preceding them into the event! 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐬? Ideally, executive headshots have a solid background without anything to distract so the person in the photo is the hero of the photo. Nothing detracts from the focus on the face of the individual in the photo. Soft neutral colors such as gray work well as does white. The choice of background color will vary according to skin and hair color or to match a company brand identity. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭? If it has been a few years since your last headshot, it may be time to consider a new one. You want to reflect the person digitally with you who really are today. 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧? If so, a new headshot is a great way to establish your new identity. 𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐣𝐨𝐛? Another great reason for a refreshed headshot. Find a photographer who you connect with, and one that will help you find and see your inner power. I have had clients tell me that they saw themselves in a new light as the leader they didn’t know they already were! And, I’m often told by clients their headshot helped them get their next promotion. Are you ready to level up your digital image through a new headshot? If so, I’d love to chat with you about the empowering effects of an executive headshot.