Boom! Head Shot

The days of the Myspace self-held camera pictures are over (or they should be). Those obscure camera angles are atrocious. If you are serious about using any social media platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn etc. you must acknowledge that your photo will be everywhere. Think about it, a tweet, a post, a change of status, will be accompanied with an image of you. A lot of people do not think about the photo that they choose to use as their profile picture. They just simply put up the most current tagged photo that maybe in focus. Who cares it’s just a picture, right? Well, that thumbnail image of is representation of you and your business. You are a brand. I’m going to use McDonalds as an example. I am driving and I am hungry. I see those golden arches in the near distance and without looking up on my phone I already know what they offer. I know that they offer fast, high indulgence food that is the same every time I go there. And I know their price range. All that information packed into an image. It’s pretty important.

So ask yourself, what does that jpeg say about you? That picture tells a story about who you are. Make sure that story is aligned with your values, interests, and personality. If you are a professional photographer, that photo better be up to par with the work you are dishing out. You are a profession so get a profession photo. If your profile picture does not match up with your brand, remove it. Am I saying that you have to look like a no fun, corporate stiff? Absolutely not, but choose an appropriate picture that is relevant to your personality and business. I have seen a profile picture of a woman drinking freely from a wine bottle and that’s okay because she is wine expert. It says hey, I’m really passionate about wine but I’m not the snooty type.

Furthermore, don’t make me work to find you on your profile picture. It should be you and you only. Think baseball card.