At some point in our career, we need professional headshots. And as much as we might resist it, having really great headshots done, they do have a multitude of benefits, not to mention uses that can really add impact for you, your career or your business. So, let’s talk about how you can use your professional headshots in more way than just for a new profile picture.
Profile Photos for Social Spaces: this is the most obvious of the why clients want new headshots done and I am one to do this personally for my own business quite often. Your profile photo not only is the first thing that people will see, but it sets the tone for your personality for the like, trust value metric. Which is particularly important for the professional social apps like LinkedIn or your own social media business pages. Having a nice, clean and clear profile photo will always be more pleasing to potential clients.
C.V’s and Resume’s: your prospective employer wants to see WHO they are potentially employing, so why not put your best foot forward right from the get go with a professionally done headshot! When I was in the corporate world, my CV always had my professional headshot in the corner of the header next to where my personal details would go. And every prospective employer commented on how nice my photos looked on my resume, proof that first impressions do matter!
For Creatives: Artist Bio’s need a good professional headshot. And you will most likely need a high resolution photo that can be used for marketing purposes by the museum, gallery, etc., working with you for their promotional purposes.
For the Writer: whether you are writing a novel, a magazine or an article, you will need a good professional headshot. Think about it…. when you look online, how many writers do you see have a beautiful, clean headshot under their written piece? Almost all of them do! And again, it is about the – know, like, trust – factor they are wanting with their readers. Even when you write your social media posts, it will have your profile photo right there next to what you have written and a photo of your fur baby or something abstract, just won’t allow you to have that trust with your readers.
Marketing and Promotion: the most obvious use for good professional headshots is for your marketing and promotional needs. Websites, banners, business cards, billboards, flyers, magazines, whatever it is that you can think of when it comes to promotional material, a nice, clean professional headshot is a must!
Notecards and Autographs: now we may not be movie stars or pro athlete’s, BUT how lovely is it to receive a handwritten thank you note, on beautiful paper stock, from someone you met at an exhibition, event or even a networking event? Not to mention being a fabulous marketing tool, it also just a really lovely gesture to be kind and thank someone for something. And for some, they may have trouble remembering the name, but they will always recognise a face and by receiving a lovely note, you will be top of mind when they are looking for services in your industry.
Professional Headshots really do have value and not just for you, but most importantly the people that you work with, engage with and your clients/prospective clients. They do have a multitude uses than just for a new profile photo and it is really important that when you are looking for a photographer to do your headshots, that he/she understands the uses you intend to have for your headshots. Because making sure that the photo sizes match those intended uses ensures your headshots are clear and not fuzzy.
Don’t forget to follow me over on my social spaces for more insights and Studio Portrait Session availabilities: Facebook or Instagram and you can check out my Portrait Portfolio HERE.
