Whether you’re a new business building your website for the first time or a well-established business revamping your online presence, the cost of professional photography might prompt you to wonder if you might be able to get by without it… After all, you couldn’t you just take some pictures yourself? Or use stock photos? There are other, more important things you should be spending your organization’s funds on than professional photography, right? … Wrong!
The truth is that every business no matter the industry can benefit from having professional headshot of themselves on their website. No matter who your customers are or what you are selling, high quality photography, and showing the people behind the business, is an important asset that will contribute to your overall branding and success. When it comes to business expenses that are absolutely worth it, professional photography should be at the top of the list.
I bet you have a hundred or more reasons why you don’t want to have your headshot done… I get it, no one likes to be photographed - but it doesn’t have to be a bad experience! Hiring a professional who knows what they are doing is the key to a great shot and a great experience all around. Looking natural, good lighting, genuine expressions are so important to a great headshot and a professional should help guide you through the process.
So what are the top 10 reasons to hire a professional to do your headshot?
Professionalism. First and foremost it gives you credibility and professionalism. Potential clients, investors and collaborators who find you online, either on LinkedIn or website or even Facebook are more likely to take you seriously.
First Impressions. Did you know that we are judged by someone within 11 seconds of meeting or being seen? This seems crazy but isn’t it a good idea to take advantage of those 11 seconds (or probably way less online ) and put your very best self forward? Like or not, it’s true that we judge a book by it’s cover. People want to work with people. Put your best self out there.
Customers Want to Get To Know YOU! A good headshot will give your potential customers and idea of who you are, a great smile can go a long way. Stock photos are one alternative that some organizations consider when they feel a photo shoot with a professional photographer might be out of reach. That is not the best way to showcase your business. Why? Because they are not photos of you or your business!
When people visit your website, they want to get to know you! Stock photos don’t help them do that – and they could give people a false impression of what you have to offer. The best way for potential customers to get to know your business is by showing them actual photos of your business, your team members, and your products.
Confidence. A great headshot will help you feel confident and professional when you are calling on a potential client. I always suggest having professional makeup and hair done. I work with local professionals that can get you ready in studio so you dont have to travel all over town or try to do it yourself before your session. It’s amazing how much more confident it can make you feel. If you are waiting to loose those 10 lbs, there’s no reason to wait, my retouching can slim those cheeks or arms down just a little to make a visible difference! No one will even be able to tell, including yourself.
Stand out above the rest. A great profile photo on LinkedIn will set you apart from the competition. Believe it or not, you can’t imagine how many people cut out a shot of them from a wedding with their arm around an ex. Usually it’s a grainy cropped photo, this is not a good way to show who you are or what you are about. I’m also always shocked at how many people don’t even have a photo up on LinkedIn. Remember, it is your first line of introduction, make it great!
Visual Reminder of who you are. How many times have you been to a function and met someone you wanted to connect with for business? A good, clean (and current) headshot can be a visual cue for someone to remember you and connect on LinkedIn.
Consistency. There is a lot of talk now about branding your image. Many people think of branding as something only for a large company but it is also applicable to individuals. I see it all the time, someone works for a large company but the company doesn’t have consistent professional headshots. Some are cut outs at weddings, no profile shot at all, some against a wall with a phone and bad shadows on their face... Now, can you imagine pulling up a company profile, seeing the drop down of their employees and seeing them ALL look professional. This is a huge value for the company image. After all, a company is made up of it’s people, wouldn’t you want your company to show well on LinkedIn and your website?
Images Can Help You Get Found On the Web. If your business has a website, you may have heard of search engine optimization, or SEO - the practice of strategically optimizing various elements of your website in an effort to help it perform better in the search engine ranking results. There are many elements to SEO, and one element is images.
Optimized photos can help your website get found in the image results like Google Images and perform better in the overall search results. They can also help to engage customers and keep them on your site for longer, or encourage them to choose you over a competitor.
Professional Photos are Versatile Assets. When it comes to marketing your business online “content is king.” This has been the case for a while now, and it definitely still holds true. But what many don’t realize is that photos are content – and they are a powerful, versatile form of content at that.
Online, photos can be used to make your website infinitely more engaging. They can be used to build your brand on social media, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Google My Business and more. They can also be featured in blog posts and articles – the possibilities are endless.
Offline, photos can be used in brochures and promotional materials of all kinds. By investing in professional photography, you provide yourself with new, helpful ammunition that can be used to enhance your marketing efforts in a plethora of ways.
A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words
You’ve probably heard this before. These days pictures are worth at least a thousand words – probably more! Photos enable you to show your clients and customers what you have to offer rather than tell them. People like to see things for themselves before making a decision. The internet has made this possible, which means photos and videos of your products and offerings are more valuable than ever before.
A professional and experienced headshot photographer can provide you with wardrobe advice, location advice, hair and makeup advice, and really bring out the best “you”.
Sure, iPhones are getting really good but there is no replacement for understanding good light, how to position the subject, or bringing out the best in your personality.
A good photographer knows how to do retouching so you still look like you. A good photo retoucher can fix flyaway hairs, blemishes, teeth whiten, smoothen out skin or even take off 10 lbs! A responsible headshot photographer should bring out the very best in the person they are photographing while making sure you still look like YOU. We all want those wrinkles gone but let’s be honest, we earned those lines. If you are a 45 year old professional woman, don’t take your lines totally away. First of all, it doesn’t look natural, secondly, own those lines, you earned them (we will just soften them a bit) !
A professional photographer should ask you what your industry specialty is and professional goals are. The photography session should be in line with meeting your particular goals. It doesn’t make sense if you are a house painter to get a head shot with a coat and tie but if you meet with large corporations to do commercial work, you might find a happy medium with a dress shirt and no tie.
Did you know that the color you wear can speak to a potential customer by associating a “I’m powerful” or “I’m approachable” vibe? Color has a direct subliminal affect on the viewer. These little nuances can make a big difference in how you are perceived. For example, If you are in the finance industry and want to make your executives seem more approachable, they should wear soft blue tones versus power, bold colors like red.
A professional headshot is truly priceless. It is your brand and your first line of introduction, make it a quality one. To inquire about a professional headshot session, contact me , I would love to help make the process easy and enjoyable as well as provide you with an image you will be proud to show.
Schedule your complimentary consultation with me by visiting ….loricardwell.com/schedule
loricardwell@outlook.com
317.296.4359
