The photo above is one of my most “pinned” photos on Pinterest.
In running my business, it’s important that I look at algorithms, themes, and numbers. What’s the connection to this photo over other “standard” headshots? It’s pretty obvious and somewhat clichè, but we heavily connect to the eyes when looking at a photo. There is something that makes Kaylee (pictured above) approachable in this photograph. She feels like someone we could sit with and have a meaningful conversation with.
This is why professional headshots and branding for your business are so important. With everything being online now, we get to “see” people before we meet them. When I get a recommendation for a business, restaurant, company, etc., the first thing I do is go look at their website and social media. I want to see if they’ve invested in their company and how seriously they take themselves. I want to make sure I’m hiring a professional. I want to feel that connection with them before ever reaching out.
I was at a networking event last night and when the person I was talking to found out that I do headshots, he went on to tell me that he recently had some done and it’s incredible the amount of confidence it gave him. He posts on social media more, he uses it as his profile picture, he is more active in the networking community. It’s incredible how a photograph has the power to do that for someone. I can’t tell you how many times someone has handed me their business card and said, “Oh, please don’t look at the photo! I need new headshots so badly!” How sad that they feel they have to say this every single time they hand these out to people. It’s already nerve wracking enough to be talking to a stranger, you don’t also want to be thinking about how you come off professionally.
Kaylee is a fellow photographer and wanted images that made her approachable for potential clients. She wanted them to connect with her from the moment they clicked on her website. I believe this is one of my most pinned photographs because people want to feel connection. Everything online is so curated and feels so distant. We just want to know that we’re going to talk to a real person. Someone who might sit and talk to us and make us feel at ease when we’re making some of our most difficult or exciting decisions in life.
If you keep saying, “I need some new headshots”, what are you waiting for? If you’re afraid it’s too expensive, wait until you lose out on potential clients because you have nothing they can connect with. Running a business means investing in that business. More than that, it means investing in yourself.
