Making Sure Your First Impression is Not Your Last
A wise person once said “you never get a
second chance to make a first impression”.
It’s a statement that has stood the test of time, and it is truer now
more than ever, especially when it comes to today’s fast paced, consumer lead,
click-in/click-out online world. If you
are in business, this is especially true. Apoor first impression will
inevitably cost you, be it prospective clients or potential employers.
For almost everyone in business in the 21st
Century, a positive online presence is critical to success. In order for people to trust you and want to
engage you, your image needs to be professional and a reflection of both your
business and personal brands. It needs
to be the best you that you can present to the world. Potential clients need to see you as an
embodiment of your industry, products and ideals, as well as the sort of person
they would like to do business with, and they need to see it in less than 15
seconds (the average time most people will spend looking at your page).
The human brain is hardwired to respond to
faces. The more we familiar we become
with a face, the more preference we are likely to show for that person, so
including an engaging headshot in every aspect of your online presence is a
great way to draw people in.Having a bland or mediocre corporate headshot,
however, is likely to push them away, and it is one of the most common mistakes
that people make when selling themselves online.
Unflattering angles and light, unfortunate
expressions, inappropriate or unappealing backgrounds and settings, poor
editing and obvious amateur shots or “selfies” are all potential deal breakers
in this environment. If your audience doesn’t like what they see, they will simply
move on to the next page or profile. No
matter how hard you have worked on search engine optimization, how good your
product or service is, or how engaging you are face-to-face, you will have lost
them forever.
If you have never hired a professional
photographer before, now is the time to seriously consider it, since a really
good corporate headshot is one of the simplest, most cost effective ways to get
your online audience to engage with you and help your business and your career to
flourish.
Using a professional might seem like an
extravagant use of hard earned funds, however the expense (which is not as much
as many people think) is an investment that will yield many times your initial
outlay. Using a good professional
photographer will guarantee you get the results you want. Lighting, attention to angles and posing,
special lenses, backgrounds and editing are all tools photographers use to get
a portrait you can be proud of, and that will boost your online presence.
Some businesses go even further, offering
personal branding portraits in addition to the more standard headshots. Branding portraits are more than just a
headshot. They capture the unique
personality of your business, and highlight your product or service. They are more like professional portraits
than headshots, and will really get you noticed. This is especially useful if you work in an
industry where there is lots of competition.
They may cost more, but if your budget allows, they are definitely a
worthwhile investment.
Today many portrait photography studios
offer corporate services. In a city the
size of Perth, there are plenty of photographers offering professional headshots, and although it can seem a big
task, it is worth doing your research.
In order to get great shots that really sell you and your business, it
is important to find a photographer willing to take the time and make the
effort to work with you to get the results you want. Make sure you look at samples of shots they
have done for other clients, and pick one whose work appeals to you and grabs
your attention. If they appeal to you,
then they stand a very good chance of appealing to your audience as well. Call them and ask them what they can do to
make your headshot stand out from the crowd.
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