Your Image is Your Personal Brand
There was a time when only actors and corporate executives had professional portraits taken of themselves. With the rise of social media, your portrait has become an important component of your personal brand. Of course, the portrait you post on social networking sites is a way of connecting with friends, colleagues, potential clients or employers. Most importantly, it is a significant component of your professional reputation both online and in real life. To take control of your personal brand is to think, act and plan like a business leader.
92% of employers report that they search the internet and social networking sites before interviewing an applicant. (Your current employer may even periodically review current employee’s social networking sites). Your public interactions on social networking sites reveal your personality and professionalism to anyone that has access to this information. This interaction is one significant component in sculpting your reputation and professional image.
Your professional reputation should not be left to chance. You should be vigilant to what is being released for public consumption with your name attached and you should remain in control of this information.
Your personal brand is who you are and what you want to be known for.
What does your profile photo say about you? What is YOUR personal brand?
I photograph dozens of clients every month and find myself having the same conversation with each one of them. I ask them, what is your personal brand? What kind of client do you want to attract? Your profile photo is the first contact a person will have with you and it might be the last if it projects the wrong image.
Listed below are some steps in determining if a given portrait is consistent with your personal brand.
1- What is your personality and do you want it to be reflected in your professional image? Consider your personality and how it affects the experience someone will have when working with you on a professional level. Develop a list of words that describe these features of your personality. These words are emotional modifiers. Take into consideration: how you want people to feel when working with you, how they will benefit by working with you, or how you would like clients to describe a positive interaction when working with you. Some descriptive words could be pleasant, serious, bold, daring, happy, etc.
2-What is it that you do in the execution of your current or desired career? While you may have a professional title, you should consider more specifically what it is that you do on a frequent basis. Are you a writer, manager, speaker, creator or connector of people?
3- The quality of the profile photo speaks volumes of your professionalism. If you use a blurry, underexposed image of yourself taken on vacation, then people may assume that you don’t take your professional seriously. Whereas if you have a professional portrait posted as your profile photo, everyone that views it will know that they will be dealing with a highly professional individual. You are not fooling anyone by posting one created on your iphone or a point and shoot camera- even if you think you look “great” in the image. Note- the following backgrounds are no longer being used in the 21st century: marbled, stripes, wrinkled muslin, or library books. Some department store photographers continue to use these backgrounds and unfortunately they will make your profile photo look dated (i.e. as though it was a photo you had taken in the 1980’s and are still using it!)
To create the best profile photo to represent your personal brand, you should take all three of these components into consideration. Profile photos should reveal your personality as well as your professional responsibilities. For example, a profile photo of a Realtor in her backyard garden planting petunias says nothing about her ability as a realtor. A profile photo of a Dentist with his new BMW says nothing of his ability to make a potential patient feel more comfortable during a dental procedure.
Frequently, the best profile photos are with the individual in front of a solid colored background. While the background will do nothing to describe the execution of your career, it will not serve to distract the eye of the viewer. The viewing will therefore focus on your face (as well as the personality that you project) and remember what you look like.
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For more information about high quality business portraits and corporate executive headshots for use on LinkedIn and other social networking sites created at your office or one of Cynthia McIntyre’s 17 portrait studios conveniently located throughout CT and Westchester NY CALL 203-364-1592.
