There are many things you probably already know about keeping your social media profile professional – like keeping your information honest or not posting offensive articles, however one aspect is frequently overlooked. Professional headshots. They have fast become the centrepiece of your online presence and like it or not, your Professional headshot is one of the very first things people look at and judge you on when they visit your page.
Let’s make this clear, the worst thing you can do other than not having a Professional Headshot is to have one that’s outdated. When someone comes to meet you for the first time and realise you look nothing like the image you’re portraying of yourself, they can think you are (as much as we wish we could) hiding in your youth, or neglecting your brand image. Worse than this, however, when they meet the real you, it’s quite possible that they can immediately feel misled, which could affect the way they trust you, and ultimately do business with you.
So right, we know we have to update our Professional Headshots every now and then but how often should it really be done? As a general rule of thumb, we recommend clients to update your professional headshot every 2 years, although it does depend on the person.
However, there are a couple more instances whereby you should update your Professional Headshot less than every 2 years:
- You’ve changed – have you lost weight? Have you recently got glasses? Have you had a drastic hairstyle change or even grown a beard? All of these are solid reasons to update your Professional Headshot and ensure you make a great first impression.
- Your style has changed – Perhaps you’ve suddenly discovered the world of colour after all those years wearing black, or maybe your business dress has moved from formal to less formal. Or maybe you want to look more polished and professional as your career progresses.
- Your business has changed – This could be because you’ve recently changed jobs and your stern, business-like picture you used when working the stock market isn’t doing you any favours now you’ve recently decided to work in executive coaching. It could also just be though because your business is changing direction, are you used to communicating with the business elite and now have a customer facing role that requires a warm and inviting headshot?
The truth is there are many different factors when considering to update your Professional Headshot and the reasons are different for everyone. Ultimately, though, if you look at all different or you are promoting your headshot to a different audience, don’t take the risk of neglecting your personal brand and starting off a relationship on the wrong foot.
If you are interested in having your Professional Headshot taken please find more information at www.theheadshotguy.co.uk
