In order to get ahead, you have to get people to buy what you’re selling. Whether it’s the latest add-on to the iPhone or a gee-whiz killer app, no one is going to buy it if they don’t know it’s available. That means you have to promote it and generate interest in your company and products.
Forbes says that 82% of people trust a company more when it uses social media than when it doesn’t. Since social media is a visual medium, you need to generate interest in your company and your products by posting a headshot on your account.
Posting A What?
A headshot or beauty shot, AKA a publicity photo, is simply a picture of a person from the chest up, where the person is the focus of the picture. The background may be blurred out or be a soft-focus wall, company logo, or flag. If you’ve ever seen those close-up pictures of politicians smiling at the camera with an American flag behind them, you’ve seen a headshot.
Pinterest is a place to effectively market your company and it relies almost entirely on pictures. In order to capture a person’s interest in the 1-2 seconds your account is on their screen, you have to stand head and shoulders above the rest. You need the absolute best picture possible that captures the essence of your company and your products and displays it for all the world to see.
Instagram is another place where you can hit the social jackpot with the right headshot, showing people quickly and concisely who you are and what your company does. It will help you increase interest in your company.
Professional vs. Amateur
When you get a headshot made, don’t let your best friend take the picture. It doesn’t matter how much you like each other or even how good they might or might not be with a camera. You never get a second chance to make a first impression. That means there’s too much riding on the quality of your headshots to take a chance on a non-professional photographer, regardless of how much you like each other.
You need to spend some money on companies to get it done right. They will take corporate headshots that showcase your people and their talents in the best possible light.
We mean that literally, by the way. Professional photographers have studios with all the lighting equipment, lens, and filters that your best friend never will. They also know how to use them to create exactly the effect you’re looking for.
The Good and The Bad
What does a good professional headshot look like? Well, you can only tell by contrasting it with what a bad, amateur, unprofessional headshot looks like. Take a look at this and you’ll see what we mean.
All the pictures are of the same woman from beginning to end. As soon as you see them you can instantly tell which ones are good and which ones are horrible. The black and white picture is the worst, even though some of the best pictures in the world are black and white photos. If they’re done wrong they can make you look like Quasimodo.
The picture of her in front of the tree is technically a headshot even though it shows most of her (sitting down) and was done by a professional. It’s not the kind of headshot you’d use on a corporate website, but shows how branding works, using a casual approach when your brand calls for it.
Pay The Price
Professional grade photography doesn’t come cheap but you need to hire them and pay them anyway. You want people to pay you for your products, don’t you? Photographers deserve the same respect.
People are visual, as is social media. You need to stand out from the crowd if you want to draw their attention and their business.
