Professional Headshots: Why and How Often Should You Refresh
Have you ever applied for a job and they asked for a headshot? What about opening a LinkedIn account and it asked for a headshot? Let’s be honest, headshots are not anyone’s truly favorite thing to have done. Like, oh! I have a 20 minute gap in my day two weeks from now, let’s schedule a headshot for then. Nope. Most people do not think that way, including me! It means I have to shower and wash my hair, STYLE my hair (notice I have curls so this is no 5 minute fix!), put on make-up, and find something to wear. AND THEN I have to get to the location, suffer through the session and head on to whatever else is planned for the day. It is not my favorite. Periodt. LOL!
Now that I have complained about the hassle, letting you know I. Get. It…let’s talk about the need.
If you are in the corporate world, you need one. If you are a business owner, you need one. If you are blue collar, you need one. If you are a stay at home mom with a side hustle, you need one.
Having a professional headshot loaded on your website (or your company’s website), contact card, business card, LinkedIn, and other socials helps to show you are legit. You are, in fact, The Person that can solve your client’s problem. You are professional. You are knowledgeable. You are the The Key to their happiness. The fact of the matter is, in many cases your client is looking you up, checking you profile pic, and making assumptions about you before you’ve even met. If you have a picture that is grainy or blurry, a selfie with you holding a beer and smoking a …. you may have just missed out on an opportunity to connect with a new client.
Did you know headshots can be done in a studio OR outside? Many corporate entities will required a standard picture with you dressed in business attire with white or black background. If this does not apply to you, we can certainly take things outdoors with the plants and flowers or cityscape. Even better, you could do a mix of both indoor and outdoor!
I hear the question “How often should I get headshots done?” a lot. My answer…YEARLY! I know, I know. Let’s stop to think about the last year of your life. I will give you a moment…when I stop to think about the last year, it brings many emotions to the surface. We had a significant death in the family after an illness lasting many months. Important relationship statuses changed…some good and some that still make my heart ache. We added a fur baby to our family and lost one. And that’s just the big things! I have changed in the last year. I hold myself differently. I have different priorities. When you look at me then vs now, you can tell a difference. My weight is the same. My hair is basically the same (again, curls LOL!). I am not the same. And I can pretty much guarantee you are not the same person as you were a year ago either.
Don’t be the person that shocks a client or online friend when they meet you for the first time. Where they have been interacting with 30 year old Cindy online and meet 47 year old Cindy in person. Talk about a shock! Let’s prevent that from happening easily by taking care of those headshots today. Don’t make me give you “the look” and begin the awkward talk of “what’s up with that profile pic you have up anyway?” Connect with me and get this line item marked off of that to-do list…for this year!
