Personal branding and Profile Pictures (Head-shots).

Personal branding is when people market themselves and their careers as a brand. A commercial headshot is one piece of personal branding. Whether you're looking at social media like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or any others form of social media, your profile picture is one of the most viewed images. Put some thought into what you want this image to portray. Do you want to look professional? Knowledgeable? Down to earth? Like someone that would know something about (fill in the blank). The next step should be to ask yourself what does this look like. For a doctor, it may be wearing a lab coat. For a law professional it may be a picture taken with a stack of law books (although that is an outdated concept), free real estate agent it may be posed next to a sold sign. For a business coach or public speaker it may be a photo of you on stage.

The next step is to think about if you want this to be sort of the generic stereotyped photo, or something that sets you apart from your competitors. Have you looked at your competitors? What images are they portraying? How can you maintain professionalism but still set yourself apart?

Once you get a few ideas, talk with your professional photographer and see what the best way is our to execute them. Your photographer will know what will look best.