The Power of a Professional Headshot: Invest in Your Career

One of the smartest investments you can make in your career is investing in yourself. It might sound simple, but how many of us actually do this? Investing in ourselves can seem challenging, especially if you don’t know where to start. I firmly believe that a professional executive headshot is one of the best investments you can make. Why? Easy. Because compared to other endeavors it is a minimal cost, but if used correctly, it can yield huge returns.

Your social media profile becomes more credible

As you progress in your career, you will likely find yourself increasingly using sites like increasingly. Having an executive headshot as your profile picture can do a lot to boost your profile. Take a look at some of the other profiles of people on your level, and notice how many of them have professional headshots…and how many connections they have.

Usually, the ones who take LinkedIn seriously will have a professional photo and a lot of connections. The professional headshot helps you look more polished, poised, and shows that you take your career seriously. You want people to be able to put a face to the name and learn more about your career – this will accomplish that.

Build your brand

The point about social media also feeds into this. Who are you, professionally? What do you want people to think about you, or say about you when you are brought up in conversation? Believe it or not, professional executive headshots can really help, no matter what professional level you are at. You can use it as a way to express your creative side, or maybe show people a more serious, corporate side.

You always hear the saying about pictures speaking a thousand words, and it is true. We base a lot of our judgments on visuals, so why not ensure your picture is conveying what you want to say?

Makes for better advertising

You are likely promoting your business somewhere, whether online or offline. Brochures, flyers, leaflets, and other print material can become even better if a professional executive headshot is in the mix. Not only does this help prospective clients put a face to your name, but it just gives you better exposure. There’s a lot of discussion about ‘faceless businesses’ in this digital day and age – do you want to be one? Whatever form of advertising you choose, having an executive headshot with it is a small investment that could help you land more business as people get to know you better.

A strong first impression

Ultimately, all these points lead to one fundamental conclusion: You get one chance to make a strong first impression – and professional executive headshots let you do that, each time. Every time someone new stumbles upon your profile on Linkedin, or sees your ad in the paper, or looks at your business through social media and your website, they are forming an impression of you. And by extension, they are forming an impression of your company. Though not all of these scenarios will apply, some may resonate with you. Each of these moments is a window to make a small connection, to put your best foot forward. These little investments can lead to big rewards, so why skip this one?

There are many other reasons why executive headshots are a good investment, these are just a few. Professional headshots can help boost your credibility and approachability while giving you better visibility within your business community.