headshots

Headshots - Why are they Important?

 

Corporate headshots can build trust among clients. 

Building a healthy, growing client base is difficult but far from impossible. Smiling pictures are an easy way to make clients comfortable with your business in seconds. When someone browses your website and sees a cheerful employee, it can create a positive connection in their mind. You don't get a lot of time to prove yourself - Remember Elevator Pitches? Here's your lift, and you get off on the next floor! With the new age of social media, people are finding products online now more than ever. This means that your first impression is no longer when the client steps through the door. If they've been on your social media or website, it happens well before you meet face to face. Clean headshots show your clients who they're supporting when they choose you over the competition. It puts a smiling face to the company name. 

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Corporate headshots can reinforce values. 

If a client is attaching your face to the company's name, the picture they look at should show your core values. For example, employee selfies on your About Us page come across as unprofessional -like the rookie mistake of cropping a family photo only to feature the employee. They might look beautiful, but the business can look cheap. You could have the most clean-cut, polished website, but it won't matter. Clients now associate your business with a selfie of Amanda and Bobby together at Taco Bell. While these kinds of "casual" photos are relatable, you don't want to confuse the client. Yes, it's important to highlight the human side of your company. But you can do that and maintain an aura of professionalism. Casual corporate headshots are acceptable and may even be the better option, depending on your line of work. Clients want passion and expertise to radiate off the screen as they explore your website. None of those things jumps out when they see a picture of you and half of Aunt Carol's arm at Thanksgiving in 2007. In marketing, a great headshot is a necessity for many websites. 

 

Corporate headshots should reflect well on you. 

As a businessperson, you might say that your simplest job description is to sell a product or service. After all, isn't that what pays the bills? My years of experience in the sales and photography industries have taught me otherwise. At the end of the day, what you're actually doing is selling yourself to the client. Let's say you've found the perfect new apartment that meets your needs and you can't wait to sign the lease. However, when you go in to sign, the leasing agent is late and filthy drunk. Would you even have time to reconsider signing the lease before scrambling for your car keys to get out of there? Probably not. In that scenario, the boss was a very poor representation of an otherwise ideal company.In that scenario, the boss was a very poor representation of an otherwise ideal company.  In the same way, having poor headshots (or none at all) can seem quite lazy. Spending a little extra money to get things done right can benefit every single aspect of your company. When you truly care, clients notice. 

 

Pro tip: Make 'em multi-use.

An added benefit of getting custom corporate headshots is that you can use them more than once. Update your professional social networks, such as LinkedIn, with photos of your staff. Stay up to date this way, and let your employees use these headshots as their profile photos. 

Headshots are also handy when designing business cards or securing billboards. From social media accounts to paper flyers, the possibilities are endless. 

 

Boost your first impression. 

Corporate headshots can ace first impressions and earn your client's trust. When done right, they'll boost your commitment to quality and other important values. As a leader, these photographs should demonstrate the quality that you deliver daily.