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They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Is yours projecting the right impression of you and your small business? Your LinkedIn photo is often the first perception potential clients, partners and employees have of you and your company. The last thing you want is to lose out on business for something that’s so easy to fix. Expanding your company starts with creating that positive first impression of you and your business. If you are trying to figure out which picture to use for your profile, here are 15 tips that can help.
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15 Tips for Choosing the Best LinkedIn Photo
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Is yours projecting the right impression of you and your small business? Your LinkedIn photo is often the first perception potential clients, partners and employees have of you and your company. The last thing you want is to lose out on business for something that’s so easy to fix.
Expanding your company starts with creating that positive first impression of you and your business. If you are trying to figure out which picture to use for your profile, here are 15 tips that can help.
01. Wear a Confident SmileYou wouldn’t walk around with a flat
expression at a networking event;
the same rule applies for your online
presence. People like to do business with
happy people. Be approachable. Sit up
straight to project extra self-confidence.
When to Break This Rule: If you
work in a more traditional field, such
as finance, and don’t feel comfortable
smiling in your photo, it’s okay to have
a more subdued expression. Just don’t
smirk or frown.
02.Pick a Neutral Background
A white background is usually a safe bet. Blue looks good
with most complexions, and brown is a possibility if you look
good in earth tones. With a black background, you may need
professional lighting to keep your hair from disappearing into
the backdrop.
When to Break This Rule: If you own a landscaping
business or a café with lovely al fresco dining, an outdoor
background (that’s not too cluttered) might be perfect.
03. Size Your Photo Right for Best Quality
Your image file can be a maximum of 500 x 500 pixels
(80 x 80 is the minimum). For a nice, sharp image that
shows detail in your face, use a version of your photo
at the higher end of the scale. You don’t want to look
fuzzy.
When to Break This Rule: If most of the people in
your target demographic use mobile devices to go
online, resize your image to have fewer pixels. This may
help ensure that it’s easily compatible with a variety of
devices and screen sizes. 200 x 200 should be fine.
500px
500p
x
04.Keep Props to a Minimum
Most of the time, holding something or posing
next to an object looks odd or staged. Props
can distract from the whole point of the photo —
introducing yourself visually to prospective clients
and peers.
When to Break This Rule: A prop can enhance
your image if it’s directly relevant to what you do.
For example, the owner of a flower shop might
hold an artfully designed bouquet of flowers.
05. Get the Distance RightFor a traditional shot, make sure your entire head is
visible, along with your neck and a little bit of your
chest and shoulders. Pulling back too far makes your
face unrecognizable.
When to Break This Rule: Zooming in is okay if
you want most of the focus to be on your face. It can
even be artistic and playful, particularly if you are in a
creative field.
Angle your face and body toward the center
of the profile page. This posture is much more
flattering than a photo in which your shoulders are
facing straight ahead at the camera, which can be
reminiscent of a mug shot. An angled pose also
highlights the contours of your face.
When to Break This Rule: If you are wearing a
business shirt with your logo embroidered on it,
pose at whatever angle makes this logo visible.
06. Choose a Three-Quarter Pose
07. Shoot for ConsistencyMake your LinkedIn photo the gold standard
for how you want to present yourself online.
Spend extra time and care to make it
perfect. Then, use the same profile picture
on your website, print materials and social
platforms to help people instantly recognize
you and your brand.
When to Break This Rule: If your audience
is significantly different from one social
platform to the next, use different images on
each platform. For example, your Facebook
profile photo might be more lighthearted
than the one you use on LinkedIn.
08. Gaze into the LensIn your photo, you should be
looking right at the camera. This
virtual eye contact makes people
feel they are meeting the real you
online.
When to Break This Rule:
Camera shy? If staring straight
into the camera makes you
uncomfortable, look slightly off into
the distance instead. The photo will
be much more successful if you
seem relaxed and confident.
09. Step Up Your Professional Game
Even if you typically wear a polo shirt and khakis (or a
t-shirt and jeans) to the office, dress up for your business
portrait. This is particularly important if you are in a
financial, legal or consulting industry. A business suit or
the equivalent wardrobe choice for women serves as a
uniform that signals knowledge, reliability and respect.
When to Break This Rule: Sometimes, business
professional just won’t do. The definition of professional
really does depend on your profession. Glamming it up
like a rock star might be right on target if you are an
event planner targeting millennials.
10. Promote Your Brand with ColorUsing color allows you to choose apparel
and accessories that pick up the hues in
your logo. This is a good reason to use a
color photo rather than a black and white
shot, which might be perceived as too
serious by potential clients and connections.
When to Break This Rule: If you want all
of your employees to have a similar look
for their LinkedIn profiles, you can opt for
black and white photos. It’s easier to make
everything match as staff members come
and go over the years.
11. Cover Up a Little More Than UsualMen, keep that top shirt button closed
— even if you have to use a collar button
extender to do it. Women, keep in mind that a
V-neck that dips below the edge of the photo
can give the wrong impression about how
much might be visible in a full-length shot.
When to Break This Rule: In some
industries, body image is particularly
important and covering up isn’t mandatory.
For example, if you own a gym, wearing
fitness gear that shows more skin or muscle
definition might be appropriate.
12. Wear Solid ColorsKeep it simple when it comes to
fabrics. Prints can easily look dated,
and plaid is just distracting. Plus, the
LinkedIn image is so tiny that the
patterns may not show up well.
When to Break This Rule:
Accessories can be patterned to
make an image pop. For example,
a striped tie can work as long as it
doesn’t take attention away from
your face.
13. Go It Alone
Pick a photo that features just
you and no one else. That way,
connections don’t have to struggle
to figure out who you are in the
photo. And don’t try to crop anyone
out of the photo — having a
severed arm in your LinkedIn image
just won’t do.
When to Break This Rule: If you
are a veterinarian, posing with a
furry patient makes perfect sense.
14. Use Contrast to Your AdvantageA dark suit jacket paired with a light shirt is
slimming because it divides the body into thirds.
If you aren’t wearing a jacket, opt for a long-
sleeved shirt that contrasts with your backdrop.
You want to really stand out.
When to Break This Rule: Using light and
dark shades together is great, but don’t contrast
colors like red and green. It can make people’s
eyes ache.
15. Select a Recent Photo Avoid using a photo that is more than five
to seven years old (especially your high
school prom portrait). Your photo should
look like the best current version of you.
People may not recognize you in person if
your portrait is out of date.
When to Break This Rule: If your
appearance really hasn’t changed in
a decade, you’re lucky (and possibly
immortal). Spend your marketing budget
on something other than a new portrait.
Peers Who Are Getting It RightReady to learn by example from your peers? Check out some
SUCCEED members who are making a great impression with
their LinkedIn photos:
Marc Shaw
Cloud Strategy Officer
at True North ITG
Dawn Mentzer
Freelance Writer/Copywriter
Dethra Giles, MBA, SPHR
Author/Performance
Management Strategist
Krista Canfield
Passionate Storyteller
Sandra B. Tate
Executive Leadership,
“The Ballsy” Coach, CSL
Mike White
CEO, Founder,
Urban Shuffle, LLC
Sort through your photo files
this week to see if you have
a good image to use. If not,
make a point of getting a
professional portrait taken
soon, or ask a friend to snap a
few shots of you.
Advice InspirationActionBe aware that your LinkedIn
connections may receive an
activity broadcast each time you
make a change to your profile
photo. If you are experimenting
with uploading different image
files, space them out over the
course of a few weeks to avoid
bombarding your feed with
these alerts.
“You never get a second chance
to make a great first impression.
Within a few seconds, with just
a glance, people have judged
your social and economic level,
your level of education, and
even your level of success.”
– Olivia Fox Cabane, Author of
The Charisma Myth
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