5 reasons to invest in photos of yourself for your online brand
I shared an article on LinkedIn a whole year ago and it’s been on my mind ever since whenever I’m thinking about personal branding and online representation. The article is called “2 Years From Now, If You Don’t Have A Personal Brand, Nobody Is Going To Work With You”. I know that ‘googly speaking’ starting a blog post by linking straight out to another is probably not the best way to go …. but I really do recommend you read this quick read!
The article doesn’t point the reader in the direction of lots of action points they can take to shape your personal brand, but does point to one of the key things for anyone to do in building their brand: share share share - post your thoughts, your ideas, your insights about whatever industry you are in online on a regular basis. So awesome, and not only are you sharing inspiration and best practices to others, you get to showcase what’s important to you and the types of subject matters that people can expect to learn about.
I’ve reread the article a few times since I posted it a year ago and it really resonates with me. The author points to the fact that when you meet someone at a networking event, or when you’re looking to work or collaborate with someone what’s one of the first things you do? You look them up online. I know I do and why I do it is to get a better understanding of who they are, what’s important to them, and different ways I can connect with them. Plus if I’m talking to them about photography, I can offer suggestions of what kind of things they might think about sharing that I see resonates with their brand.
Coming from a visual point of view, I believe that in addition to all the points mentioned in the article, one of the most important things that shapes you and your business as a brand is imagery - photography, videos, graphics. Consistent visuals that will show who you are, what your business does, and what matters to you.
I love seeing how brands are doing their marketing, and I love it the most and feel the most connected when I get to see the team behind the brand and learn a bit about them.
Portrait: Madeleine Sava, Illustrator. Photo credit: Maxine Bulloch Photography
So with all that in mind - here are five reasons why investing in photography is a great way to level up your online personal and professional brand:
A high-quality on-brand image indicates a fresh level of commitment!
Your headshot is like the logo of your personal brand - are you expressive, a listener, a giggler, intentional, serious, playful? Whatever you resonate with can be captured in your headshot and give people an insight into your world and an idea of your personality.
Do you have a certain ‘staple’ piece, colour you love, hat you wear, or a certain something that is just so you? Awesome - make sure you get at least one quality photo of you with it. Another insight for people into your world.
Do you do public speaking engagements, podcast interviews, or contribute to online or offline publications? Perfect opportunities to have a good photo of yourself to share!
Do you want to do public speaking engagements, podcast interviews or contribute to online or offline publications? As above - and you’ll feel so much more legit with an aligned portrait of yourself.
Maxine is a photographer based in Vancouver, Canada, and works with small heart-centered businesses to create joyful, honest images so they can show up on-brand, and aligned with their values.