How To Nail Your Headshot Photo: 3 Surprising Tips For Professionals | Denver Headshot Photography

HeadshotBusiness

Feb 9

First impressions are everything!

Especially as a professional and expert in your industry. Which is exactly why a great headshot is one of the most important tool you can have.

The Importance Of A Great Headshot

Your headshot photo says more than you may think. It’s often your first introduction to potential clients, employers, referral partners, collaborators, etc. It’s an opportunity to stand out in networking circles and career searches. It can event give your career or business a boost financially.

Think about it this way.

You update all of your social media accounts, website, business cards, networking profiles, marketing materials, etc. with your brand new headshot. Then all of the sudden, potential clients start flowing in your inbox.

Why?

Because this new photo of you, looks high-quality and professional! It conveys your personality, but also positions you as an expert in your industry. It showcases immediately what you’re great at and helps distinguish you from your competition.

PLUS, it’s engaging! When potential clients look at your photo, they don’t just see a pretty picture. They see an expert who can help them, who looks friendly and approachable, and they feel comfortable reaching out to you to hire you.

As a result, you attract more business!

So, how do you make sure that your headshot does these things?

Fortunately, there are a few simple things you can do to make sure your headshot is top-notch. Here are three surprising tips for getting a great headshot.

3 Surprising Tips For The Perfect Headshot

1) Hire a Professional Headshot Photographer

You’re probably thinking “yeah-yeah I figured…” but here’s why.

A selfie or iPhone photo just isn't going to cut it anymore if you really want to stand out. You need to make sure your headshot is high-quality with great lighting. There are technical aspects of the quality of the photo that are important for the different ways the photo is used. The last thing you want is for your headshot to look grainy, pixilated, or blurry — this will have potential clients looking for someone better. It’s amazing the psychology of our buyers-minds when it comes to looking for the right professional to hire. So, you want to make sure it’s you!

That said, a GREAT headshot is an investment. As a professional, I encourage you to find the right photographer who knows these things! Not just go for the cheap or budget-friendly option. 9 times out of 10, you will end up unhappy with an ok-photo that doesn’t help your business. To be completely straight-forward, you will want to spend a couple hundred dollars. Trust me, you will see the ROI in your business.

2) Make it Crystal Clear What You Do

A good headshot is just a good photo of you — probably even one that you actually like. But a GREAT headshot positions you as the go-to professional in your industry.

When potential clients look at your headshot photo, they should be able to immediately tell what you do, what your business is, or at least what industry you’re in. This way, you actually look the part and it’s crystal clear to potential clients that you are who they are looking for. Don’t make them work to see if you’re the right fit. Make. It. CLEAR.

3) Approachability is EVERYTHING

Now, this tips is WHY you work with a professional photographer. A great headshot photo should be friendly to look at. Because when you look friendly and approachable, your headshot invites your potential clients to reach out to you. (See, a great headshot does so much more than you think! Doesn’t it?)

Here are a couple of things to remember when you’re getting your headshot taken. Smile in your headshot. Make eye contact with the camera. And last but certainly not least, lean your upper body forward toward the camera. Body language is a pro-tip used by only the best photographers to really capture an approachable and best headshot for you!