Why headshot photographs are so important.

A headshot is the perfect way to show your personality online. It's also a great marketing tool for any business. If you are looking to get headshots done, don't just pick the first photographer you find - do some research! There are so many talented photographers out there who can help bring out your best features in an artistic and flattering manner. Here are five reasons why everybody needs a good headshot photograph for their online profile!

Business Headshots

Whether you are looking to get business headshots done for your website or LinkedIn, it's important that they show off who you really are. To stand out from the crowd and be taken seriously in an industry where looks can sometimes matter more than ability, having a set of professional headshots is essential! If you think that you are not getting the social media engagement that you should be getting, this could be for a number of reasons. Not having the right headshots to represent you on your social media profiles is one of them!

A Great Way To Showcase Your Personality

There are few things that show off somebody's personality better than their headshot photograph. If you work in an industry where it can sometimes feel like everybody judges a book by its cover, you need to convey the right message and having the right photo is essential to doing this.

It shows that you are professional

Your headshot photo is the first thing that somebody sees when they click on you. If it's not up to scratch, this could be seen as unprofessional and people may see your work in a different light than what you intended them to! The last thing that anybody wants is for clients to jump to conclusions because your photo is not up to scratch.

You take your profession seriously.

When you put yourself out there, whether it be through your online profiles or business cards, people are going to judge you. This is simply the nature of how we work and live in our society today. If they see that you look a bit rough in your headshot photo then this will reflect poorly on them and their opinion about what level of service you provide

Stop the scroll

There has never been a more difficult time in history to stand out. Today everyone scrolls past at a lighting speed so how do you make them stop and read your profile? You can do this with a high quality headshot photo that captures their attention and engages them to read more about you and why they want to engage with you.

BONUS REASON

Your success depends on it

In an age where everyone has access to the internet, there are now more opportunities than ever before for people to start businesses from home or work as independent contractors. A good looking, professional headshot photograph will set you apart from everyone else that is using a selfie. You will come across as more professional person and with higher quality than other profiles. You are not there to tell them how amazing your are so instead you need to let your photo tell them!

Dan Cantero

HEADSHOT PHOTOGRAPHER

Is your headshot photograph hurting you?

This questions comes up often. We all know that the first thing we look at when checking out a profile is the photo. You make a first impression within seconds. First impressions are hard to shake. Someone may not even both reading through your qualifications if they don’t like your photo. If you understand this, you need to make sure that the first impression is good. So let’s take a look at some statistics that are very telling. Below is the number of people that have selfies as their professional headshot photograph. The numbers are by the JDP analysis performed in 2018.

We all have a pretty good understanding that a selfie is not a good headshot photograph. So going by these numbers, and depending on the industry that you are in, you know for a fact that you are going to be ahead of the curve by a significant distance. Let’s have a look at another statistic.

These are the percentage of people that have cropped a group photograph and are using that as their professional corporate headshot. These numbers are even worse. When you put both of these charts together you start to see a picture that just by having a good photograph, you will stand out as more professional. This is the photo that is going to speak for you and against your competition when you are not there. Given this, why would you not want your headshot photograph to be the best it can be?

If you’d like to know the 7 best tips for mastering headshot photography click HERE

Want to know more about how you get get an amazing headshot photo that will make people want to work with you? CLICK HERE

Why would they pick you?

Have you ever stopped to ask yourself that question? Step into the shoes of your potential customer and imagine why they would pick you? What is so different about your product or the service you offer? Most often, just like in social life, people like to blend in and adapt to their environment and the people they associate with. This is a natural human condition that served us well hundreds and even thousands of years ago. Being part of a tribe was safe. Conform to what everyone else is doing and you will survive.

However, in business, conforming will get you on a trajectory to the bottom. You do what everyone is doing and you provide the best possible price. You are now part of this large group of business and individuals that provide the same service. What we sometimes fail to see is that when all else is the same the client will almost always make a decision based on price. This means undercutting your competitors to the point where you make very little profit if any.

The key to solving this problem is based on your USP (Unique Selling Proposition or Unique Selling Point). Why would you spend so much more on a MacBook when you can get a similar laptop from another brand at nearly half the price? Because you can’t get a MacBook from anyone other than Apple. They are the only ones that make them so if you want one you need to buy if from them.

We should all identify or develop a USP. It could be as simple as having a "Never give up” attitude at work. This makes you the go-to person when it needs to be done right. This could be your USP.

If you are looking for a job it could be a fantastic, and rare qualification that nobody else has. It could be a professionally written CV, or a professional headshot to represent you and help you stand out.

If you are a business it could be your 100% Money back guarantee that nobody else offers, or your incredible support structure with a call centre based in Australia, or maybe, that amazing product that you have exclusive rights to. Whatever it is, this is the reason they will hire you, book you or purchase from you.

Whatever your USP, it needs to be the reason someone picks you.

In my instance, I provide my clients with imagery that they cannot get anywhere else. I know I won’t be outworked and my style is just that…… my style.

So why would they pick you?

Learn more at www.dancanteroheadshots.com.au

HEADSHOT PHOTOGRAPHY Do I really need a professional headshot photograph?

The short answer is a big Yes! It is now understood that when reading anything the first thing you will look at is the photo. It doesn’t matter if this is in print, on social media or just a website. The image is the first thing we notice and it is the main contributor to your first impression of what you are seeing. Because of this, you want to make the best first impression possible. This is where it is really important to have a professional headshot photographer help you with your photo. You see, all photographs are not created equal. Simply smiling to the camera or asking someone to “say cheese” does not work. Your expression, smile, lighting, camera position, lens (and more) need to work together to send out the correct message. Have you ever looked at someone’s photo and said to yourself “I don’t trust them”. This may not be an accurate representation of that person but it may be the one they are projecting.

So the answer to the question is YES. If you have a presence on social media, website or anything else that requires a photo you need to take this seriously. A professional headshot photographer will help you get the exact image you are after.

If you would like to know more about this (obligation free of course) please contact me and I would be happy to have a chat with you and answer all your questions. You would be surprised how affordable it is to get an image that will represent you correctly and make you money!