How do you rise above the vast sea of company websites and establish your brand as a strong online presence? You do so by introducing creative photography, including your company headshots. The choices you make regarding the images you put out there will contribute to defining your brand, and will have considerable impact on the success of your business. Relevant, quality online content will attract new leads, and ultimately boost profits. In today’s marketplace, one of the best tools to use in the creation of a powerful online presence is the professional headshot. These images are the framework that greet your customers, promote professional continuity and begin building a relationship.
Put Your Best Face Forward
Rarely will the first meeting you have with a customer be face-to-face. The likelihood is that the customer has found you through an online search long before you will meet in person. So how do you make a lasting and positive first impression online? You begin by putting your best face forward when you present a quality, uniform headshot.
Both the caliber and choice of your headshot express a lot about your business. You may even want to consider hiring a stylist for your photoshoot. If you don’t put much effort into how that first impression comes across, customers will think your company must not really care all that much. On the contrary, going the extra step to ensure that you present the best quality headshot possible will speak volumes about your company’s character and business practice.
It’s important to consider not only how your image looks, but how it makes people feel. Do your company headshots feel welcoming? Warm? Trustworthy? Friendly? Remember to smile! Even though business can be quite serious in nature, customers still want to do business with friendly people they connect with and trust. Set the tone with these online first impressions, just as you would in a face-to- face meeting.
Promote Professional Continuity and Contribute to Consistency
From your logo and messaging, to your headshots and bios, building a great brand image requires a lot of long-term thought and strategy, with special commitment to consistency. A brand voice that is consistent in its communication lends itself to authenticity and builds connection. Customers who view your brand as genuine are more likely to purchase your company’s products and utilize your company’s services. It is most likely that you will first introduce your team to potential customers through your company’s website. Whether it’s a department team, bio page, or a company-wide set of shots, consistency is as important to your team’s headshots, as it is to your overall brand.
Company headshots are not the place to skimp when it comes to spending. Plan to budget for the whole package. A talented, professional photographer brings needed and valuable skills to the table—from creativity and cutting-edge equipment, to lighting and backdrops. Regarding headshots in particular, a uniform look is best in order to promote professional continuity. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t capture each team member’s individuality; you should. Hire a skilled photographer who has the experience and know-how to highlight each team member’s unique character without sacrificing the overall flow of the set. And remember, you’ll want to consistently use these shots online across the board—whether it’s your website, social media, or blog post, consistency will lead to recognition.
Recognition=Relatability and Enhances Brand Authenticity
Once you have virtually introduced your team to the world through online uniform company headshots, you have set the stage to effectively enhance future recognition. These are the faces that interact with customers, and recognition really is important. When it comes time for the first face-to- face meeting, you’ll have a leg up. Your customer will feel that they can relate to you, because you’ve already “met” online. They know you. You’re an old friend. Recognition leads to relatability, which in turn will encourage interaction and build trust.
To this end, keep your company headshots current. After all, you want your customer to actually recognize you when you do finally meet in person. It’s important to update these shots from time to time and keep them from seeming dated. Your appearance will change over the course of time, and that’s normal. But it would be really weird to meet in person and discover that you had suddenly aged 10 years overnight! How authentic is that? You really do want to look like yourself.
Building a reliable and relatable online presence makes sound business sense, and should be an integral part of your company’s marketing plan. Setting a positive tone through online first impressions will engender warmth, trust and build connection. Put your best face forward by investing in distinctive, uniform company headshots. Hire a professional photographer, one that has the skills and vision to bring your image to life, and has the capability of highlighting individual personality while at the same time adhering to a recognizable, uniform company style. Done well, quality professional company headshots add significant value to brand recognition and contribute to company success.
