Should You Get a Professional Headshot?

Professional headshots aren't just for actors, models, and real estate agents. As we're moving online and our photos are more readily accessible, many individuals are opting to use a professional photographer for their profile photos, websites, and more. Should you get a corporate headshot? Consider the points below.

A professional headshot will help you ... 

1. Look the part. It will help lend credibility and show that you’re a professional. Furthermore, it will help you out on LinkedIn (it’s a professional platform, so your profile picture should reflect this).

2. Make a good first impression. This may be the first contact people have with you. Before working with you, headhunters and other professionals will first look you up on social media. Consider how you’d want to present yourself in an interview. When it comes to your headshot or profile photos, you should have similar concerns.

3. Take yourself seriously. An investment in quality photos is an investment in yourself. This works on a personal level by inspiring confidence. It also helps to show others that you care about the details.

4. Stand out from the crowd. A corporate photo will give you an edge over individuals without one. This is critical in a competitive market, especially as professional headshots are becoming more common.

5. Avoid photo mishaps. By using a professional photographer, you'll eliminate the awkward lighting, bad angles, and distracting backgrounds that my result from a do-it-yourself approach.

6. Have something handy for emergency situations. It’s helpful to have a photo ready to go for anything unexpected that might come up, such as an article being written about you or your business. A corporate headshot can also be used for PR announcements, newsletters, or marketing materials.

7. Capture the right look. When you’re taking your photos yourself, it may be difficult to capture a natural look. A professional photographer can continue shooting until you look relaxed.

5 Ways Professional Product Photography Will Help Your Business

Great product photography is essential when you're selling online. Eighty percent of people remember what they see and do, while only 20 percent remember what they read, and 10 percent remember what they hear, according to an infographic from Wyzol. So even if you have great copy and product titles, if you don’t have high-quality images, you’re missing out on a core segment of potential customers. Here are some other ways professional product photography can help your business.

1. PEOPLE WILL BE MORE CONFIDENT IN MAKING A PURCHASE.

If you’re selling online, people don’t have the benefit of getting up close and physically handling your products. You’ll want to fill in that gap by providing them with as much information as possible through your images. Put yourself in your customers’ shoes and try to consider any questions they might have. Show every size, color, and style option. Include different angles, show the product in-use, and highlight all of its features, such as interior pockets and lining, zippers, etc. This information and visual proof will help customers feel more confident in making a purchase, and you'll also decrease the likelihood of returns.

2. YOU’LL BE ABLE TO SELL ON MAJOR ONLINE MARKETPLACES.

Online marketplaces like Amazon, Ebay, and Google Shopping have set image guidelines. Amazon, for example, requires a white background on products’ primary images. These websites are a major opportunity for your brand. If you have high-quality images on a white seamless background, you'll have more opportunities to submit and sell your products.

3. PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TO SHARE YOUR PRODUCTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

If your products are nice to look at, people are far more likely to share them on imaged-based social media platforms such as Pinterest and Polyvore. Many people use Pinterest to bookmark things they want to buy, or to discover new products — but they want their boards to be visually appealing. If you have impressive images, your products have a better chance of being re-pinned or clicked on by others. Polyvore is dedicated solely to shopping, and some people even share products on platforms such as Tumblr, Instagram, and Facebook.

4. YOU CAN GET PRESS EXPOSURE.

Press exposure is a huge opportunity for your business. If you want your product to appear in magazines, newspaper, blogs, and other publications, professional photography is essential. While certain publications will want to take their own photographs, some blogs might want you to provide the images. You should also consider that editors are constantly overwhelmed with pitches. You need to make an impression very quickly, so your photos will need to stand out.

5. YOUR WEBSITE WILL HAVE A BETTER USER EXPERIENCE.

Professional photography will give your brand consistency. If your photos are taken in the same style, by the same photographer, your collection pages will look clean, professional, and aesthetically appealing. And in addition to having a better overall look, large high-quality photos may allow you to implement additional features on your website. A zoom feature, for example, requires very large, high-resolution images.