10 reasons why professional headshots elevate your brand
1. It signals that you’re in business, to begin with
This might seem like an obvious one, but it can be easily overlooked. Your friends, family members, or colleagues might know that you’re taking clients, but what about people who don’t know you yet?
Sometimes something as simple as having a stunning headshot on your online profile or email can signal that you mean business and you’re welcoming new business.
2. It establishes you as a thought leader
We’re visual human beings and we rely on our impressions of people around us to dictate how we’re going to respond to them. When you show up in a professional capacity, people will take you more seriously and listen to what you have to say.
Before you drum up an argument of how literally anyone can do this whether they’re an expert or not…I would say that you’re right. That being said, it doesn’t matter what underqualified people are doing. You’re a person of integrity and your voice should be heard. So, it might be time for new headshots.
3. It shows that you care about your reputation
The truth about headshots is that they signal to your audience that you care about your personal brand and are thoughtful about your business.
They would be right to make that assumption about you. Think about it… You took the time to build the relationships to find a photographer that would be a good fit for you, planned your outfits, picked a location, and now you’re sharing your value with your community. Those are all characteristics we want to see in service providers we work with.
4. It illustrates that you’ve invested in your business
Sometimes, it’s not enough to ask people to step up and invest in themselves by buying our services or products. There is an unconscious level of communication that happens as well.
If you’re asking people to invest in themselves, they might want to see evidence that you have invested in yourself. If you’re telling people to use their voice, they will look to see if you're comfortable speaking up.
Your clients will always be looking for signs that you practice what you preach.
5. It holds you accountable
I’ve heard this phrase early in our business journey and it always stuck with me - When people pay, they pay attention.
Investing in headshots takes time, money, and energy. Now that you’ve made that investment, it’s only natural that you’ll be looking at all the ways you can make the most out of those assets. Where else can you show up? How else can you connect with your audience? What value can you share in your content?
When you step up in one area of business, you’ll step up in other ways too.
6. It indicates that you believe in yourself
We’ve all heard these cliches. - “You’ve gotta spend money to make money” … “If you don’t believe in yourself, who will?”
In business, when you’re willing to consistently and proportionally invest in your growth, it signals that you believe in yourself. Remember that this is all about your personal brand and your brand is your reputation. This doesn’t mean that you never doubt yourself from time to time… we’ve all been there.
But self-belief is a strong value for any personal brand to exude.
7. It helps you to stand out in your niche
Standing out is important, but not for the reasons you think. It’s not so that you can beat out the competition, it’s so that you don’t have competition at all.
When you have something that no one else offers, there’s no need for comparison. Having headshots that capture your unique essence, style, personality, or values carves out your own lane.
8. It helps you to prepare for opportunities
So this one is more of a practical thing, but it’s a big deal. What happens when someone asks you to be on their podcast, speak on their panel, or go live with them on Instagram? They might ask you for a headshot.
Then, you scramble your photo album to find something that’s in good lighting, but recent enough…before you got that huge haircut. Take that stress off of your plate and have updated headshots. Don’t let something small like this get in the way of your opportunities.
9. It strengthens your personal brand
I touched on this in some of the earlier points, but let’s go into more detail here. Your brand is your reputation and it’s what people think of you and say about you when you’re not in the room. Having captivating headshots is the perfect opportunity to begin to build your brand, establish your values, and let people know what matters to you.
Simple things like your choice of outfit, location, how you wear your hair, and whether or not you choose to wear your glasses say a lot about who you are. When these decisions are made intentionally, they can be a powerful force for attracting the right clients.
10. It incentives you to show up on a higher level
Is it time to raise your rates? Did you hire your first employee or finally get some contractors in place? Are you working on your systems and organizing your operations?
These are all signs of growth and a perfect time to raise your prices, figure out what offers no longer fit, fine-tune your best offers, and create some new services now that you’re playing on a different level. There’s nothing like a fresh set of headshots to kick off on these action items.
If you’re ready to schedule your next session for headshots with Ginger and Carrot Productions, you’re more than welcome to schedule a call with this link.
