3 Elements of a Good Social Media Profile Photo

Want to up your game on social media? Upgrade your social media profile photo. Whether you book a session with a photographer (hint hint) or DIY it here are some things to think about as it would apply to your professional profiles.

Many people put their logo as their profile photo or banner images on their profile. If you are a service provider, artist, coach, consultant, etc. people are hiring YOU. People only work with people they like and trust. Your profile photos can be that first connection point for people to see who you are before ever meeting you

Focus

Think about what your social media profile photo is intended for. It’s so people can see who you are and make that connection a little easier. This is important, especially for your business-related profiles. A selfie can work if you keep these things in mind.

• Have your face be the brightest thing in the image. That means getting close to a window that doesn’t have direct sunlight. The background will naturally be darker because the camera is adjusting for the brightness of your face.
• Simple Background. This will keep the attention to your face by eliminating busy elements in the background. Use a blanket or dark piece of fabric behind you to make it simple and clean

Crop

This one can be tricky because you want people to see your face but also want to show a little more than just your face. Keep in mind that most social media platforms are viewed on mobile devices and show up less than an inch on the screen. Make your face the most prominent part of the image so people know who you are. Full body shots, while you may like, are hard to see at such a small scale.

Expression

Ever look at a portrait and are immediately engulfed in it? No, just me? Well, what if your profile photo made people stop their scroll and want to know more about you? This element is important as it is one of the best ways to connect with potential clients.

Body language and expression are key non-verbal elements of a good photo and how we analyze situations in person. This will likely be the hardest one to achieve. Try closed-mouth smiles, toothy smiles, laugh, and serious. Try them out and see what you connect with and what represents your brand. Practice in the mirror, in front of your family or friends, record yourself with a client so you can see your natural expressions when you are in your element. Don’t worry if you have to take a million selfies or your photographer gets a lot of different variety. Getting the right expression that fits your brand, business, or art can make that connection with customers that much stronger.

Think of it as meeting someone for the first time. How would you react, would you smile, laugh, open up for a hug? Our brain is taking in so much non-verbal information when interacting with others. If your photographer doesn’t guide you through some expressions or talks with you about how you want to show up in the images, they are doing you a disservice.

The whole idea of getting a headshot is so people can connect with you before they meet you in person. If one of these elements are off it may hinder that connection. So, whether you are DIYing it or hire a photographer make sure it checks all these boxes.

The people over at Photofeeler offer a great way to have your profile photo rated on different attributes like trustworthiness, likeability, authenticity, and many others. Upload your social media profile photo and get ratings from other users. You can also rate others’ images. This is not sponsored in any way, just a cool resource I found recently