You’ve either registered or chosen to improve your LinkedIn profile. The feeling of anxiety creeps in – which photo should you upload on LinkedIn? You’re eager to make a positive impression on potential employers, clients, or colleagues, right?
As a professional LinkedIn headshot photographer, let me share my top 10 tips to assist you in creating your ideal LinkedIn profile picture!
What makes your pictures the best Linkedin profile pictures?
Linkedin profiles pictures are professional headshot photos of you presented to your audience. This audience can be your prospective employers, staff, agents, clients or customers. Often your Linkedin profiles pictures forms the very first impression of you. Alternatively, they remind of or reinforce your presence subsequent to meeting you.
It is therefore important that you are recognisable in your Linkedin photos, above all. Then, you have the opportunities to establish connections and leave a positive impression!
Now, let’s check out the top 10 tips to have remarkable and best Linkedin profile pictures!
1. Up close and personal
Given a relatively tight space in our LinkedIn profiles, it is important that our facial features are obvious in the photos. Avoid using a full or half body picture. Instead, make sure your Linkedin profile photos are of tight crop from head to chest, so your face is the main feature in the photo.
2. Sharp and in focus image
If your favourite head shot photo is blurry or not in focus, I will suggest not to use it. Your audience should be able to identify you clearly from your profile photo at an instance. We don’t want to leave them guessing!
3. Look straight at the camera
Often people look at your professional profile to decide whether to work further with you. Your LinkedIn photo often gives the very first impression you create, before the others delve into your detailed profile. Ideally this LinkedIn photo helps you earn their trust. Thus, it is therefore important to engage the audience through your eye contact by looking straight into the camera.
If your role involves interacting directly with others, demonstrating friendliness and approachability through a smile can be beneficial!
4. Keep the background simple
Within the limited space in the LinkedIn profile section, it is best to keep your photography background simple to minimse distraction. Your face will be best highlighted by a plain background behind you.
Most people prefer to keep the background colour to a neutral or muted theme. However if you are in more creative industries and want to stand out in your profiles, it is fine to incorporate brighter colours too!
If you’re considering including an environmental background in your profile photos, make sure that the surroundings are not overly cluttered or distracting. It’s even better if you can separate the scene from your own appearance.
If you use the service of a professional headshot photographer for your LinkedIn photos, he or she would be able to fade out the background for that separation and create a more desirable visual impact for you.
5. Be the only person in the photo
Often I encounter LinkedIn profile pictures where individuals are cropped out of group photos. Unfortunately, it doesn’t convey professionalism, and professionalism is paramount when it comes to your LinkedIn photos! Your profile and its photo should solely represent you and nobody else.
6. Do not use holiday or party photos
It is often a concern when we come across a LinkedIn headshot that has been cropped from a holiday or party photo. Linkedin is a professional platform and you should adhere to a professional protocol to be taken seriously. Party or holiday snapshots does not represent you for who you are in business or in employment. While they may be appropriate in other social media platforms for sharing, they are defintiely a “no” to be appearing in your LinkedIn profiles.
7. Looks like you
While this may sound obvious, it is not necessarily the case! Do you have the experience that you look at someone’s profile photos and wonder if it is the same person you have just met? Your LinkedIn profile picture should bear close resemblance to who you are, while being the best version of you.
8. Update photo to reflect your current appearance
Does your LinkedIn photo reflect your current physical appearance? Are you guilty of using photos that were taken years ago, that are no longer relevant or reflective of who you are? It is best practice to refresh your LinkedIn profile pictures every now and then, so they stay relevant and relatable!
9. Wear appropriate attire
Think of your profile photo as a virtual handshake. Greet your online audience in how you greet the others in person. I always suggest my clients to wear clothes that they wear to at work or to meet clients for their headshot photography session. You do not necessarily need to look more formal than how you usually dress for work.
Related reading: Personal Brand Photography: What to wear to a photoshoot
10. Have a professional Linkedin headshot photographer take your profile pictures
If you can put aside a budget to use the service of a quality professional photographer, that would be your best chance to have your best LinkedIn profile photos! An experienced professional LinkedIn headshot photographer can who look after most the details listed here and give you the confidence you need in front of the camera.
How I can help you with your best Linkedin profile pictures
As a London headshot photographer, I help my clients prepare for their headshot photography session so you will come to the photo shoot with confidence. I offer various backgrounds and capture different looks during a single photography session. And as an award winning portrait photographer, I give my clients detailed guidance during the shoot to bring out the best in them. Even if you feel camera shy, you can still come away with empowering LinkedIn profile photos that you are proud of.
Do you feel ready to upgrade your Linkedin profile and work with a trust worthy professional photographer? I would love to hear from you. Please see more information here or get into contact here.
Related reading: Business Portraits: How to exude confidence as Entrepreneurs
