Business head shots are a vital way of showing your professionalism in social media platforms, so they should be professional – and kept up to date too. Running a LinkedIn profile with a poor quality headshot or one taken 10 years ago – even if you really like that photo – is not a good idea and I’ll share a few reasons with you.

The most obvious is that an old business head shot photo mis-represents who you are today. It’s true that the profile pic on social media is the first impression many will get of you before meeting you in person, so it must be a true representation of who you are today.

Another failing I see with some people’s approach to business head shots is a photograph that is clearly taken in a casual environment, or, horror! An unprofessional look. Unless you are a publican, it is not a good look on LinkedIn holding a glass of wine in one hand and a bottle of red in the other. A photographer’s shots of you, will give you the right look for you and your profession, underpinning your professional standing; not undermine it.

So; professional approach? Tick. Up to Date? Here’s why that’s important. How damaging is it if your initial real world relationship gets harmed because you look much older in person than online? As well as looking your age, what if you have lost or gained weight? A client last month decided he should get a new profile photo for his social media profile because he’s lost 42 pounds since his photo session three years ago. He is now extremely happy with his new images, reflecting his svelte new body shape. Changed your hair style? Get a new head shot. Grown a beard? Same again. Completely restyled your look? (check out Angela Rayner pre and post 2024 election) It’s time for an upgrade.

Using an old head shot, at the very least, creates a dissonance for the person you are meeting, as they try to square the image they have built in their head with the one that confronts them on the day. However, there is the very real possibility that the difference leads to a break down in trust, affecting your credibility with your new contact. Perhaps they’ll think you neglected your profile – what else could you be neglecting? Are you not detail oriented? They may think a lack of care on social media may be an indication of your general approach to work.

Brand Me

If you have invested time and effort in building a personal brand, then where you were 10 years ago is probably not where you are today. You have probably developed new ideas; new ways of working. How you conduct yourself now will be markedly different to the old you and, if that’s the case, you will be more confident, more knowledgeable which helps solidify your branding. Good, up to date head shots or business profile photography shows you take your image seriously as well as showing your confidence and reflecting the characteristics making up your branding now, rather than when you started.

Conclusion

Overall, it pays to keep your head shot up to date: Trust is better, personal branding strengthened, your work ethic is shown to be strong – and; the impression you make online, is exactly like the one you make in real life.

If you would like a refresh of your business head shot for your online presence, fill in this short form and say so and then I can contact you back.