Why is a Professional Portrait Important for Your Website?
When making use of your website, social networking outlets, business cards, and various other marketing tools, image is everything! Even if you don’t find it necessary, a professional image of yourself is high priority in the real estate business, considering how many people view it and formulate opinions based on it; you want your photo to reflect that you are a professional businessman/woman. It is the first impression of yourself to potential clients, and first impressions count! A good portrait is not just an image of yourself, but a convincing representation of the best version of yourself. A photograph has the ability to transpose your personality into a 2D image, and embodies the very essence of your personality – whether it be the reliable, friendly, or serious real estate agent, just to name a few.
Given that a photograph has such tremendous power in portraying you a particular way, it is important to present yourself in an approachable and professional manner. It only takes a few seconds to build an impression from a photograph… make those few seconds worth it!
Many options are available to you when it comes to having a professional photograph taken. Firstly, when picking your photographer, do your research! Ensure they are primarily interested in giving you satisfactory results – not just take your money, point, and shoot. Secondly, try to have your photo taken by a photographer who displays artistic qualities in their photos – they will know best how to portray you creatively and effectively.
What to Wear, and What to Bring!
Here are some tips and suggestions on what should be worn for your professional shoot. The colours that look good on almost everybody are white, black, earth-tones, and warm shades of blue and green. If you are going for a business casual look, then a simple, flattering shirt with plain, dark jeans would work best. Make sure your clothing has no rips (intentional or not), no branding or print, and is not too bright as that draws too much attention on the article of clothing and takes away attention from your face and overall look – try to go for more neutral colours or colours low in saturation. If you are going for a more formal look, try to wear a fashionable top with a nice, tailored jacket (this applies to both men and women). Try to avoid the typical black jacket and white dress shirt “job interview” look as that will strip away from your unique personality. If you would like an edgier look, bring the outfit that defines you best. Keep it professional, but with an edge to it. This doesn’t mean that you should dye your hair purple, just try to bring out your individuality in a way that is both edgy and professional. Whichever look you are going for, make sure you wear a colour that suits your skin colour – you don’t want to look worn-out or too pale!
Next, what I recommended you bring to the photoshoot… Make sure to bring any “refresher” cosmetics, such as face powder to remove any shine that may accumulate throughout the shoot and a comb or brush for your hair. Any makeup you normally wear, bring it with you. In case you get caught in rain or hefty winds, bring light hairspray. Most importantly, bring more than one outfit! It would be very unfortunate if you brought one outfit, and spilled coffee all over it on your way to the shoot. Bring outfit changes to change up the look, too. You don’t want 10 different photos in the same outfit – that would limit your choices later when choosing a favourite or primary image.
The Last Step: Put It on Your Website!
Your professional image should be one of the first things viewers see on your website. Consider it your branding – the online version of a handshake. When adding your image to social networking sites, try to stray from personal accounts. It’s nice to add a professional photo to your personal Facebook account (for example), but don’t advertise your personal account when marketing your business as it will strip away your professionalism (clients don’t want to see photos of how you partied Saturday night). It’s also good to spruce it up a bit throughout the website – maybe have a headshot on the Home page, and a body shot (in the same outfit as the front page headshot) in the Biography section. Keep in mind though, consistency should be maintained throughout all of your marketing including social networking websites, it will help your clients familiarize themselves with your personal branding, as well as remember and recognize it immediately upon contact in future situations. Ultimately, the image of yourself is the first contact viewers have with you on your website – so think twice before uploading the photo from your last summer’s hiking trip!
Authored By: Sevi, Client Relations