What makes a good LinkedIn profile photo?

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Three tips we suggest when we are asked, what makes a good LinkedIn profile photo?

Firstly make sure your corporate headshot photographer is using a decent long or portrait lens. This is very important as either of these two lenses will compact your portrait, making your face look natural and flattering. A standard lens can be used for portraits but not for a profile photo, as the standard lens will not compact your facial expression. Never use a wide angle or fisheye lens for a LinkedIn profile photo, as this will distort your face making your nose, forehead, and chin look much bigger than they actually are and turning your profile photo into a Caricature.

The second suggestion for a good profile photo is to make sure your corporate photographer has professional studio lighting. You will need them to have a decent-sized softbox and a small flash for the catchlight in your eyes. This is essential as bad lighting can ruin a LinkedIn profile photo, so you need to get this right. The softbox will be the main light, and this provides a soft and even light which will not create any hard or harsh shadows on your face. The small flash will be positioned in front of you and will soften any shadows and provide the essential catchlight in your eyes.

The third suggestion, and often overlooked, is to get a decent background. What is behind you is still part of your profile photo, and a poor backdrop will distract from your profile photo. Get it right, and it will enhance your LinkedIn profile photo. Your background can be a solid colour which is very popular on LinkedIn. Get your corporate photographer to confirm they have a roll or colorama roll or pop-up backdrop so you can be sure they have the proper studio set up. Your background can also be an office setting so that your LinkedIn profile photo sets you in your work environment. Also popular is to have a cityscape background which immediately situates you in the city you work in.

What makes a good LinkedIn profile photo?

What makes a good LinkedIn profile photo?

 

How you should look in your LinkedIn profile photo.

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Some tips on how you should look in your LinkedIn profile photo.

As we have discussed before, your LinkedIn profile photo is a very important part of our profile page. It will be the first thing potential clients and employers look at when they visit your profile page. So it is critical that you look your best. The question is how to do that. Remember, LinkedIn is a business social media tool, and therefore you need to appear that you are ready to do business. It is not important to look beautiful or handsome. It is very important that you look professional. Viewers visiting your page want to see one thing, that you look like you are good at your job and would be an asset to their business.

So how do you look professional in your LinkedIn profile photo? You need to find a professional corporate headshot photographer. You can search online or ask business associates if they have used a photographer they would recommend. Always check out the photographer’s portfolio, and if you have seen another person’s profile photo that you like, then ask the headshot photographer to replicate that style of headshot.

Wardrobe. This is important as you must dress according to your profession. Some IT and social media companies and freelancers dress in a very casual way which suits the nature of their business. If you are in the legal, accounting or financial sectors, then we would suggest you dress accordingly. In these professions, clients still expect to see smart traditional business attire. In this business sector, you have great responsibility for people’s money or legal problems, and you should appear professional at all times. Do not try and look trendy or that you follow a certain fashion style. You need to meet the traditional expectations of your client or future employee.

For any further ideas on what to wear in your LinkedIn profile photo please ping us an email.

How you should look in your LinkedIn profile photo.

How you should look in your LinkedIn profile photo. Financial sector sample headshot.

 

What you should wear in your LinkedIn profile photo.

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Here are some tips on what you should wear in your LinkedIn profile photo.

Wardrobe Tips for Women.

In general, please avoid very bright colours and extremely bold or graphic patterns, as these can be distracting to the viewer. Also, these types of clothes are not a part of mainstream business attire and, therefore, will appear out of context on your LinkedIn profile page.

You should look professional with positive expressions, posture and stance. Ask your corporate portrait photographer to give you guidance on what is the best positions, standing or sitting, smiling or a serious face. Also, check your wardrobe for any stains or flecks of dust or debris.

For women, we suggest that jackets, suits, or dresses should be a solid colour, grey, white, or soft pattern. Shirts and blouses should not be over-dressy and again solid colours. Bold and busy patterns do not photograph well and distract the viewer. In most instances, a LinkedIn profile photo will not show the person below the waist, so there is no specific recommendation on trousers or skirts.

Hairstyles should be as you would do in most business settings. We are happy to give you variations with hair down/up so you can choose later when previewing your  LinkedIn profile photo.

When it comes to make-up, please do not go over the top. Keep it subtle and low-key. Any imperfections that you want to hide we can remove in Photoshop in post-production.

Jewellery should be kept to a minimum as again it can look too much for a normal business day.

Wardrobe Tips for Men.

Suits should be a solid colour, and please keep colours toned down. Avoid checks and large pinstripes, as these do not photograph well. Make sure your suit is well-pressed and freshly cleaned. Ties should be understated and of simple designs. If you are not going to be wearing a jacket, then wear a light colour shirt. You can wear a white shirt if you have a jacket on, but if you intend to be in shirt sleeves, then white is too bright and will reflect light up under your chin, and that is not a good look.

Here are further ideas on what you should wear in your LinkedIn profile photo.

What you should wear in your LinkedIn profile photo.

What you should wear in your LinkedIn profile photo.

 

How to look professional on your LinkedIn profile page

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Here we look at how to look professional on your LinkedIn profile page.

Your profile photo must be captured by a professional corporate portrait photographer. It is critical that you get this right. Your profile photo is the first thing potential clients or employers will look at when they check out your profile. Make sure it is a photograph. Do not upload an emoji or a painting of yourself. LinkedIn is for business people, and only proper corporate headshots should be uploaded if you want to be taken seriously on your profile page.

Your LinkedIn profile photo should be at least 400 x 400 pixels. LinkedIn will handle 7680 x 4320 pixels, but your upload size is limited to 8 MB. I’d recommend as many pixels as you can get away with in order to have a clean and clear image. Remember, when you upload your photo to LinkedIn, it is cropped automatically to a circle, so allow for this with a wider crop.

The next very important upload will be your LinkedIn background photo. It must be relevant to your business, and never leave it blank, as this also looks unprofessional. Your background photo should be formatted to fit the banner dimensions of a JPG or a PNG file. Less than 8MB in size and 1584 wide x 396 high in pixels. If you commission a corporate photographer, they will be able to format your profile and background photos in Photoshop. We know this is an added expense, but this is your business shopfront, and the more you invest in it, the bigger the rewards.

Keep your intro to the point and not too long. Don’t bombard people with information. Precise bullet points about you and your business. Try and avoid the usual business cliche terms that we all see and read on people’s profile pages. Potential employers and clients will have read thousands of profiles, so make yours stand out from the crowd by coming up with your own unique description of your merits and accomplishments.

If you need any further tips on how to look professional on your LinkedIn profile page, please get in touch here.

LinkedIn profile photo for your profile page.

LinkedIn profile photo for your profile page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LinkedIn background photo for your profile page.

LinkedIn background photo for your profile page.