Can I use a selfie for my LinkedIn profile photo?

/in , , , , /by

People often ask us can I use a selfie for my LinkedIn profile photo? We will tell them yes if they do not care about their LinkedIn profile page, as it will make them look unprofessional. Selfies are fine for sending to friends and family or using on Instagram, TikTok or Facebook, but LinkedIn is a place for doing business, and you need to look professional and serious about your career. Selfies send out all the wrong signals as they are rarely taken in a work environment and are usually captured at social engagements. Also, selfies mean that you are holding your phone out in front of you, and therefore the photo is not at a natural angle. So the answer to the question, can I use a selfie for my LinkedIn profile photo? It is a no if you are serious about looking professional on your Linkedin profile page.

Selfies might seem like a good alternative to commissioning a professional LinkedIn profile photo, but when you add up the cost of a decent LinkedIn headshot against the savings you might make with a selfie, then you will see what a mistake it is. So a professional LinkedIn profile photo captured at a studio or London office with a corporate portrait photographer will set you back anywhere from £150 to £300 plus VAT. This seems like a lot of money for a simple profile photo, but you have to look at the long-term damage a selfie could be doing to your career. Say you are looking for a new job or pitching for work from a new client. The first thing they will do is look at your LinkedIn profile page. The first thing they will see is your LinkedIn profile photo, and guess what? This is where not having a professional LinkedIn profile photo starts to cost you more than £150.

Do any of these selfies look like they should be on a LinkedIn profile page?

A professional LinkedIn profile photo in London offices.

A professional LinkedIn profile photo in London offices.

 

Why you need a professional LinkedIn profile photo?

/in /by

Let me explain why you need a professional LinkedIn profile photo?

OK, so you are going for a job interview or meeting with new clients, so you put on your smartest work clothes to look professional. This all makes perfect sense to me. So why would you not have a professional LinkedIn photo on your LinkedIn page? Your LinkedIn profile page is your business shopfront. Many people on knowing they are going to meet you, will check out your LinkedIn profile page to see what you are about. The first thing they will look at is your LinkedIn profile photo, and if that is a selfie or a snap taken by your partner or friends, then that is the equivalent of going to a business meeting dressed in a holiday outfit!

This is why you need a professional LinkedIn profile photo? You can not cut corners when it comes to your business shopfront. It is all about first impressions, and as we have mentioned before, you do not get a second chance to make a good first impression. Do not take a risk and upload a snap of yourself because you think you look OK. It is not professional and, therefore, will make you look non-professional. We have seen some of our clients so pleased with the result of a professional LinkedIn profile photo compared to what they had been using in the past. Some headshot examples were truly shocking on a LinkedIn profile page. The worst was a gentleman who had a snap taken on a holiday; He was wearing a sun hat and holding a pint of beer! Nearly as bad was a woman who was standing holding a horse with a riding hat on.

The examples might seem funny, but you have to remember that using a snap or selfie could potentially cost you a job or a new client. If you send out the wrong vibes with a poor LinkedIn profile photo, then you are doing yourself an injustice. You will have to pay for your new professional LinkedIn photo, but can you put a price on what cutting corners costs your business?

Why you need a professional LinkedIn profile photo?

Why you need a professional LinkedIn profile photo?

What are the background options for your new LinkedIn profile photo?

/in /by

Clients are always asking us what are the background options for your new LinkedIn profile photo. Basically, we would suggest that there are five main backgrounds that we would suggest. In a studio set up we can offer the most popular choice which is white. The majority of clients ask for a clean white background as this is the most popular you will see on most LinkedIn profile pages. Some clients prefer a grey background as this is a little softer and can actually make your profile photo stand out a little more on your LinkedIn profile page. Sometimes we are asked for a dark or black background as this will make your profile photo really stand out on a profile page as it contrasts totally with the normal white page. If we are asked to capture a LinkedIn profile photo on a coloured background, we will normally add the colour in post-production as buying in a colourama roll just for one profile photo is uneconomic.

The next option would be an office interior as your background. This can work really well as it shows the person in their office environment which helps establish the person as a busy working professional. We do suggest that we capture the LinkedIn profile photo with the office background slightly out of focus so that any mess or shapes that might distract from the subject are lost in the background blur. You will still be able to see it is an office environment but it will look less intrusive.

Other background options for your LinkedIn photo are the great outdoors! We can meet you at a London location and capture your LinkedIn photo with a cityscape background. These work well as they place the person in the major city they work in. So when a potential client or employer looks at your LinkedIn profile page, they will know instantly where you are based.

LinkedIn profile photo with dark background.

LinkedIn profile photo with a dark background.

LinkedIn profile photo with an office background.

LinkedIn profile photo with an office background.

LinkedIn profile photo with a London cityscape background.

LinkedIn profile photo with a London cityscape background.

Do I need a professional LinkedIn profile photo?

/in /by

When we tell people what we do and how much we charge for our LinkedIn profile photos, we often hear… Do I need a professional LinkedIn profile photo? Our answer depends on what your occupation is.

If you are in full-time employment and you are not interacting with important clients, then the answer is no; you do not need a professional LinkedIn profile photo. You can use a decent photo of yourself on LinkedIn as people might look you up just to put a face to the name, but your LinkedIn profile will not depend on bringing new work and clients to the business.

If you are a freelancer working for a variety of clients, then a professional LinkedIn profile photo is a good idea. Potential clients will check out your LinkedIn profile to access your business skills and to check on any recommendations past clients have left.

Also, if you are a salesperson and you are constantly engaging with clients, you will need a decent profile photo. Selling is hard enough without your LinkedIn photo letting the side down. You are in competition and need everything to look professional on your LinkedIn profile. So budget accordingly and go to a professional corporate portrait photographer and make sure your profile photo is up to date and not ten years old.

Lastly, if you are a director of a business, you represent your company and the services or products it delivers. If clients know they might be working with you, they will automatically check out your LinkedIn profile. When they do, they need to see you looking professional, and the first thing they will look at is your profile photo. You don’t have to look like a movie star. You just have to look like a professional business person. So spend some time finding the right corporate headshot photographer. Have samples of what you want so you can clearly show the photographer what you want the end result to look like.

Do I need a professional LinkedIn profile photo?

Do I need a professional LinkedIn profile photo?