Your public profile picture is one of the most important aspects of your personal brand.  Though often displayed as tiny, people will try to judge your personality and what kind of person you are from a simple business portrait, no matter how small it displays on your page.

From networking on LinkedIn to representing your work projects the photo of yourself will significantly influence how people view both you and your work. But here’s the problem: that playful selfie that’s been your Twitter profile pic for the last year won’t look so great in a professional setting. The last thing you want is to come across as too casual, too young, or too awkward to be taken seriously. Unfortunately, this happens to a lot of people.

Far too many selfies and friend-snapped pics are fun among friends but wind up looking strange, aggressive, or unprofessional when presented as your work image. Today, I’m here to highlight all the places on the internet where you’ll want a professional portrait of your work-self taken by skilled photographers who know exactly what they’re doing.

Your Business Portrait on the Company Website

One very serious consideration is the company website. Many companies today are personalizing their brand by displaying a business portrait and small bios of key employees. For small companies, every employee on the payroll might have their photo online. But even more important are people whose pictures are featured because they are the head of important projects or personally represent the company.

If you’re lucky, your workplace will bring in a professional photographer to get nice uniform portraits of everyone who will be on the website. But most of the time, companies simply ask you to bring in a portrait of the right size and content. With a professional portrait already in hand, you will be prepared to look smooth, capable, and professional to your company’s clients and business partners.

Your Freelancer Website

It’s also not uncommon for modern professionals to have their own website and take on some freelance work outside of their day-job. Or perhaps you have evolved beyond the day job to a purely freelance-based workload. If so, naturally you want a recent and flattering photo of yourself on your ‘About Me’ page so that clients can get to know you and trust the professionalism of your work.

This is another instance where your Twitter profile pic just won’t do. Make sure your personal website shows you off as the polished and prepared professional that you are with an expertly shot business portrait.

LinkedIn and Social Media

There are two ways to run your social media: for business or personal interactions. Any social media account used for business should feature your business personal portrait instead of the fun selfie used for personal accounts. On LinkedIn, for example, recruiters and potential future employers are going to check out your profile and you want that portrait to look polished for work, not play.

For other platforms, many people actually create two accounts. One for their professional persona and portrait and one for fun with friends. This way, ‘work’ related social media is always done with your most polished photo and business-like interactions.

On Your Mobile Devices

Finally, don’t underestimate the importance of your mobile and contact photo. Remember that when you email people, send them a text, or are added to their chat-program contacts that your profile picture can be seen. Whether it’s your mobile workforce chat app or your personal email profile picture, that photo needs to be as professional as possible to show your contacts ‘your best side’.

Learn More About a Business Portrait

The way you present yourself online is the way the world sees you. From current clients to future employers, you want the online business world to see you as a polished and serious professional. And the best way to build that image is to start with a professional portrait to use for all your online appearances. For more personal branding insights to build your value as a professional, contact us today!