Your headshot is usually the first impression you make upon a potential client, so make it a great one.
Did you know it only takes 1/10 of a second to form a first impression of someone? And, it's a lasting impression. There's a lot riding on that one image of you.
Let's talk about the importance of imagery itself, not the quality but just having an image to show. If you're not convinced about how important it is then try this for yourself, have a scroll through LinkedIn. Let's say you're looking for a healthcare worker. You'll notice around 1/3rd of the people there don't even have a profile picture. If we can't see what you look like we tend not to trust someone. Would you shortlist any of them to care for your family?
Next you'd scroll passed the selfies and ones where you can't even see their face and eventually stop to have a look at a smiling face. Why did you do that? A smile shows you're happy, fun and approachable. It can show you're a carring and likeable person, this is the power of a good headshot.
Getting the best expression for your headshot
When thinking about a headshot give some thought to as to what you'd like to portray. Whilst some professions may do well with a beaming smile for example a childcare worker, I wouldn't recommend it for a divorce lawyer. Facial expressions can make or break a headshot. I recently saw a headshot on a council election placard of a candidate smirking, I just couldn't trust someone like that.
When choosing your image to use, seek other peoples advice. Often we'll pick the one that that looks the most flattering but that might not be the best one for the intended purpose. Just think of how you want to use it. The one you choose for Facebook should be very different to the one for LinkedIn.
