What Do Your Online Photos Say About Your Brand?

The photos you choose to represent your online brand are important. After all, your profile picture across various networking websites is often the first impression others get of you!

Whether you’re on the job search or looking to grow in your career, it’s vital that your online photos reflect the brand you’re building or maintaining. Your photos can…

  • Entice or repel employers or recruiters
  • Make an impression on potential clients or customers
  • Help others make an emotional connection with you
  • Reinforce your personal brand
  • Help others associate specific characteristics with you based on your expressions and gestures

What are you saying with your online photos?

If you don’t have any pictures of yourself on your profiles, you might be saying: “I don’t want you to know who I am.” Most folks don’t trust social networking accounts that aren’t associated with a “real” person—and it helps to establish who you are by choosing a picture that represents you. This means choosing a professional-looking headshot and doing away with that silly cartoon person, picture of your dog or baby, or other image that does not represent your brand.

If you aren’t smiling in your photos, you’re telling others: “I’m not friendly.” People don’t typically want to interact with others who seem distant or unapproachable. Do yourself a favor and smile to make the best overall impression on others.

If you have several professional headshots, you’re saying, “I’m professional and I care about how I’m perceived.” Photos that include you “at work,” in a suit or nice clothing, or help reinforce your brand show that you understand the impact pictures can have on how what others think of you.

And, you guessed it…if you have a bunch of drinking or partying pictures on your profiles, you’re telling potential employers or clients, “I’m not serious about my job search or career.” It’s easy to lock down your profiles using privacy settings so these pictures are not associated with your professional brand. But, let’s face it—it’s easier to control your image by not posting these types of photos at all!

Keep your online images consistent by signing up for a Gravatar account so the same photo is associated with your email address and name across all blogs that you comment on.

Picture of Heather R. Huhman

Heather R. Huhman

Heather R. Huhman is a career expert and founder & president ​of Come Recommended, a career and workplace education and consulting firm specializing in young professionals. She is also the author of#ENTRYLEVELtweet: Taking Your Career from Classroom to Cubicle (2010), national entry-level careers columnist forExaminer.com and blogs about career advice at HeatherHuhman.com.

TRENDING AROUND THE WEB

If you want to be smarter and more knowledgeable of the world as you get older, say goodbye to these 7 behaviors

If you want to be smarter and more knowledgeable of the world as you get older, say goodbye to these 7 behaviors

Global English Editing

Bombshell report exposes Biden health cover-up: Claims he was senile from day one

Bombshell report exposes Biden health cover-up: Claims he was senile from day one

Baseline

People who grew up with high-strung parents usually develop these 7 behaviors later in life, according to psychology

People who grew up with high-strung parents usually develop these 7 behaviors later in life, according to psychology

Parent From Heart

People who are happy on the surface but emotionally struggling underneath usually display these 8 subtle behaviors

People who are happy on the surface but emotionally struggling underneath usually display these 8 subtle behaviors

The Blog Herald

5 zodiac signs who would rather stay home on a weekend than go out and party

5 zodiac signs who would rather stay home on a weekend than go out and party

Baseline

9 subtle signs you will be a major success one day (even if you don’t have much yet)

9 subtle signs you will be a major success one day (even if you don’t have much yet)

Global English Editing

Subscribe to receive our latest articles!

Get updates on the latest posts and more from Personal Branding Blog straight to your inbox.