My thanks to colleague and mentor Susan Finn, for rising to my call for guest bloggers! Her post continues the personal brand theme I started last month, with the importance of using a professional headshot. You probably think that you are in the business of ______ (fill in the blank: jewelry making, selling insurance, massage therapy, graphic arts). But really, you are in the business of marketing your business. Right now, there are people who need your goods or services. It is up to you to help them find you. Therefore, marketing is not what you do to sell your goods or services, it’s something you do FOR your potential clients. As we all know, with the internet, social media and the constant pace of 24/7 business, it is more critical than ever that a person or company brands and promotes effectively. Your personal brand, product or service might be the most awesome on the face of this earth, but if customers can’t find the value—the unique value—they are unlikely to … [Read more...]
“You oughta be in pictures …”
The classic 1934 song was never more true than it is today for social media. As a résumé writer, I help many people develop content for their LinkedIn profiles and Facebook pages, and I always recommend that people get a professional “headshot” to show who they are. I understand the concern some may have about identity theft. But if you choose to use social media to market yourself or your business (and you should—see some stats below), you are shortchanging yourself by not including a photo to show the world who they would be hiring. Most professional photographers don’t charge huge amounts for this—I paid $175 for a sitting and a disc with my photo on it—and it adds to the “story” you create about who you are and what you have to offer your prospects. If you can’t afford it, then spiff up and find a friend who will take your picture against a neutral, uncluttered background. And using bad photos can hurt you almost as much as not using one at all. Don’t use your latest Facebook … [Read more...]