What makes a great corporate LinkedIn photo?

A LinkedIn headshot is there to showcase you and your business, so you need it to speak to your customers before you even meet them.

The first thing to make sure is that you have your image there, there are still so many with the blank grey outline … leaving it like this tells your clients you can’t even be bothered to upload a photo – or you’ve got something to hide!

The next thing to consider is how visible it is on the LinkedIn page. When you look at LinkedIn profile photos they are tiny, so a full-body photo will not be recognisable as you. To be effective your profile image must be of your head and shoulders only so your face is fairly large in the frame.

It may sound obvious but it must look like you. A portrait from 10 years ago when you had dark hair will not help you now if you have gone grey or even totally lost your hair – remember it is so people can recognise you and connect with you.

On the same note, some photographers like to use photoshop but if they “flatter” you too much, especially the ladies, then you become less recognisable and it becomes obvious that it isn’t a true reflection of who you really are. A good photographer will make you look great as you, not as somebody 20 years younger or a model on a magazine cover.

From a professional photographers point of view, there are many different types of lighting that can be used to create your image – broad, narrow, butterfly to name a few. By looking at peoples faces a professional photographer will decide on how best to light you to make the most of your features.

There are lots of other decisions that a professional photographer will make; backgrounds, pose, composition, clothing which all go towards making a successful, friendly and approachable headshot. Your customers need to see that you care enough to get the best, not that you’ll take the path of least resistance.

Photographs are more than just flat images. They represent you, and you should want to be shown in the best possible way. A professional photographer will work with you to create images that fit in with your brand and embody you in a way a simple amateur photoshoot will never recreate.

Don’t settle for average or adequate when it comes to photography, set yourself up for success from the first impression. Find yourself a professional photographer who can work with you to make you ‘look the business’!

Straight talking where it comes to marketing advice – that’s the Yorkshire Powerhouse

Have you any questions?

Here at Yorkshire Powerhouse, we’re happy to help as much as possible – is there anything else we can do to help you, do you have any further questions or can we help introduce you to an expert – please let us know: