What to Do and Not to Do with Online Profile Photos

You may or may not be aware at this point about how important the most appropriate photo is for your various social media profiles. In this case, a picture really is worth (at least) a thousand words.

What you should and should not do

First of all, when it comes to your social media profile photos, the worst thing that you can do is to post no photo whatsoever. In fact, there are many people who will not take a person seriously if that person either has no photo or has a photo that is of something other than the person’s face.

Once you have understood that a photo is absolutely necessary as part of your social media profiles, you need to make sure that you post the most effective, most appropriate photo possible. You will want to post a photo that elicits the most positive reaction possible from the people who are viewing your profile(s).

The fact is that you will get far more attention from your online connections when you have a photo.

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What defines the perfect photo is somewhat objective; however, some photos are obviously inappropriate for social media profiles. There are some things that you should consider before finalizing the decision on which photo you are going to use on your social media profiles. After all, it is  your brand that will be affected if you don’t have the perfect photo in your profiles.

• Pair your photo with the other content that you are sharing: Of course, all of your content is extremely important; however, your photo is especially important if you are involved with any special events. In that case, your branding is even more important and the photo will serve to remind people of your association with those events.

• Periodically renew your photo to keep your online connections interested in your brand: If you happen to have numerous products and/or services, you can be more creative with your photos than if you only have a small number of products and/or services. It is perfectly acceptable for you to use different photos for the different products and/or services, as long as all of those photos meet the criteria.

• Keep your online connections interested in what you are doing: Holding the interests of your online connections and compelling them to keep coming back to you over and over again is one of the essential elements to your business’s success. 

• You may wish to consider using a cover graphic: It is important for you to keep in mind how important your photos are when it comes to engaging your online connections. It is a really good idea to pair your cover graphic with your calls-to-action. If your cover graphic is effective and appropriate, it will be a clear statement of your ability to be creative (as a business).

• Determine the appropriate size for your profile photo: No matter which social media channels you are working with, the photos that you use should be perfect in every possible way. That includes the size, cropping, type of photo, etc. You should try to make sure that the height of your photo is approximately one-third of the width. That is a formula that seems to work well. 

• Make sure that your photo has very little text with it: Too much text with the photo will compromise the integrity of the photo and the impact that it has on your online connections. It is best to keep your words with the photo at the bare minimum.

• Your cover photo should have a synergy with every other part of your page: Your social media pages should be unified and seamless. They are a representation of your brand and that means that everything that you have on those pages should be a part of that concept. If you feel that you can accomplish that on your own, great. However, if you don’t feel that you can, hire a professional to do it for you. It will be money well worth spending.

 Conclusion

Your photo is essential as are the other aspects of your social media profile pages. That, of course, includes color uniformity and other aesthetic aspects of your social media presence. However, it is important to keep in mind that you don’t want to exaggerate. The right balance is extremely important for you and for your business. Remember to always post a professional-looking photo. Your photo should be memorable to your online connections. The more people see it online, the more they will remember you and your business. After all, you are representing your business and all that it represents.

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