Promote Your Brand: Your Picture Is Worth 1000 Words!

Promote Your Brand: Part Four

This is the last in a series of columns dedicated to helping you promote your brand. Your brand is YOU, and YOU are your brand. What is the best way for clients to associate your brand with you? Through your picture, of course!

This month, we have been helping you promote your professionalism and strengthen your brand through education. The Travel Institute is offering a limited number of scholarships in its Promote Your Professionalism 50% scholarship opportunity for our CTA^®, CTC^®, and CTIE^® courses. But time is running out. Applicants for the remaining scholarships must complete The Travel Institute’s scholarship form by July 31.

All month, we have been discussing your value from your perspective: What do you bring to the table? How do you promote YOU as a provider of a service or product? Today, we’re turning the tables and want you to put on your consumer hat and see things from your prospective clients’ vantage point.

To start, look at The Travel Institute’s Certified Travel Agent Directory. This is a consumer-facing page, so the playing field between you and your prospects is level. Scroll down through the first few entries of agents and their credentials. As a consumer, which profiles are you drawn to? Which would you open first: the ones with only the TTI logo or the ones that show an agent’s face?

Next, look at your own profile on your website or elsewhere. Did you upgrade your profile from tips you learned in last week’s Hot Tip Tuesday? Would clients gravitate toward your photo as someone who is knowledgeable, inviting, and supportive? Do you even have a photo of yourself?

A recent Orbit Media article says it best:
Your profile picture is key to your personal brand and online networking. It has an impact on your job opportunities and, ultimately, your career. And fixing your picture is a one-time action that gives you lasting benefits. Invest some time in the most important aspect of your online presence.

Admittedly, many of you don’t consider yourselves photogenic. Have you ever critiqued your selfies or other photos posted on social media? How many times have you insisted on a retake because you didn’t like your pose or the camera angle?

You may think you need a professional photographer to take your headshot, but the idea of hiring one may have deterred you. The good news is that cell phones take great pictures! You simply can get dressed and ask a friend or family member to take your picture with several different backgrounds. You can find at least ONE you like!

Regardless of whether you use a professional or an amateur photographer for your pictures, most people can benefit from some tips. The following are some Photography Dos and Don’ts we’ve gathered:

DO:

• Be aware of lighting: soft, diffused lighting is best. There is a reason you see people taking selfies at the beach at dawn or dusk. The lighting is flattering and forgiving! Avoid glare from inside or outside lights and never take photos at noon on a sunny day. Those shadows under your nose and chin will draw all the attention! Similarly, avoid dark shadows that obscure your face or body. You want clients to see your friendly face, so don’t hide it!
• Use simple backgrounds to direct the focus to your face. The Orbit Media article suggests you use a simple or flat-colored background. It also says choosing the background is an opportunity to use eye-catching, contrasting colors without changing your clothes. Just change the background!
• According to a blog by Entrepreneur, you should play with camera angles because they create the illusion of depth and height, making your images more interesting.
• Make sure you—not others in your group—are the focus of the photo. If the picture is too busy, viewers will quickly scroll past.

DON’T:

• Let your background take away from you. You work in an industry that offers countless breathtaking backgrounds. Landscapes are perfect for your blogs and website pages, but they are not appropriate for your profile picture.
• Use the manual zoom feature on your camera to get a closer look because that will diminish the quality of the photo, according to Entrepreneur.
• Dilute your brand by using many different pictures on your directories or pages. Orbit recommends that you use the same headshot on all your professional profiles.

If you are a TTI-certified alum, take advantage of our consumer-facing Directory and add your photo to your digital credential profile. The simple step of adding a profile picture will help you get noticed and increase your response and referral rates. It’s your first chance to communicate that you are friendly, likable, and trustworthy—attributes that are crucial to getting prospects to engage with you.

LinkedIn states that members with a photo receive far more engagement: 21 times more profile views and nine times more connection requests. The consumer press has highlighted the power of a trusted travel agent directory and the strength of the Travel Institute’s Certification programs. Digital credentials enable quick and easy confirmation of your stated certification. Click here to learn how to set up your digital credential.

If you are not yet certified, the time is now to enroll in The Travel Institute’s certification courses and take advantage of the current Promote Your Professionalism 50% scholarship opportunity. There are only six days left before the application deadline expires, so enroll TODAY.