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!
For the past few weeks, we have been helping you promote your professionalism and strengthen your brand through education, focusing specifically on the Certified Travel Associate, (CTA®) for frontline agents and on the Premium Library with something for all agents, regardless of their career stage.
We’ve 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: Review all of your online profiles, including those for your consortium, your agency, and any other group that allows you to broadcast your brand. Is your profile updated? Does your photo indicate the brand you want to portray to your clients?
Next: If you are a CTA, CTC, or CTIE, be sure to review your own digital credential and profile photo and link them to your signature line to enhance your brand. Click here for information on digital credentials.
Admittedly, many of you don’t consider yourselves photogenic. You may think you need a professional photographer to take your headshot, but the idea of hiring a photographer may have deterred you. The good news is that cell phones take great pictures! You simply can dress professionally and ask a friend to take your picture with several different backgrounds. You can find at least ONE you like! One of our own team members, Guida Botelho, CTIE, asked her husband to take her picture!
Regardless of whether you use a professional or an amateur photographer, 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 people take 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.
- Play with camera angles to 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 photo’s clarity and quality.
- Dilute your brand by using many different pictures on your directories or pages. For consistency and brand recognition, use the same headshot on all your profiles.
LinkedIn states that members with a photo receive far more engagement: 21 times more profile views and nine times more connection requests. 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 encouraging prospects to engage with you.
Your picture is worth 1000 words, so let it do your talking for you!
