The Business Exchange Swindon & Wiltshire Edition 35: Feb/March 2018 | Page 18

CREATIVE THINKING Making the right impression in 2018 by Lis McDermott, Headshot Diva The beginning of a new year is a good time to check that your online business presence is up to date and relevant. Here are some questions to help you check: Do you have a recent headshot of yourself on your website and social media platforms? Is your image over two years old? Ask yourself honestly, do I still look like that? Do you have appropriate images to give to press? When publications/press ask for a headshot, they want images in colour at high resolution; meaning dpi (digital pixel images), not kg size. Generally, they are not interested in ‘creative’ versions of headshots, but want to see your face, with your eyes visible. If a publication does want more creative pictures, then they will most likely send their own photographer to capture the style they are looking for. In no way am I suggesting that you shouldn’t have those creative images on your website, because they are what show your character, but they are not the ones to send to the press. Is there consistency in your use of images across all of your social media, including your website? It is worth checking across all of your social media platforms, and in fact any other web outlets where your image appears to ensure that they are all recent images. When carrying out ‘Image Audits’ for clients, I have found them appearing on other sites (which they have forgotten they subscribed to) with dated images. Are the images you are using congruent with your values and how you want to be seen as a business/ business owner? It is always useful to build up a portfolio of images that show the uniqueness of you, your people and your product or service. Unless you pay for exclusivity, when you buy stock images they can also be used by anyone, anywhere in the world. Can you be sure a company who may be totally opposed to your values is not using those same images? Obviously, there are some scenarios that cannot be captured locally, but talking to a professional photographer to see what is possible is always your best first stop. In some businesses, just by their nature, there are regular changes in staff members. Therefore, you may think it wouldn’t work to have them photographed at work, but if you have branded work-wear, then a photographer can easily take images that focus on the business logo and what the person is doing, rather than identify them facially. Be aware that not all photographers work with all genres, so you may have to use more than one photographer; one for your people photography and another for your products. Find the best match for your business. This year Lis McDermott is running her fourth workshop ‘Presenting Brand You’. The workshops are to help businesswomen to represent their brand in the most positive way. The first of these workshops is on March 19, 2018. To find out more and to book visit: http://ow.ly/qpvn30hPjPx For more info: www.headshotdiva.co.uk 07713 586033 [email protected] Brochures Leaflets Posters Business cards Newsletters Merchandise Websites Signage Exhibitions Banners (you name it, we design and print it) Why not give us a call on 01793 336 004 18 THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2018 or pop in for a chat and a coffee www.studio-cs.co.uk