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]
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THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2018
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