Why your LinkedIn photo matters

More so than Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat, LinkedIn has emerged in recent years as THE go-to platform for all-things business. So imagine if you go to meet a person you’ve connected with on LinkedIn who has great potential as a business partner, client or collaborator—and that person looks absolutely nothing like their LinkedIn picture. You don’t realize that the person even showed up, so you walk away never connecting with the person.

An updated, professional LinkedIn headshot could make or break what could be the deal of a lifetime. Those situations really do happen. My friend and client Mary just shared this story with me.

“The other day, I was meeting an important woman who I had met once before years ago. I got to the cafe five minutes early. There were three women in the cafe. One kept looking at me and smiling, and I smiled back thinking, ‘Gee she’s sure cute and friendly.’ Then I thought, ‘I hope I’m not getting stood up.’ I looked again at the person I was scheduled to meet on LinkedIn, and she had long, light-colored hair. The woman who kept glancing at me had short, dark hair. Finally she said, ‘Mary?’ We had sat there for 15 minutes not realizing that we were both waiting for each other. She had completely changed her hairstyle and color!”

Mary got lucky. Instead of breaking a business deal, this silly moment broke the ice, and they were able to laugh for a few minutes and bond over it. But is neglecting your LinkedIn profile picture worth the risk? 

There are so many reasons to have an updated LinkedIn profile picture. During your session at KeliComm, we think a lot about LinkedIn and how you’ll come across on this powerful social media platform—because what’s the first thing people notice? Your headshot, naturally.

Keep Your LinkedIn Profile Current

Here are a few tips and tricks to create an amazing LinkedIn profile pic:

• Wear clothing you’d wear on the job. If you’ve just been promoted, let’s see you in clothes that fit your level. If you’re going for a more casual look, that’s okay too—the point is to portray yourself as professional AND approachable and in a style that is consistent with your current role or the next role you aspire to.
• Give us your best, most authentic smile. No worries—if you’ve read some of our other blogs, you know that we have several ways to get you to this point. Relax and enjoy the ride during the session.
• Update your LinkedIn picture every one or two years. Yes, it might seem like a lot of work, but life can change dramatically in the course of 12 months—and so will your look. Even if you don’t think much has changed, you’d be surprised. 
• The fresher the shot, the better you portray your brand. A great moment as a photographer for me was capturing this relaxed and optimistic shot of Jay Syverson.

LinkedIn is all about connecting to opportunity. Recent data confirms that a great headshot will result in 21 times more profile views and nine times more connections. And, as Mary experienced, people are relying more and more on the information—and that includes your headshot—on LinkedIn for face-to-face networking purposes. So why not avoid lost business and potentially embarrassing situations? Go for the gusto with the LinkedIn profile picture. We’ll help you make it happen.