LinkedIn is a full professional platform; everyone use this to promote their brand. Right LinkedIn Profile Picture can help you to build relationships with potential customers, partners. But if you’re not using it in the right way, you’re losing out on potential leads and business opportunities.
In this post, I’ll share 10 tips for choosing the right LinkedIn profile picture. For more updates read these surefire ways to get Business leads from your LinkedIn Profile
1. Pick a Picture that Reflects Your Brand.
A good LinkedIn profile picture should reflect your brand and help you stand out from the competition. For example, if you’re a business owner, choose a picture of yourself with your business logo or some other symbol that represents your company. If you work in sales or marketing, choose a picture that reflects those professions.
2. Choose a Picture that Shows Your Personality.
Your LinkedIn profile picture is one of the first things potential customers see when they look at your profile. Make sure it shows who you are as a person and what makes you unique. You have to ensure that your photo is up to date. Your photo is the exact match with you. It means remove your old photos from LinkedIn profile and upload new and updated one that describe your personality. After all LinkedIn also a professional media platform, which require some photos to build credibility among all your audience.
3. Click a photo in the Professional dress code.
Have you noticed that Zomato or Swiggy has their own dress code? The reason to use dresses while working is to represent company portfolio and brand. This is one of the best market strategy. So with the help of your dress, the visitors or your customers can find your brand, that’s why the dress code is crucial part when it comes to LinkedIn profile photo. For example, if you wear simple jeans and T-shirt, it will look unprofessional but on the other hand if you wear the formal suit with the tie, this will represent your responsibilities ideally.
4. Show your expression in Photo.
Through your LinkedIn profile photo, you can market your brand. But for this you have to upload a photo that has some good expression like you can use your photo in which you are smiling. Too much smiling doesn’t look professional, so always use a photo in which you smile in a sober manner.
By visiting your profile, users or your audience perceive that you are a good face for their brand or company and may be they can hire you. Smiling with visible teeth was judged twice as appealing as smiling with a closed mouth as it will provide you with the Right LinkedIn Profile Picture. To presenting a good expression, you need a practice, which you can do in front of the mirror.
5. Always Choose a Photo with a high resolution.
Photo quality also plays a very crucial role when using the LinkedIn profile. Basically, the appropriate size of the photo should be around 400*400 pixels (px). These high-resolution images are clearly visible to everyone. Try to keep the total file size less than 8MB, not more than that.
6. Pick a Right LinkedIn Profile Picture That’s Appropriate for Your LinkedIn Profile Type.
If you’re an individual contributor (an employee or contractor), use a picture of yourself in an informal setting. If you’re a manager, use a picture of yourself in a professional setting. The overall point is always to choose a photo that suits your work profile as it is important to keep yourself updated according to your professional life. Just opposite to that, if you are standing opposite to the light, your photo looks black with 0% clarity. LinkedIn is the professional platform, so it demands professional outlook, which you can provide only by proper clicked photo.
7. Use natural lighting while clicking Photo.
Always click the photo in appropriate lightning. As optimum amount of light is necessary for good image. Have you seen any celebrity photo? They always shine in their photo as compared to real life. This is because of light, so always keep your face in front of light when clicking any photo as it will enhance the quality of your photo.
8. Ask someone to click your photo.
These days selfies are quite common everywhere even though many peoples print their selfies photo for their professional work. But this is totally unprofessional activity as you lose trust between your customers or audience. You can ask someone to click your photo for your LinkedIn profile. Or you can contact any professional photographer nearby you to click on your photo that looks professional. Use only a good-quality camera or smartphone while clicking photos. Always ensure that your photo is clear and updated completely.
9. Cover around 60% of your face in Photo.
It is another very important criterion when uploading photos for a LinkedIn profile. Many big brands or marketer cover their face in their LinkedIn profile photo as it increases their credibility among visitors. Instead, try to occupy 60 percent of the space with your face. Crop the photo in such a way that your face covers most of the frame from the top of your neck to just above your head.
10. Don’t use a group photo as LinkedIn Profile.
Many candidates sometimes use their group photos in their LinkedIn profiles. It makes their profile less professional and unable to build trust between you and your audience or visitors. For example, just suppose, you upload a group photo, now when any visitor opens your profile, they incapable to recognize you from your group photo. That’s the reason, you should always use your single photo that clearly describes how to look.
Sum up
Investing in your Right LinkedIn Profile Picture to boost your engagement as well as referral rates. By uploading your profile photo on LinkedIn with all the above-mentioned qualities, you can gain more visitors who further increase the chance of getting more customers for your brands.
It’s your first chance to show that you’re approachable, likable, as well as trustworthy, all of which are important qualities for encouraging prospects to connect with you.
Must read: How to use LinkedIn Effectively?