9 Tips to Nail Your Social Media Profile Picture (plus, research and examples). You’ve seen thousands of social media profile pictures. Each day you see many more. And every time you see someone’s profile picture, you form an impression of that person. In a split second, you decide if they are likable, trustworthy, smart …or not. You decide what you think.
Everybody judges your profile picture the same.
Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter andThey are elsewhere swiping left or right in their minds, connecting or dismissing your content, engaging with it or ignoring your request for connection.
Also, your profile picture should be key toYour brand andOnline networking. It can have a positive impact on your job prospects andYour career is ultimately yours.
Not! I’m skipping the online dating impact, but this post could help with that too…
Resolving your photo is a quick and easy way to reap the benefits of online marketing. Make sure you invest in your online presence. Here are nine methods to make your online presence more effective. to nail your social media profile picture.
This should be obvious, but if they can’t see your face, you’ve got a problem.
Faces are an extremely powerful form of imagery. Study of the psychology behind images shows that faces are able to leverage a cognitive bias within our brains.
You have passions. You might love dogs, helicopters, skiing. But your profile picture isn’t the place toMake this point.
Are you an avid mountain climber or do you just love it? You’re welcome! Place your face in the profile photo andThe background image will reflect your passion.
The world’s most popular website is called FACEbook, not SILHOUETTE-ON-A-MOUNTAIN-book.
I recommend that cartoon heads and dogs be avoided. and babies. Show. YourFace. Face.
Some headshots are just too close toThe camera. Others are too far away. You must ensure that you are properly framed for the shot in order to make people see you. andA little background. YourFace should make up the majority of the image.
You don’t want to be too close, but not too far. Let them see your face but don’t crowd the camera.
If your face is too small, they won’t be able toWhen the picture is smaller, you will see your smile. This image can be as small as 50×50 pixels in the social stream. That’s the size of your fingertip.
Make your smile stand out
Body language can be either closed or open. Arms, legs andEither hands can express openness or apathy. toYou can either connect or send a closed-for business message. The faces are the same.
There are several levels to the open expression on a face, from the scowling mugshot (“don’t you dare look at me”) to the high-beam open-mouth grin (“I love the world and everyone in it”).
Here’s Jimmy Klatt, Orbiteer andAmbassador of Love, showing five examples of openness with smiles
Notice the openness shown in all four andFive. Five. toOpen your mouth and show some openness to your face!
These are just a few examples of what would get more engagement on social media. Which of these would you choose to connect? Follow us Follow?
Profile pictures with big smiles correlate well with positive social relationships
According toAccording to two studies, college students are more likely than others to smile on their social media profiles. toHappiness is something you can do later in your life.
“Smile intensity coded from a single Facebook profile photograph from male and female participants’ first semester at college was a robust predictor of self-reported life satisfaction 3.5 years later.”
These same studies also found that smiling more is associated with better social relationships.
“Participants who exhibited a more intense smile in their Facebook photo had better social relationships during their first semester at college.”
So what’s the smile setting of your profile picture? I would recommend at most three to four. For attorneys, number two may be a good choice. SocialMedia marketers often raise it toA five.
Use contrast colors
SocialStreams move quickly. Color is a great way to communicate your ideas. toYou will stand out. They stand out when colors contrast with the surrounding colors. This is easy andIt’s obvious when you really think about it.
- What color is most social media sites? Blue (a cool color)
- What color is the compliment of blue? Orange (a warm hue)
Facebook, LinkedIn and Other Social Media Sites andTwitter uses a lot of blue. You can make yourself more noticeable by wearing an orange shirt (or any other top with warm colors). These are also less commonly used colors for clothing.
Take a look at this grid of profile photos. Which one stands out?
Use a simple background
Your face should be the focus of the image. Busy backgrounds can take the focus off of you, which isn’t ideal. Here are some best practices toUse a plain or flat background.
You have the opportunity to make a difference in your background. toContrast colors can be used without having to change your clothes. You can use a different background. Cyrus Shepard tested the effects of background color on click through rate andA warm color produced the best results.
The image in the top right was the winner.
Focus group testing of your profile picture
Upload some options to get data from a focus-group toPhotoFeeler. 100 people can be yours for less than $20 toVote on your photo using three criteria. You can also earn credits by voting on other people’s photos.
Multiple photos can be uploaded toCompare their results. You’ll have your results in just a few hours. Here are the results of my tests…
Apparently, the speaking picture on the left just isn’t very likable. The jacket/sweater combo makes it look very competent.
We are grateful toFor this tip, Vanessa Van Edwards is the one who discovered it! Vanessa offers great tips on LinkedIn profile design here.
Incorporate a little bit of your brand in your photo
These are five methods to do it. toInclude elements from your brand in your profile pic
- Wear your brand colors. A shirt with a splash color of the company colors is a great way to show off your brand.
- Place the brand color as the background.
- Add a mini-logo: It’s hard to make it fit, but if there’s room.
- Add a large logo toYour background image is much easier toIt should fit there.
- Live the brand: George LeClaire, a photographer. and it’s obvious from his profile picture. He’s holding a camera.
These are some examples of how brand elements can be integrated into a profile photo:
Attention! Avoid using the profile pic for logos.
We have already mentioned that faces make powerful imagery. A profile picture that uses a logo is a missed opportunity toBe human andPersonable
If you’re a mega-brand, of course, you’ll use your logo in your social accounts. If possible, try to avoid posting under a logo for most companies. It just isn’t as social. You can use the face of someone from the social media team.
“YourYou are not simply choosing a photo for company. You’re choosing a voice for the account, a personality, a strategy! If you’re like me, it’s extremely difficult toConnect to a logo. I think it puts a company at an immediate disadvantage.” – Mark Schaefer, Personal Branding Expert andAuthor of Known.
Make sure to use the same headshot for all your professional profiles
This is especially true for people with similar names. It is important that you are seen in the same place by everyone. andYou want toConnect with another person by sharing the same image on all your professional social media profiles.
Brian was my email address, so I was e-mailing him. andDecided toReach out to LinkedIn. However, there are 430 Brians that share his lastname. And his profile picture wasn’t helpful.
I haven’t given up. I’ll find you someday, Brian!
ProTip It’s easier to become recognizable if you don’t change it too often. Be consistent andKeep the same profile photo for at least a year. These pictures can be identified because they were used over many years.
Use a pro photographer
If you’re serious about social media marketing, seriously consider this. Professionals are different in their quality and amateur work is huge.
“You are the face of your brand andYour profile photo will be the first impression potential leads get. It should be unique to you. You should shoot in as many environments as you are comfortable. These assets can be used on multiple platforms at different times, while still remaining true to the original. to your brand’s message.” – Zack Smith – New Orleans headshot photographer
SocialMedia vs. Social Media Marketing
Right now, as you read this, someone you’d like toYou are scrolling through a social network filled with people. There you are. Did they slow down Did they slow down? These are some tips andIdeas will give you an advantage in the extremely competitive environment of social media.
But …there’s more toMarketing is not the only thing that matters in life.
YourYour social media profile might not be complete toDo with marketing. Sometimes, social media can be just social. You can also use social media to communicate with your friends. toYou can use a photo of your cat or car. It’s possible!
YourTurn!
Everyone has a different opinion. What do you think about these profile photos? Leave a comment below!
