By Chris Manitius
Many people think that corporate headshots are a thing of the past. However, headshots are still a powerful tool for businesses large and small. From adding a personal touch to creating a unified brand, corporate headshots still have a lot of benefits that can be advantageous to individual members as well as the whole company.
Make People Like You
Your business probably has an “About” page or an “Our Team” page that’s dedicated to introducing potential customers to the people behind the scenes. When you include a portrait of key members as well as some team shots, you’re putting a face to your business. People can connect with your business more easily once they know who you are. Plus, this transparency increases trust with your clients and customers. The old adage is true, a picture really is worth a thousand words.
Present a Unified Front
You’re already on board with providing photos of your staff on your site, but you’re allowing each person to choose their own headshot. There are a few problems here. First, your staff won’t look cohesive. They’ll probably bring in photos where they think they look great, but none of the photos match. Some people will bring photos from parties, others will take a basic selfie and call it a day. You even risk people choosing photos that are completely off-brand.
Instead of trusting your team to provide high-quality, cohesive images, a corporate headshot day eliminates all these problems. An article published in the Association for Psychological Science, reveals that it takes just a tenth of a second to form an impression of a person from a photo. With a professional photographer, you can show your team looking their best and your brand image will improve.
Create Promotional Materials
A corporate photoshoot also allows you to capture multiple angles of each team member and create group shots that can be used in promotional materials and marketing tools for years. Headshots of key employees are an important part of promoting your business. These can be used on your company’s social media pages, business cards, email signatures, and tradeshow networking events.
Help Your Employees
A professional portrait adds a lot of value to your company, but it’s also a personal asset for your employees. They can use these headshots on their LinkedIn profile to garner more attention and create a more professional image. Headshots also help make individuals more memorable and work much better for networking than just a name and some text. According to LinkedIn, professional headshots make a profile 14 times more likely to be found.
Headshot Tips
You want your employees completely prepared for their moment in the spotlight. Other than advice on how to prepare, you also want to decide on a cohesive image, hire a professional, and decide on the orientation of the shots.
1. Match Your Brand Voice
Corporate headshots don’t have to mean a suit and tie. If you’re a fun, playful business, you don’t want your headshots to look stuffy and overly doctored. Talk to your employees about what to wear and how to pose to best represent your company image. Some businesses even opt to have one more serious image and another funny one, and they’ll feature both on their website.
2. Hire Professionals
For consistent, quality images that save you time and money, a professional should be your number one choice. They have the equipment to ensure your space is well lit, they can help your employees find their best angles, and they will send you high-resolution digital files that can be used for anything. You also start building a relationship with a pro that can later help you with other corporate events, promo videos, and testimonials that require filming and photography.
3. Vertical or Horizontal
While headshots are generally vertical, or portrait style, you do have options that can change the way you present your team. Landscape shots offer you more room to experiment. You can fill up the background to better represent the spirit of your company or crop the image for a more traditional look.
4. Editorial or Professional
While this decision is made by your brand tone and voice, choosing how you want to portray your team is critical to how people see your company. Editorial style shots are a unique way to showcase team members and what they do. Usually, they include an interesting background that’s relevant to your work. Do you run a restaurant? Maybe your head chef should have his portrait done in the kitchen?
Professional shots generally have a neutral background that places the focus on the individual. They capture your employees from the bust and up and offer a versatile result that can be used on all your marketing tools.
Final Thoughts on Corporate Headshots
The average shelf-life of a professional headshot is about two years. Whether it’s changes in weight, hair, or cosmetic work, people will look different over time and you’ll need new headshots of your staff to keep your website accurate and your promotional materials current. As new people join your team and you update old photos, make sure there is consistency throughout your site.
