Are you too sexy for LinkedIn? That’s the question photographer Julissa Shrewsbury posed in a recent blog post designed to get people thinking about what the images they use on social media say about their level of professionalism.
It got the Brand Newsroom team thinking about personal branding. Julissa joined James, Nic and Sarah for a chat.
Here are some key take-outs:
- People make a judgement very quickly and first impressions stick. Don’t forget people are probably meeting you first online, not in person, these days.
- You can look attractive in your image but if you’re trying to look “sexy”, it’s probably inappropriate for your brand.
“If you are trying to project a sexy image, it’s probably the wrong image for work—unless you are a sex worker.” — Sarah
- If your image does not look professional, you’re doing yourself and your business an injustice.
- It’s hard for people to take the information on someone’s professional page seriously if they aren’t dressed appropriately, looking smart, and in an appropriate setting or context.
“We have got to remember that every time we put something out there it’s so shareable… you have to have that professional look for your visuals—you can’t take a selfie.” — Nic
- It’s still possible to look creative or attractive, just dress appropriately for your audience (both in your photographs and in your day-to-day).
- You want to look professional and approachable. Working with a photographer you trust will help you achieve that.
- Smile!
“A closed mouth smile does not give a message of friendly and approachable. As much as people tend to hate their own smile, other people love their smile. It’s your most natural look.” — Julissa Shrewsbury
Here are the links you might need
- Here’s Julissa’s website.
- And here’s Julissa’s original blog post, Are You Too Sexy For LinkedIn?
- Check out our blog post about why you should steer clear of stock photography.
Have you heard the one about…
In this episode of Brand Newsroom James, Sarah and Nic took a close look at the role of photography in content.
And in case you missed it, last week the team caught up with Rebecca Lieb to talk about the metrics marketers most often overlook.
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