Updating your corporate headshot is approached far differently than your licence or passport photo. I mean, put your hand up if your licence photo is 10 years old or more. I can’t remember when my own was licence photo was taken but he and I are different people now. As I morph into a perfect rendition of Forrest Gump on his nation wide running adventure, the importance of updating your corporate headshot becomes front of mind. So join me as we run through a few reasons why you might consider a headshot update.
You've changed, maaaannnnn!
I don’t like change. I’ve worn the same clothes for almost 20 years. Woah, to clarify, I mean the same style of clothing. Black tee shirt, black shorts. Almost always a hat of some description. I feel at ease with the regularity and certainty of things being the same. So why would I need to keep updating my corporate headshot?
Because despite wearing the exact same short black socks every day for at least 10 years, I’ve grown, changed and developed into an entirely new person. There’s definitely a few more stories told via wrinkles in my face, laughing fits that crinkled the edges of my eyes and as mentioned before, more hair on my face than a wooly mammoth.
We all change. Whether we like it or not, every single one of us is different now than we were yesterday, let alone last year. If you’re handing out business cards, have your photograph on your website or use social media profiles like LinkedIn to introduce yourself to new people, viewers like to see the most current version of you that they can.
Your customers have changed
Just as you’ve grown, so have all your customers. There’s an old saying that goes something like, “Its easier to keep a customer than get a new one.” From years of working in retail, 7 of which were in my own bricks & mortar shop, I learned that there’s absolute joy in not only watching your customers grow but being right there with them.
I was in bicycles and literally watched kids learn to pedal their bikes for the first time and then progress up through each bike size. But there were also customers who were there from day one, too. They watched as my shop filled with more stock each month as I what I could afford grew. These long time friends were there when I upgraded into a brand new premises and they shared in each part as time went on.
Regularly keeping all my photographs, ‘About Us’ pages included, meant customers had a front seat to what was happening. Existing customers always knew what was going on and new visitors to my website had instant trust in what was being provided. And knowing that many people would check in from time to time was motivation enough to keep it fresh. No one wants to use old, outdated websites just as people prefer to see up to date portraits of who they’re dealing with.
A change is as good as a holiday
We briefly touched on this point already but keeping things current let’s people know you’re still active. When people see something has changed, they dive deeper. There’s a reason Facebonk makes a feed stopping post when you update your profile picture on their app. Typically people click, they like, comment and in some instances, go further into your profile or more.
It’s like a little holiday that they want to go on to see what else has changed. Is there news? Are there updates? Any new products or services? A new updated headshot starts the inquisitive mind and adds a little excitement to regular viewers of your pages.
Change things up, new colours, new shirt, try a classic black and white portrait. As they say, ‘a change is as good as a holiday!’ Why? Because it keeps the mind fresh. A holiday breaks things up and helps you rejuvenate your mind. This isn’t just for your customers point of view either. Updating your portrait is great for yourself as well. The experience alone is refreshing. To have a good portrait photographer fuss over you, making sure you look your best, is something we all need from time to time. It’s like a trip to the salon but the results lasts much longer.
How often should you update your headshot?
The easy answer as to how often you should update your professional headshot varies, obviously. But I suppose just like at school, start with a yearly refresh of your portrait. The difference being you don’t need to make boring school pics.
Set a time of year, perhaps near the end of Summer or mid Autumn, and book a session with your local headshot photographer. Autumn is a great option because you’re still wearing that summer glow and your eyes still sparkle with the hope of good outside weather on the weekend.
Yearly also works if you have a large team of staff that need updated headshots for your brand website. Booking a group portrait session can easily be arranged and a style chosen to match across the set of business headshots.
When was the last time you updated your corporate headshot? Do you have a business website needs updating with all new staff members?
Book now or contact Steve for more information on how a new portrait can help you!
