LinkedIn is an incredible platform for social selling. There are times to use it to sell (engage with other people’s posts, send messages or InMails, apply for jobs) – but in order to improve your results, you should have a decent profile photo.
You don’t have to look perfect – but you should not have a blank profile picture, use something that doesn’t crop well into a circle, or look like a slob. Also, you should probably not use a logo or anything that looks like a commercial message – LinkedIn is all about showcasing people.
What can you do if you don’t have a professional photo? (Do NOT pull out the latest Facebook picture of you at a wedding. I don’t care how great you look – cropping a party photo does NOT make a good headshot). Here are 3 things to try instead:
- Get a professional photo. Make an appointment with J.C. Penney or your favorite local photo studio.
- Next time you go to a trade show, make sure you look awesome. Odds are one of the exhibitors will be featuring free photos as a way to attract booth traffic, and you can take advantage of this to score a decent headshot for your LinkedIn profile.
- Amazing B&W life hack – take a black and white portrait with your iPhone using the “Silvertone” filter.