Personal Branding: The Importance of a Business Owner's Image
Business owners often overlook the importance of personal branding. As the owner of a business, whether big or small, you are the face of your company, and this means that you must present yourself and your business owner image professionally. Taking selfies and pictures with a phone or inexpensive camera likely will not cut it. As an important presence within your business, you need professional, high-quality headshots to reflect this. Photography sessions and headshots should be at least an annual activity for business owners. For example, if your professional website or social media reflects a headshot that’s five, maybe ten years old, will your customers recognize you? How do you think they’ll feel when they meet you for the first time after seeing a very different image online?
If you are in the image consultancy business or any fashion-related business, you need to swap out old pictures frequently, as your business model demands that you are trending with the times. In 2014, a survey carried out by BrightLocal attempted to determine how an image of you convinces people to instill more trust in your business. During the survey, the company reached out to over 4,000 members of a local consumer panel with the intention of finding out if images are a powerful trust factor on local business websites. At the end of the survey, one of the key findings was that 64% of consumers trusted a local plumbing website more with a genuine business owner image. The remaining 36% was shared among a website with generic photos and one with none.
A high-quality business owner image instills trust
From the above survey, you can see that trust is the number one reason that business owners need professional headshots for their website properties and offline office locations. Small business owners are usually held to a different standard from their counterparts. While many large organizations do not need to show the images of the business owners, the same cannot be said for small organizations because small business customers want to know who they are doing business with.
If your small business model is one that requires a face-to-face type service, then you should display a business owner or staff photo in a common area, like the reception or waiting area. Also, if in the course of carrying out your business, you invite customers into your home to conduct business, then displaying business owner images on your premises is important to tip the scales in your favor.
A great business owner image can help generate digital print leads
Lead generation is a major issue in the digital print industry. You'll know this if you have ever undertaken a flyer, catalog, or any other digital print campaign. But a business owner's image can help turn the tide in your favor. Discretely placed on the digital print, your image will help you generate the leads you need. Your image can be used as a marketing tool to create a human connection and affinity. Even when people do not know you, a good professional picture will make them want to do business with you. Small businesses like auto mechanics, plumbers, landscapers, and more will benefit more from business owner photos on their digital print materials.
A positive business owner image can improve website conversions
When users visit a website, they may not be actively looking for pictures of the business owner, but a professional picture will speak a thousand words and convey a lot about you and your business. Some companies carry out photo sessions for entire teams because they want their team pages to show the people running the business. A professional photo shoot is the way to go, as you'll have great pictures in high resolution, making your website more aesthetically pleasing to your users. When website users trust a brand, this naturally leads to conversions. They will sign up or buy your products and services just because they have connected with you as a brand. It is important to have a visual brand that shows you in a good light. Invest in a new headshot and see how it does wonders for your business! When it comes to enhancing your professional image as a business owner, why not go to Austin’s go-to girl for professional headshots?
Book your session with Korey Howell Photography Group today and see the difference professional-quality photos make!