Posed Professional Headshots are a Buzzkill

August 26, 2014

I must preface this article by saying I’ve used overly-posed professional headshots for various online profiles before. I know, I know. You’re thinking,

Kayla, drink your own Kool-Aid.

You’re right. I drank it, and this what I found.

When I went through my rebrand, I decided to change my social media photos. I was reinventing my brand so I could speak more to creatives than just PR professionals. My photos had to reflect this change too.

After making the switch, within the first few hours I received over a dozen mentions saying how much they loved my new photo, and it wasn’t because I was wearing flannel or some red lipstick.

It was because my picture was more genuine.

People who had connected with me through different social media platforms knew this photo fit my personality much more. It even started more conversations. That’s a win-win if you ask me.

So why are so many people using stuffy, posed professional headshots on their social media profiles and elsewhere? Are we so focused on fitting an image of what we should be for our employers that we forget to showcase who we really are?

Yikes. That is not an online world I want to be a part of.

When we start to censor ourselves online, we take away our authenticity.

Sure, keep a professional headshot for LinkedIn, but then file it away. We (aka all of us on the interwebs) want to see what you really look like.

So replace your posed headshot with one that speaks to who you are. Let’s be real online.