Tenth Musings: The Biggest Mistake in Social Business Networking

What?s the biggest mistake being made by business social networkers? Failure to put up a good profile picture.

Your picture is the most important part of your personal brand, it?s how people will remember you. Our brains are neurologically wired for faces, it?s the first place we look when we meet someone and the most likely thing to be remembered. The face you present to the business community is how you will be known. Your face is your brand.

Business social networking is branding and marketing, make no mistake about it. If you are going to get in the game, you need to play like you mean it and that means a good profile picture.

What is a good profile picture?

• A good profile picture shows your face, especially eyes. It has a smile. It is warm, friendly, intelligent. It makes the viewer think to themselves ?this seems like a pleasant and competent person to know/do business with.??

• A good profile picture is NOT a picture of your cat, a picture of your kid, a picture with you and your significant other, or any picture where you can?t see your face clearly. Save those for Facebook and other non-business applications.?

• A good profile picture is NOT a glamour shot. Someone should be able to immediately recognize you in person from your profile picture. We aren?t working with dating sites here, this is business. Save the funky angles to make yourself more attractive and cleavage pictures for someplace more appropriate.?

You've?probably just realized that you don?t have a single picture that is good for a business network profile, which means you should get one taken. Depending on your industry, you can opt for either a standard backdrop portrait studio picture or you can go with something a bit more creative and relaxed. My personal opinion leans toward more relaxed and natural rather than stiff and posed. Whichever way you go, the picture should solidly represent who you are and, even more importantly, who you would like to become.

There is an old and wise adage that you should dress for the job you want, not the one you have. Your profile picture should also represent the job you want, not the one you have. That picture is going to create an indelible image in the minds of your business contacts - make sure the picture says what you want it to say.

Money spent on quality pictures from a professional photographer is an investment in your career, just like a good interview outfit.?People will make snap judgments about your character and likability from your profile picture, so make sure it?s a good one.

Source: http://tenthmusings.tenthmusecreative.com/2012/12/the-biggest-mistake-in-social-business.html

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