Add Sizzle to Your LinkedIn Profile with DIY Professional Headshots and Backgrounds
By now pretty much all of us know how important LinkedIn is to your online presence in professional social media. It is THE tool used extensively by the vast majority of recruiters and hiring managers to find talent. There are numerous books and online resources to help you maximize the effectiveness of your profile, and of course professional writers such as myself who can prepare sizzling content for you. But here are a couple of things you can do pretty easily that will have a huge impact on the impression your profile makes.
PROFESSIONALIZE YOUR HEADSHOT
Perhaps the most immediate impact you can make on your profile quality is to add an engaging and professional-looking profile picture.
You can of course hire a professional photographer to do a great headshot, but if this is not convenient or affordable there are other options. Some opt to have someone take a photo using a high resolution smart phone camera, or even stage a selfie headshot using a tripod or remote to get the best angle.
A third option is online providers who can take an existing photo you have and transform it into something truly professional. Do you have a flattering photo of yourself with a great smile that unfortunately was taken with others in the frame or with a less than professional-looking background? No worries, There are tools available to easily fix that.
Tools you’ll find online range from one that is completely automated in editing and polishing an existing photo, to others where you have more input and can have the tool remove the inappropriate background you have and select desired background patterns and/or colors. You can crop, resize, and reshape your photo as well.
The online photo editing tools highlighted in the article linked to below will help you create a professional profile picture, perfect for resumes or professional networking sites:
Easily Create a Professional Profile Photo
Whatever you do, be sure that you do include a headshot in your LinkedIn profile, and do not leave LinkedIn’s dull (and somehow creepy to me) default images:
Not only has omitting a profile photo been shown to dramatically decrease interest in your profile, but without it, your profile is deemed “not 100% complete,” which downgrades it within search results. On the other hand, LinkedIn profiles with photos attract 50-70 percent more inquiries than profiles without photos.
PERSONALIZE YOUR LINKEDIN HEADER BACKGROUND
While you’re at it, here’s another quick and easy boost you can give your LinkedIn profile’s impression on visitors:
The image/background that appears by default at the top of a LinkedIn profile is one of the generic ones LinkedIn has that you can choose from or one that LinkedIn puts in by default. As you can see, they are not particularly exciting and certainly will not portray your brand and individuality:
Some years back, LinkedIn added the capability to add a custom image/background. I highly recommend this. It could be something related to your field, a landscape or cityscape you like, or whatever you think would personalize and enhance the visual appeal for your visitors. Here’s mine:
LinkedIn has a small supply from which you can choose, but there are numerous sites on the Web where you can download free backgrounds or buy images for your profile. Here are a couple of free sites you can visit:
http://www.linkedinbackground.com/
http://freelinkedinbackgrounds.com/
You can also use sites such as Canva or Fotor, where they have LinkedIn background templates that are customizable.
You can also commission a graphic artist cheaply (as little as $5) to create a custom background for you at sites like https://fiverr.com
VOILA! YOU’VE GIVEN YOUR PROFILE A MINI-MAKEOVER
You’ll be surprised how much difference these two changes to your LinkedIn profile will make. You’ll greatly improve your first impression on visitors and also increase the amount of time they stay engaged.