A picture paints a thousand words

Chris Sprott Photography

Investing in your LinkedIn profile picture is an investment in your career. You spend a lot of time listing your career history, achievements interests and so on, but that can all be undone by a bad photo.

Inside Small Business sat down with professional portrait photographer Chris Sprott to find out how important a professional picture is on a LinkedIn profile, and how to achieve such a shot.

Chris started his photography business in 2009 on the side while working in an office – he spent almost two decades in the corporate sphere – and has been doing it on a full-time basis for 18 months, focusing on corporate portraits.

80% of his photos are for clients’ LinkedIn profiles, with others being for company websites, intranet sites, resumés and tender documents.

ISB: Most of Sprott Photography’s work is for your clients’ LinkedIn pages – why do you think that is?

CS: Today there are 3 million active job listings on LinkedIn, and 94% of recruiters look at candidates’ profiles on the platform as part of their vetting process.

ISB: And why is the picture such an important part of a LinkedIn profile?

CS: Adding a professional photo on your LinkedIn profile makes you between seven and 14 times more likely to be found on the platform – the higher the quality of the picture, the more confident the searcher will be they have found the person they were looking for.

And having a professional headshot increases your presence on LinkedIn by 93%, meaning you are far more likely to be invited to connect with people and join groups on the site.

ISB: What makes the ideal LinkedIn profile picture?

The most effective image is a bust – a picture from the chest up against a plain, light background.

ISB: How should people dress for their picture?

CS: It is most effective to dress in way that is appropriate for your line of work, and that people who connect with you on LinkedIn can will find you wearing if you meet face-to-face at some point down the line.

ISB: So what outfit works best specifically?

CS: A dark jacket with a light, non-patterned shirt or blouse works best. Stripes or checks don’t work well, and don’t contrast colours – if you want to wear a bright dress, for example, keep accessories neutral.

If you wear tie, keep to a plain one in a neutral colour. And if you decide not to wear a jacket, then wear a darker shirt that contrasts with the light background.

ISB: What about glasses?

If you wear them most of the time at work, keep them on for the picture – it’s all about familiarity and being recognizable.

ISB: The picture really is one of the most important components of the profile then?

People remember faces more than names – if you’ve met someone at a networking event they’re more likely to recognize you from your photo than your name on LinkedIn.

And investing in your LinkedIn profile picture is an investment in your career. You spend a lot of time listing your career history, achievements interests and so on, but that can all be undone by a bad photo. LinkedIn is a searchable database of talent and skills – good first impressions count!