Why your picture is worth a thousand words on social networks

Most of us put off having our picture taken because we never really like the results.  Yet, not having a professional photo is a bigger mistake now than it was several years ago  Why?  Because when it comes to Facebook, Twitter & other social networks, you photo is your  logo, company brand, and for the most part the one shot you have to attract your readers attention.

No matter what you think of our appearance, your best bet is to have a close-up picture of yourself smiling and here are a few reasons why:

1. On Facebook, that long-lost friend may only have your name and picture to go on when they search, so make sure they can tell it's you.
2. In the Facebook news feed or Twitter time line, where people get a constant stream of information, your friends and colleagues will start to recognize your posts by your picture.  These pictures are small, so you want them to be able to see you.  I would also recommend against frequently changing your picture often as people may not recognize your status updates and may miss your posts.
3. You should also consider using the same photo across different social networks.  As your networks grow, people may recognize you on one platform, like Twitter or LinkedIn, and look for you on the other.  It helps to make the connection if you use the same photo.
4. I’m really wary about putting photos of children on Facebook.  I put a few in my photo albums which are for only a limited group of friends to see.  However, I recommend against including them in your main profile photo.  Unless every single one of your Facebook friends has used their Privacy Settings to hide their friends in public searches, that photo is effectively in the public domain. Besides, we’re friends and business colleagues with you (not your children), and we want to see your smiling face in our news feed!
5. For more ideas about your photo, scan through your news feed on Facebook, or the Twitter timeline and see which photos catch your eye. 
   
6. As for why you should be smiling, well, let's just say no one wants to hang out with Mr. or Ms. Grumpypants in person ... or online.

Is your picture really worth 1,000 words?  I would say so, because if you can't capture anyone's attention with your photo, then it doesn't matter if you write 10,000 or more words. 

Looking for a photographer?  Click here to see a few of the photographers in our DWC+ Member Directory.

Diane K. Danielson is the founder and chief social media strategist of the Downtown Women's Club.  This post was based on an excerpt from The Downtown Women's Club Beginner's Guide to Facebook (eBook).  Free with a Downtown Women's Club DWC+ Premium membership.

Comments

[Lyn Chamberlin]

Great advice, Diane. I would only add that when I come across someone who hasn't posted a picture on Facebook or Twitter, I take them much less seriously. As my network grows, I weed out the unknowns, and mostly those are the wackjobs and the folks without pictures of themselves. Online branding is about trust, and if there's no picture it makes all the other info about them suspect.