Your Profile photo should not be an afterthought. Show your best face to the world.
The human brain processes images 42,000 times faster than text. Or it may be, according to 3M research, 60,000 times faster.
Whatever the correct figure, it's very, very fast.
So your profile photo literally makes an instant impression, and it's processed by the lizard brain. The part of the brain that process images is full of cognitive bias, primitive instincts and emotions.
People connect with other people. So please don't be tempted to use a logo instead of your face, and be careful with avatars unless you use them consistently. People buy into people, so don't be a wallflower.
If your photograph is seen just 20 times a day online, you have 7,300 opportunities a year to make no impression, a bad impression, or a good impression. All this before you have even opened your mouth, or anyone has read a word of what you have to say.
There's a great free online tool which lets you upload your headshot and then download variations with the background removed. You can even change the background colour palette to match your outfit, your eyes or your corporate or online colour scheme.
The tool is called Profile Pic Maker at https://pfpmaker.com/ and works just as well on mobile phones or desktops. The desktop experience is better for customising backgrounds and you can also download matching header images to go with your new look headshot.
Aside from the many aesthetic considerations like the quality and size of the image, the lighting, way you dress, the background focus and colour, and the way it's cropped, there's still usually a crucial decision to be made - which photo portrays me best?
Which image conveys my personality and character most effectively to the outside world? Asking friends, family and work colleagues to select the 'best' image of you may throw up all kinds of contradictory signals - and those that know you best are often not the most objective critics.
Step 1: Choose two or three headshots you feel best portray you, and have them on your computer ready to upload.
Step 2: Sign up for a free account at photofeeler.com where you can choose either to buy credits with a fast-track paid option, or, by voting on other people's photos, you gain credits to use the free service.
Step 3: Upload your photos and submit them for human beings to vote on, and to appraise your photos.
Then, just listen to the wisdom of the crowd.
Subtle differences, but your choice may not be optimal. Trust the crowd.
I found that my preferred photo (also preferred by my wife) was not the one best rated on Photofeeler.
So the photo I chose for my profile was the one that the crowd liked best - not my choice.
