Small businesses require the same tender loving
care as a newborn baby. You have to feed them money at inconvenient times. You
have to clean up the messes they create and leave behind. You have to correct
the many mistakes common to small businesses and help them grow with every step
they take. Sometimes nursing that small business can seem like a 24/7 endeavor
that consumes your every waking moment.
If you want an easy life, go for a clerical work
in government. No one gets fired from a government job for such messes, but there
you do not also find any growth. You just get old and die.
But if you want the freedom to be your own boss
and live according to your own rules, you need to stick it out with your small
business and learn to roll with the punches. Sooner or later it will grow and
prosper if you’re willing to work at it.
Mastering Social Media
It doesn’t have to be all “nose to the
grindstone” though. There will be some of that along the way, but master social media and soon
you’ll pull ahead of the competition.
Social media can be fulfilling and frustrating
all at the same time, but according to Forbes, 82% of people trust a company
more when they have a presence on social media than when they don’t. If they
trust you, they’ll buy from you. That’s just common sense.
So, how do you get them to trust you?
By making liberal use of headshots.
What Are Headshots?
Headshots are how you introduce yourself online;
they’re pictures of – wait for it – you. They’re a special kind of picture
though.
A headshot – beauty shot, publicity photo,
promotional shot – is a picture where the focus is the person in the picture.
It usually refers to pictures that are professionally taken and used on a
company’s website on their “about us” page or on their social media account(s).
Social media and the internet, in general, is a
visual medium so if you’re not using professional headshots you’re not using
them to your greatest advantage. There are plenty of things a small business should do to enhance its online
presence and using headshots is one of them.
And content. You need great content too. Let’s
not forget that.
Professional Photography
As already noted, these headshots need to be
done professionally, by people like the professionals from JA. They have
studios full of all the backgrounds, lighting equipment, filters, cameras, and
props that you’ll need for the picture. They also have dressing rooms for
wardrobe changes if you want several different kinds of headshots.
The headshots you use of your staff for your
“about us” page would be different than the ones you need for use on your
social media account(s). You might also need separate, perhaps more casual
headshots if you’re appealing to different audiences on each of your social
media accounts.
For instance, a lawyer would want to project a
very different image to corporate clients than he would to ranchers who are
suing their local game warden. A hairdresser might want an avant-garde look
when she is catering to artists and sculptors but something a little more
subdued when she is trying to pull in some soccer moms.
Preparing For Your Studio Sitting
If you want your business to get ahead you have
to be prepared to do things the photographer’s way while you’re in their
studio. Taking pictures is their business and they know how to get you the best
results. There are, however, a few things you can do to make their job easier.
1- Get Some Sleep
The night
before your session, get a good night’s sleep. Makeup can only cover so much
and a tired, run-down expression isn’t one of them. Unless you want to look
like the Hunchback of Notre-Dame, get some sleep so you’ll look your best for
the unforgiving lens of the camera. (Hint: it’s called unforgiving for a
reason)
2- Early Morning Shoot
If at all
possible, schedule your session for as early in the morning as possible before
you start pulling your hair out over late deliveries or past due accounts.
Nothing makes you look worse in front of a camera than being interrupted in the
middle of a crisis. Get your pictures taken before all that happens.
3- Sit Up Straight
Mom always told
you to stand up straight, to quit slouching, didn’t she? Of course, she did.
All moms do. It’s good advice too. People who stand or sit up straight, exude
an air of confidence and competence. Make sure that’s you!
Help your photographer and they’ll make you look
great. The results will be worth every penny.
