Represent Yourself
Part I: A good portrait defines your brand
By Mark Hiebert, Hiebert Photography & Professional Imaging
Every Sunday morning, I see the Houston Chronicle Business Section and the little headshots with announcements about promotions, new hires, awards and otherwise noteworthy professional achievements. Many times the portraits are quite nice. However, too often, they look like an afterthought.
Your business portrait is one of the most important aspects of your professional image. It stands as a critical element in your branding and public relations activities. Because it is that important, you want to ensure you have a great portrait, and that requires some care and planning.
Think about how much face-time you get without even being in the room:
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If you're in marketing and regularly byline articles for B2B publications, your portrait is an opportunity to present yourself in each issue of each publication where your article appears.
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If your face is going to appear in the business section of your local paper, then chances are the people you want to impress are going to be seeing your face and you want to look good.
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If you use social media for other-than-personal purposes, then you're on the Web and people will find you.
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If you are the sole embodiment of your business, then you need a portrait that presents you as well-put-together and professional, and in a way that reinforces your brand.
Your portrait really is that important. And, when you are building a business and you care about your brand, you really need more than one portrait.
Part I - Intro | Part II - Branding & PR | Part III - Worth | Part IV: Preparation
About the author...
Mark Hiebert owns Hiebert Photography & Professional Imaging, a commercial photography studio based in Houston, Texas, and working throughout the United States, that specializes in creating superior-quality photography for business, advertising and editorial purposes. Contact Mark at mhiebert@hiebertphotography.com or visit www.hiebertphotography.com.
