If a picture speaks a thousand words what does the corporate photography on your literature or website say about you? Great character portraits are produced with insight and attention to detail – they should squeeze every available ounce of the subject’s essence into the picture.
Have a look around some websites and see how many leaders of industry, politicians and entrepreneurs – movers and shakers – have let a just about average (or even really poor) image of themselves be used alongside great copy which attempts to explain how they are the backbone of the organisation and what they can do for you. The variation in standards surprised me - some make great use of strong images to reinforce their message but many miss out on the opportunity to use high quality commercial photography to strengthen their message.
Anyone using social media like Facebook fan pages, Twitter and Linkedin as part of their online marketing strategy also has a great opportunity to use an image enhancing picture, so why do so many people with otherwise great online content use such a terrible profile picture? Of course some people get this right and the secret here is to use an image with the right undercurrents without being too formal, as befits the social media environment. You can have some fun and get your message through, it’s up to you what you want to say…
