One Great Profile Picture Is Worth a Bunch of Business

Be aware that your profile picture on sites like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn affects your brand, says Neil McKenzie, commercial photographer specializing in business and personal brand photography. As a photographer who helps people with their brand images, he recommends that everyone who is concerned about their personal brand have a really good profile image - one that supports your brand and portrays you in an authentic manner.

Here is a look at some of the ideas:

Have a professional or a dedicated amateur take your picture.

You should have a great photograph -one that is well thought out, one that supports your brand, and one that is taken with skill. Amateur images don't add to your brand unless your brand is amateur or the amateur is a good photographer.

Use a white background, or at least a neutral one. No trees! No snowstorms!

The background is not important in a profile picture - you are! While you may want to portray your brand in context with your surroundings, a small profile image is not the place to do it. Save these images for your website or galleries where you post other images.

If you are wearing a hat, you better have both a good reason and a good hat

If you are a cowboy, a hat probably makes sense for your brand. If you are a photographer with little hair and you are shooting outdoors in the Colorado sun then a hat also makes sense. Just make sure that the bill of the hat is turned backwards so as not to interfere with your lens and there is a catchy logo/type that reinforces your brand such as "Graphics Factory".

Conceptual photos (your foot, a monkey wearing glasses) may give us insight into the real you, but perhaps you could save that insight for the second impression

Crazy images and the like are a becoming a real turn off in the world of social networking. Why would I want to become friends with or follow a "foot"?

The idea of having your significant other in the picture is a good one, at least in terms of maintaining peace in the presence of a jealous or nervous spouse. But the thing is, I'm not friending your girlfriend, I'm friending you. Unless there is a compelling reason to include others in your profile picture, don't. There are exceptions if your social networking brand is a couple or partners. A profile image for the Pep Boys wouldn't cut it if only one of the brothers was shown.

Cropping is so important... a well cropped photo sends a huge, subliminal message to other people

A well cropped image starts out as a well composed image in the camera and highlights your most important features - usually your eyes. Most profile images are constrained to a small space so you need to use this space wisely. To quote an old marketing adage - "You can't put 10 pounds of stuff in a 5 pound bag"

Once you have chosen an image for your profile picture show it to your friends and associates to get their reaction. If they say "Great!" or better yet "Wow!" then you know you have a good profile picture. Be sure to ask them if the image supports your brand. When you post your profile picture, plan on using it for some time. Like any advertising, you need to keep some level of consistency and allow time for people to get to recognize you. As your followers or friends get to recognize your face they are more likely to take a moment to stop and read your posts.

Don't underestimate the power of your profile picture. It is the first thing people notice about you in the social media landscape. I never cease to be amazed when I meet people in person from my online social networks and they make a comment like, "Where is your camera? or where is your hat?"