Don Mann Photography Blog

Acting Headshots West Chester PA | Theatrical & Actress Headshots

Tue, 13 Jun 2023 06:50:33 GMT

Actor-Theatrical, Actress Top 1% Headshot in 8x10 Format

A mother contacted me for her and her two teenage daughters to get professional acting, theatrical headshots. They were preparing for casting calls in West Chester, PA, another in Wilmington, DE, and several big ones in Philadelphia.

I told her one set of headshots would work for all acting, theatrical, and modeling casting calls. My headshots are tailored to get them a casting call interview or appointment. At the casting call and afterwards, the rest is up to them.

I told them for casting calls there can be as many as thousands of submittals. If their headshots are not Top 1% Headshots, the chances of getting an interview call or appointment are slim.

My Top 1% Acting-Theatrical Headshots will set them ahead of the pack, and put them in the “must call first” pile. This works for especially for West Chester PA, Wilmington DE, or Philadelphia PA as all casting calls are basically the same.

Why Top 1% Headshots? Because my Top 1% Headshot use years of experience, and the most recent findings of psychology, to create positive first impressions that they are the answer the casting director needs.

They show you as approachable - friendly and easy to work with.
Competent – you know what to do and will do it easily.
Trustworthy to be the answer they need and can follow direction well.
You look like you care more about doing a great job, rather than having a lot of personality quirks that can make the director’ life difficult.

After looking at my Top 1% Headshot samples, they asked for a few instructions on how to prepare and what to wear. Then they booked an appointment. In this case I shot all three on the same day.

What I advise for women is:

a) Natural makeup – the less visible the better. Go light on eye liner, if at all. The casting director wants to see the “real” you. They have lots of experience with makeup and prefer a blank pallet to work with. Use oils and creams, rather than powder. [Heavy makeup is usually for theater and TV, but for a casting call, they want to see you as you are. If you do get a casting call, they may ask you to go wash your face so they can see the base.]

b) No fancy hair styles , but something you can maintain yourself (you may have to wear the same style on a casting call because that is what is in your headshot).

c) I recommended they each bring 3-5 clothing looks.

a. Clothes, simple, no patterns, with covered shoulders. Best are basic colors that go well with the skin and hair color. Be sure to include white and light blue if possible. Textures can work well. You are not selling clothes but yourself as approachable, competent and trustworthy to be the answer the casting director needs.

b. If you need new clothes, you can do what fashion designers do: go to the store and then return them in original packaging after the shoot.

c. Look at my website samples for some ideas.

d) Jewelry: keep it simple. Stud earrings are fine. No heavy necklaces. [They tend to add weight and distract the eyes from the face.]

e) Lipstick: wear glossy not flat. In a picture, the flat lipstick takes away the fulness of your lips and makes your face one-dimensional. Lighter colors are better than darker to keep that natural look.

f) Physical: 3-5 days in advance of the shoot date, get more than usual sleep, and extra hydration. Both of these will make your skin look more healthy and lustrous. Likewise avoid alcohol as it tends to dry out the skin.

g) Bring their full hair and makeup kit for touch-ups as needed.

h) I will coach them to great expressions, and they will have a great time in our session.

They all came together and we had a great time. The mom acted as the primary hair artist. They loved the final images and were ready to get the 8x10 prints, and to post their images on their websites and social media.

Delivery : For acting-theatrical headshots I usually deliver online their images after final photofinishing, each in several formats.

a. The original, 2x3 as shot, in hi-resolution JPEG.

b. 8x10 ready for printing in hi-resolution TGIF format

c. 2x3 in web resolution JPEG for social media and business cards

d. Square in web resolution JPEG for social media

Also when asked, I will send a poster sized file for marketing the show.

I also gave them some printer recommendations. I recommend they get their name printed on the bottom corner of the headshot in small letters so as to not distract from the image. And on the back their acting-theatrical resume’ and contact information.

They were all excited, we had a great time, and they loved their images.

Is there a difference between acting and theatrical headshots?

Usually no, but sometimes their agent wants specific kinds of images for their portfolio and we work together to create them.

Attracting and Retaining Top Talent and Prospects

183:739017323 (Don Mann) — Sat, 25 Sep 2021 17:32:04 GMT

Top 1% Headshots – the Holy Grail of Marketing

That Overcomes Harsh Reality

There are many different types of Headshots. Only a rare few are commercially viable, positive marketing images like our Top 1% Headshots. All others repel opportunities when viewed.

High Marketing, Top 1% Headshot examples showing approachability, competence, confidence and trustworthiness that you are the answer. These images are rare and commercially viable.

Commercially Viable, Top 1% Headshots

The Age of The Great Resignation

Harsh Reality : We are in the era of the Great Resignation, where:

People are quitting and relocating in droves,
Jobs remaining vacant,
People out of work will not even fill out applications, and
Customers are defecting, while new prospects have many choices.

The Questions?

How do you retain your current talent, especially frontline workers?
How do you attract new talent for replacements and growth?
How do you show prospects your organization is trustworthy enough to contact/deal with?
How do you show investors and supporters you are trustworthy enough to work with them?

There is More: Talent is one thing, but to recover and grow, you need more customers/clients for more sales. We live in an extremely visual world. The answer for both staff and sales begins with your marketing and team images.

The Answer: People do business with people. The answer starts with your presentation on your website, especially your “About,” “Leadership,” “Management,” or “Team” pages. These are the most visited pages on any website. This is true for all companies, large or small.

Its About People, not Words: People work and do business with people. Not B2B or B2C, but H2H (Human to Human). The answer lies in the website/marketing headshots or portraits you present. Prospects and potential team members and investors check out these images first, if you have them. Whatever images you have, they create the first impression, good or bad.

Top 1% Headshots: People do business with people they know, like and trust, whether they are a prospect or a fellow team member. Top 1% Headshots show my clients as approachable, competent and trustworthy so those who view these Top 1% Headshots. From a Top 1% Headshot the viewer feels they know, like and trust you enough to work with the viewer in a competent and friendly manner.

Top 1% Headshots create that all-important, positive first-impression.
T his leads to prospect conversions and highly effective teams.

Current Team and Customers: Actually the same hunt for headshot images is true for your current staff, team and current customers.

Current team also check out their leaders’ headshots, and their own (if they have any).
Current customers look for leadership and those who they have contact with.

A headshot is the most powerful marketing tool there is , few understand its power or how to use it.

The Power: Where there is an image of a human, especially those showing the face, each human is drawn to it almost uncontrollably. Everyone looks at a headshot, and makes a decision in 4 milliseconds (0.004 seconds) that is almost instant.

This unconscious, snap decision determines what they do next:

Turn away and discount, or
Keep looking and develop positive attitudes and trust, leading to action.

4 Milliseconds: If they look for those first 4 milliseconds (ms), and keep looking for 3-10 seconds, you have won that critical first-impression battle.

The Power of Trust: During those additional 3-10 seconds from a Top 1% Headshot, they build trust from the headshot that you care, and trust that you are their answer, good to work with, and contact you. This is power of trust!

Will any headshot do this? No, only Top 1% Headshots rightly-applied will show you as approachable, competent, confident and trustworthy to be their answer.

In a Top 1% Headshot:

They see you,
They like you,
They trust you are their answer, and
They want to contact you and work with you.

This leads to more positive engagements and conversions
This leads to a higher marketing ROI!
This leads to mores sales growth!

This leads to more customer loyalty
This leads to more team loyalty
This leads to more partner loyalty

Yes, Top 1% Headshots are indeed awesome!

Why? Top 1% images encourage more positive person-to-person engagement.

Top 1% Images foster positive human-to-human engagement like no other!

Where does this Top 1% Headshot Power Work?

Sales prospects
Top Talent
Among your current Team
Prospective Partners
Prospective Investors
Referrals (Hot or Cold)
Job/Partner Applicants
Professionals
Actors and Models

Brain Power: The human brain can process something like 11 million bits (11 megabytes) of information every second. But our conscious minds can handle only about 40 to 50 bits of information a second. The rest of this vast processing, almost all of it, is in our sub-conscious minds. The territory of “gut reactions,” which are at the “instant” level, i.e., 4 milliseconds.

Hardwired: I am telling you all this so you understand this snap-decision on an image showing the face, is a basic human process that everyone does, in all cultures, and few are aware of it, because it is a subconscious process.

In dealing with people, if there is no image, even no poor headshots, the reaction is almost always even more negative than the rejection of a poor headshot.

No headshots and you leave yourself as a commodity where price is the key issue. Here you add no value, likability or trust. Just one of many in the pile, like on Amazon or Wal-Mart.

Referrals: Without a Top 1% Headshot your only hope is a hot referral. But now 90% of referrals check-out your site BEFORE they contact you. You again win or lose on your website imagery.

Influencers: If your product is so great, other mavens (who always show their face) will write about it. But the referrals still look for faces on your website to validate. You need an army of influencers, and several layers deep, to get past your untrustworthy website.

Psychology: Modern sales and marketing psychology spends much effort here. Our Top 1% Headshots use what they have learned, combined with years of marketing experience, to create Top 1% Headshots that win this first-impression battle for you to prospect engagement, and not against you.

Results: This instant or snap-decision process by the viewer of a headshot determines whether the person in the headshot is:

For or against them (the viewer);
Whether the person in the image is safe, or a predator;
Are they out for themselves, or do they delight in helping me?
Are they self-pleasing, or others-pleasing?
Is it all about them, or all about me?
Are they my problem, or my answer?
Can I trust them to help me in a nice way?

All this analysis occurs in those 4 milliseconds.

First Impression: Notice this snap-decision determines their next action. We call this the famous “first impression.” Win this battle and they like and trust you. Lose it and they avoid you like the plague!

Typical "All About Me" Headshot

Perfect for satisfied customers or team members having a good time amongst themselves.
Perfect for Models and actors showing how they sell lifestyle benefits.

Terrible for service providers, management, job hunters and attracting prospects/new team members/partners/investors
Terrible for job hunters (See https://www.donmannphotography.com/if-you-are-looking-for-a-new-job)

Typical "Me First" Headshot

This image is perfect for a model selling something, or a satisfied customer, or a bride at a wedding.

"But she looks so happy." She is, and does not care about you. Your mother probably loved this in your high school portrait, but not prospective bosses or clients or team members. They want you to be about them (trust), not you (un-caring and selfish).

"But I love my big smile." Fine, use it appropriately. Use it on Facebook, on LinkedIn Featured section of your profile, or as a model, on a gig. But do not try to convince people you care about them with it. They are not fooled. Prospects looking for help are repelled by this 24x7.

See those white teeth? Psychology says those are a warning message, "Stay away, I will bite you. Do not take away what is making me happy. Get your own!" (See https://www.donmannphotography.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-good-real-estate-headshots ), and ( https://www.donmannphotography.com/what-is-the-best-picture-for-your-business-website )

Website Conversion Rates: Now you know why website conversion rates are so low. Most are full of "Its About Me" images.

Many lose this prospect/team member engagement with "Its all About Me" Images; you repel them in 4 milliseconds. They are repelled 24x7! And they look for other alternatives as quickly.

The Power: Win in that same 4 milliseconds with a Top 1% Headshot, and you get prospect engagement, usually enough to favorably respond to your included call to action (CTA).

WARNING: If you are not using this technology for you and your company, then it will work against you and your company. If that positive first-impression does not get built, then distrust and avoidance does.

Do it right and you will get more sales conversions, stronger team work in your company/department, attract better new hires, and investors.
Do it wrong and you get poor engagement, low conversions, more customer service complaints, wasted marketing dollars, lower income and lower profits.

Return on Investment: What would a higher marketing ROI look like? More sales and top quality job applicants/team members. This is what Top 1% Headshots can do for you.

H2H: I major on human to human (H2H) connections, created and inspired by awesome, positive first-impressions. These can springboard to immediate engagement, sales and cooperative team attitudes.

What do you want? So do you want more good clients and customers? Do you want more powerful and effective teams delivering powerful results; do you need awesome team members? Do you want partners and investors?

It can all start with the positive first-impression of a Top 1% Headshot.

What I do: I can bring them in with Top 1% Headshots and Images by trust. Whether you can convert and retain them is up to you and your team.

People see my 1% Headshots with that extremely rare confidence and approachability from my coaching YOU, and they want to meet YOU, work with YOU, and call YOU. This is the power of a Top 1% Headshot for YOU. This is total brand acceleration.

What is a High Marketing, Top 1% Headshot good for?

Perfect for Leadership, management, customer contact people, job applicants, and models and actors.

Perfect for those seeking investors and partners.

Perfect for those starting a new business

Perfect for those growing a business

Perfect for those looking for more sales

Perfect for those looking for quality talent

Perfect for building internal teamwork

Perfect for sales people, professionals, lawyers, real estate agents, etc.

Perfect for Rainmakers

Perfect for drawing new clients/prospects

Perfect for competitive bids where your images show you are the reliable answer over your competition

Terrible for those trying to go out of business

Top 1% Headshots – the Holy Grail of Marketing

That Overcomes Harsh Reality

I can save you from wasting money, or losing any more prospects.

I live and breathe images that accelerate your business, and I do not rest until all your images are high octane.

Websites are based on visual appeal. Visual appeal is assessed by viewers within 50 ms, suggesting that you have about 50 ms to make a good first impression with your website.

I will be happy to do a consultation with you on your marketing imagery and give you my honest opinion.

Just use my contact page and shoot me a request. Contact Page

Wishing you all the Best,

Don

QUESTIONS?

Phone: 302 - 561 - 5555 | Email: Info@DonMannPhotography.com | Rates & Booking

Best Zoom/Video Conference Profile Picture

183:739017323 (Don Mann) — Sat, 31 Jul 2021 00:40:57 GMT

Video Conferencing is now a way of life.

The New Normal

With video conferencing, work from home, remote working now a major part of life; so is your video conference, profile picture.

Many businesses are making work from home (WFH), or remote work, now a standard part of business life. And don’t forget video/face-time communicating while traveling.

Professional networking organizations such as BNI, Toastmasters and Chambers of Commerce are now making zoom (or alternate suppliers) video conferences a standard part of their networking.

One key element to the experience you give other video conference participants includes your video profile image. If you are not on the video screen/camera, your Zoom/video profile picture is part of your professional persona you present to others. This is one way to use zoom/video conferencing to enhance your career.

Details: Also, keep in mind that your Zoom video picture shouldn’t exceed 2MB in size and should be one of the following formats: PNG, JPG, or GIF. Often access to profile image is on your video conferencing software system’s Settings page.

Remember your video profile image is what people see if you take a break on your video camera/lens. Make it the most beneficial and powerful you can.

This is a new world. In the past people used funny or casual images for video profile pictures, even emojis and cartoon-type avatars, or worst of all, no video profile picture at all. The problem is that all of these modern technology images do not show you as approachable, competent or trustworthy. The only thing that can do that is a Top 1% Headshot for your video profile image.

Otherwise, instead of being seen as a real player, and someone who can solve their problems, you can look like a non-effective, self-indulgent person, or at worst, a joke. If you are not using a Top 1% Headshot in these scenarios, you are damaging a key and critical element in your branding program.

I explain these Top 1% Headshots in more detail in this article. https://www.donmannphotography.com/what-is-the-best-picture-for-your-business-website .

Where to Use Your Zoom-Video Profile Picture. Remember there are several places to use your zoom/video conference profile image in these work from home, remote activities.

On-screen when you logon, but before you officially join a meeting
When you have to leave from your position during a meeting (getting something for the meeting, or a coffee refill, etc.)
Prior to logging off from a meeting, or "lurking"
Don't use it when you are on camera and multi-tasking during a meeting. Many organizations have strict rules about clandestine communications during in-person meetings, and now apply them to video conferences.

This video profile image should be the same image as you would use on your LinkedIn profile, and if it up to Top 1% Headshot standards, your company website and your business cards.

Your Branding Program: Branding is how others perceive you. This means anytime others can see you in person or in an image of some kind, whether in video or in a photograph. You are branding yourself every time you get in front of other people, whether in person or in media. This means you are branding yourself in every video conference. Control or manage your video branding as you do your appearance.

You may say, "I don't have a branding program." Yes you do, but you say that, you are not managing it. You are letting it happen by random chance and not intentional management.

However you appear in person or any media, or social media that is your branding-marketing collateral (words and images). And today, if people learn of your name, they will Google you and see your planned or un-managed marketing collateral. Having Top 1% Headshots in your collateral can be a great career enhancer.

What is most effective is a high lookability, commercial marketing, Top 1% Headshot.

Whether it is remote, office-centric or hybrid model, more than likely you will be involved in more video conferencing than before COVID. If you are in a customer/client contact function, for sure you will be using video conferencing.

Adding a video profile photo is more personal than having just your name displayed during a meeting when your camera is inactive. And it can be far more useful for your career.

Airline Impact: Telling my age a little, I have been doing business-video conferencing since the 1980’s. First it started with telephone conference calls. People soon agreed this left out a lot of interpersonal communications. Then we moved to video conferencing. While perhaps an adjunct to in-person interactions, to the sadness of accountants, video conferencing did not replace airplane and automobile travel expense for business purposes.

The warning was that, with all this video conferencing, the airlines would see major cutbacks in business travel. So whether it was meeting with prospects or customers, recruiting staff or team members, addressing investors, or even weekly team meetings, these modern telephone and video meetings did not significantly cut business travel.

In my opinion, the best use of video meetings is for education and perhaps training. During COVID we had no choice, but why is business travel now picking up in the airlines? Nothing replaces in-person interactions for depth and relationship building. They may work for top-down or past-agreement-rehearsal communications, but not team building and negotiations. This applies to all workers, especially remote workers.

Here to Stay: Even though video conferencing is not the end-all, be all, for communication, it is now even a greater part of our lives than ever before. I project that while video conferencing is not going away, how you use it is even more critical than ever.

For many of us the reality is that often video conferencing is the only way we will ever interact with many people. The issue is, how do you make it most effective?

Casual Viewing: There is a certain joy in attending a video meeting in a suit and tie, while in your shorts. Even prestigious news announcers have confessed to doing it. Modern psychology has proven that how we perform and interact is superior when we are wearing business clothes. So dress professionally at all times, with your pants/skirt on.

So the first tip is to wear professional clothes in business situations, including video conferencing.
The second tip is to be well-prepared for the meeting, and have a few relevant questions to ask if presented an opportunity.

Remote workers disadvantage offset by a Top 1% Headshot. WFH (Work From Home) or Remote work is now a part of life, so is the loss of the key benefits of in-person communication. The best way to counteract the isolation of remote, WFH is to use a Top 1% Headshot as part of your video branding program. At least with such a video profile headshot you will remind all viewers you are a team player, and one to solve their problems in an agreeable manner.

Can you imagine getting a job from a headshot? It happens all the time, especially for those who have and use Top 1% Headshots in all their communication opportunities, especially business related zoom/video conferencing. If possible use a small version of your Top 1% Headshot at the bottom of your emails, or other business communications.

Profile Image On Start Up: If you can, make your default view "not your camera," so the default is your video-profile image. For example on Zoom, do not join with your video camera active. That way the first thing they see is your high marketing, video profile picture, and not you unprepared, or the room empty when you are away from your position.

Next time you are on a Zoom video call, and decide to turn off your camera, other participants will see your career enhancing, Top 1% Headshot, profile picture. No matter what their opinion of you, they will know you are a trustworthy person from constantly viewing your Top 1% Headshots. Other popular. but lessor headshots or images do not do this for you.

Changing Your Profile Picture: you can also add a profile picture even during your Zoom video call. In case your Google profile is without an image, you can add it there first, and then log into Zoom. That way, you will have the same picture in both locations with just one upload. Do similar for all your communication systems.

You can change your Google profile picture from your mobile device as well. But keep in mind that regardless of where you make these changes, you’ll have to wait a little bit until they apply. But once they do, the same image will appear in all Google products, wherever or however you sign in with your account. Make the same profile picture on all your communication and video conference devices.

A Word on Backgrounds: Don’t forget a professional background during your Zoom/Video conference. The best is simple, a single, muted-color or gray. Try to use a simple, uncluttered wall as a background, and no chair rails. I use one of my pop-up photography screens, or fix-up a single-color, hanging curtain.

On my Zoom program, the background picture called "Blur" is a good neutral background. This tool blurs the existing background. Instead of the shapes and clutter, it blurs all features. It still can leave light and dark shapes, so it is not perfect.

Another option is called the Workaround Big Shot. It is a screen that mounts on your chair and provides a simplified background that can be chromakey or gray. It is simpler than a pop up or curtains.

The point is you may love your homey, cluttered background, but the other members of your meeting only see distracting clutter. Simplicity is more courteous and shows you as more trustworthy.

Look at the screen above from a video conference. Notice how cluttered and confused it is. This scene is unprepared and casual. For business purposes, simple and uncluttered is far superior for your image to the other viewers.

You don’t want any cluttered backgrounds. No pictures or baseball bats or clouds sprouting out of your head! No woodland or race track scenes! SIMPLE is best so they look at mostly your face, especially your mouth and eyes.

One of the best ideas for a professional video background might be the most underappreciated. How about taking a photo of your own home in perfect order, and make that your virtual background? Just make sure it is simplified. Install this on your video conferencing software. No one will be any the wiser in your video calls, and yet you won't have to worry about cleaning up before your next meeting.

This will be separate from your video profile picture, so you will need two images:

1) Your Top 1% Headshot, and

2) Your simplified background photo.

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, then a Top 1%, Marketing Headshot is worth 10,000 words of the best marketing copy there is.

And you can drive home that message in every video meeting you are attending.

But make no mistake, you are always driving a message every time you are on video; so make it the one you want.

I can save you from wasting money, or losing any more prospects or opportunities.

I live and breathe images that accelerate your business/career, and I do not rest until all your images are high octane.

I will be happy to do a consultation with you on your marketing imagery and give you my honest opinion.

Just use my contact page and shoot me a request. Contact Page

Wishing you all the Best,

Don

QUESTIONS?

Phone: 302 - 561 - 5555 | Email: Info@DonMannPhotography.com | Rates & Booking

What Is the Best Picture for Your Business Website?

183:739017323 (Don Mann) — Thu, 25 Mar 2021 20:07:43 GMT

Getting the Most For Your Marketing Dollar

Or:

How Do You Get Crowds of Prospects Running Toward You With Good Intentions?

The winds of business adversity are always blowing. Is your marketing program able to withstand and thrive in these winds? Part of the secret is getting the most out of your advertising dollar.

The pandemic has forced the world to rely on Internet-based imagery more than ever before. What was a nicety is now critical. While your imagery may focus on your products and services, people do business with people, they want to see you in your messages, and for that you need business-focused imagery.

This means prospect-engaging imagery that shows you as approachable, competent and trustworthy. This means you must win the first instance of building a strong, positive, first impression. This happens in the first 4 milliseconds. It is almost instant. Lose this first impression opportunity, and you miss the prospect going any further.

Everyone is saying you need to advertise, do a marketing program, to increase your branding, renovate your website, or create a better profile, but what do you pick? How do you sort out all the fancy and expensive material presented to you?

This applies to Everyone: The principles we are describing are based on human psychology and apply to solo job-hunters, entrepreneurs, business owners or major corporations. Or to put it simply, for those seeking opportunities, clients, customers or investors.

Hopefully we can provide a few answers in this sea of confusion. We have all seen commercials and websites that miss the point. The key is people do business with people. They want to see the people behind the offerings and know they can trust them. This includes your website.

Just the Facts: People make snap judgements. It takes only 1/10th of a second (0.1 seconds) to form a first impression about a person. Websites are no different.

It takes about 50 milliseconds (ms) (that’s 0.05 seconds) for viewers to form an opinion about your website that determines whether they’ll stay or leave.

In a headshot, it takes 4 milliseconds . That is 0.004 seconds. They form an instant opinion of "yes or no," or "safe or not safe." This is their first opinion and it lasts a long time. In all cases the viewer is convinced they made an accurate judgement.

No mercy. So yes, studies continually show websites, pictures with humans, and especially headshots (or the lack thereof) are judged swiftly and ruthlessly. So whether it is 0.004 seconds, 0.05 seconds, 0.1 seconds, or even 7 seconds, it is in all cases, almost instant. You have to invest in time and money prior to this viewing; there is almost no room for adjustment.

So what is effective for powerful client engagement may not be what you think is a "great" image.

The answer is to have people images with high lookability that draw people in with approachability, confidence and trustworthiness. The reaction of a prospect to a high-lookability headshot is to like you and want to do business with you, and most wonderfully, connect with you. This is total branding acceleration.

This is the power of our Top 1% Headshots. They produce that effective client/prospect/investor/opportunity engagement business people are looking for.

These lookability effects apply to every marketing/advertising/branding image.

Let's start with the commercial portrait of these 3 Bakers below.

Take a moment and look at the whole image of these 3 Bakers. As you look, notice how your eye is drawn back again and again to the smiles, those sets of gleaming white teeth. Do you focus on the bread in their hands, the racks of bread behind them, or their faces, specifically their teeth?

What Bread? Most people do not even see the bread, they are looking at those 3 sets of toothy grins. This is a natural, gut reaction for all people across the world and all cultures. It is a human gut-reaction. At a basic level, those smiles in this situation or scene, are interpreted as threat warnings based on fear, not confidence.

We humans love to look at people. At the gut level it is to determine if they are safe to be around. And any interpretation based on fear causes an immediate gut reaction to turn away. This is the famous first impression, gut reaction.

Anytime a human sees another human in person, or in a picture, or in a video, the first impression response is always there as an almost unconscious reaction. In this case you look away from the entire picture and do not notice the bread. This is a bad first impression for commercial purposes.

Popular but ineffective. This image is advertising a commercial bakery, and is a marketing failure. Toothy smiles are not always bad, in some cases, even necessary. Now, if this were baking students showing off what they made, this could maybe be OK, but not to draw me in to sell me the bakery as a supplier/service provider.

First of all, for staff, these expressions are too "needy." They are not confident and focused on themselves. Those toothy smiles tell me they are focused on themselves and not me, the viewer. One valid viewer reaction could be, "Are they going out of business?"

They Are Everywhere. Yet the branding world is full of these inappropriate images showing a lack of understanding basic human-psychology. Your mother may love pictures of you smiling, but for a business branding picture trying to attract customers/clients, this toothy-grin image is a failure. It repels prospects, and does not invite them in.

Psychology reveals the secrets. In their seminal book, The Definitive Book of Body Language: The Hidden Meaning Behind People's Gestures and Expressions , Barbara and Allan Pease show that this kind wide, toothy grin is a fear response; a warning that says, "If you hurt me; I will bite you. Look at my teeth and keep looking, now go away." This is what the average viewer will see. Thus you keep your eye on those dangerous teeth, or turn away to not provoke an attack. And the viewer misses the bread entirely.

This 3 Bakers image may be visually well done, as a professional image or portrait, but it is not enticing for brand development or basic advertising.

These three bakers are showing classic model smiles. The smile says, I am happy." The white teeth are warnings to stay way, at best, "get your own." That "get your own" is the appeal to get the product, service or experience they are promoting. Since this kind of smile is fear-based, these white teeth from staff repel prospects 24x7. This image is a marketing failure. It wastes money and hurts the business.

Now look at the commercial portrait of the Single Baker below.

His expression has high lookability and conveys approachability, confidence and trustworthiness. You look at him and would be glad to meet him, and would be confident that his bread will be good.

Not only that, but you immediately look at that bread as mouth-watering and want a piece, even if you are not hungry! This is the power of a right expression in a branding image. It draws prospects to the bakery, not repel them.

My personal studies have shown that even when attracted to the guy, you still notice and want the bread!

This is awesome human to human (H2H) engagement in Commercial Marketing leading to more sales.

Now see this image composite of three portraits below.

This composite image below is more expensive to create, and yet is wasted marketing dollars. The baker is great but the other two images, with the inappropriate wide-toothy smiles, invoke fear in the viewer and repels them. If they had just used the baker, it would have been a winner and money well spent.

But sadly, as it is, this image is a lost marketing expense, a lost opportunity, repels prospects, blurs the message, and with no ROI, costs you money.

From a technical view, such a complex image would cost from $3,000 to $10,000 or more, to create and finish. Big money if the results do not produce more contacts, sales conversions and relationships.

The issue is not the complexity of the image, but what they chose to include. Done right it could have been a triple winner, and not an expensive loser.

As you look at this image notice how your eye delights in the baker, but you cannot get your eyes off the two sets of white teeth below him. You miss not only the message, but any text on the` image. Did you recognize that this is an add selling web services?

The pros see it. I reviewed this image with a web designer the other day, and again later, with a roomful of business owners. They all saw what I was talking about. The web designer got what I was talking about and said, "I can't get my eye off those smiling teeth, and all I want to do is turn away."

This is the direct, negative impact of using wrong or inappropriate images. This is a first-impression failure. And this is how you `waste those hard-earned branding dollars. This image does not produce more contacts, sales conversions and relationships. Instead it repels them 24x7..

The penalties are great:

Wasted advertising money
They kill hot referrals
Less customers and clients as your images continually repel 24x7.
Here your advertising program is costing you business, not creating it.
Lost sales, profits and relationships.

Now, the same is true if you do not consider your headshot as a key component of your business success.

Headshots are Critical

Your headshot is a critical part of your business branding, whether you like it or not. Your headshot is the key prospect-engagement tool of your business, and/or yourself. If you do not have one, it is even worse.

If your headshot is not current, you break trust the minute thy see you, or meet you in person. No one wants to do business with people they do not trust.

The good news is that I can create headshots for you that can accelerate your branding program. Since headshots always evoke a gut-level reaction, I major on headshots. I do not rest until your images are high octane!

Which One Would You Choose?

The headshot is probably the least appreciated, but the most powerful marketing image of all. No matter what your opinion is about headshots, they always evoke a reaction, always.

Every picture of a human viewed by another human produces a gut reaction of good or bad, yes or no, acceptance or danger. This all happens in milliseconds (0.004 seconds). This makes a headshot the most powerful marketing tool because it cannot be ignored. You may not consider this important, but your prospects do.

These professional headshots below are of the same woman, from the same creative-photo session. Which image(s) show fearful, needy, out to lunch or "I feel good," and which one(s) show approachableness, confidence, competence and trustworthiness? Which ones say, "It is all about me," and which ones say, "It is all about you, and I can help you; I will do you good"?

The first headshot is typical of 99.99% of all, so called, "good" or professional headshots, yet is inappropriate to draw in clients. If it is of a customer, then it may be fine, if it is of high lookability, but if of staff, it repels and does not help your case.

One more thing: Cell Phones

According to data from a 2019 Ecommerce Year in Review infog raphic, 63% of traffic to retailers and 53% of sales happen via mobile. If you have a ecommerce website, including job hunting, mobile technology has more than half of your sales.

Today every website is viewed on someone's cell phone, and often rarely on a desktop or tablet. If your images are not tailored for cell phone, then when viewed on a cellphone, your large and complex images can make faces hard to see and lose the power people want. They want to see other people. They want to see your headshot. They look for your headshot. If it is not a Top 1% Headshot, you always lose. ALWAYS!

But even on a cell phone screen those white toothy smiles (when inappropriate) will still terrorize your prospects. If you are over 50 and are wearing your reading glasses, maybe you don't see it, but those younger, better-eyed prospects do.

People do business with people. They want to see images of at least the owner, if not some of the staff. A Top 1%,
Professional Headshot can help rescue your website. if not your business. It can produce more contacts, sales conversions and relationships.

The advantage of a Top 1% Headshot is that it may even be larger on a cell phone than on your desktop version. In any case, the headshot will be the full cellphone screen-width.

My headshots are from the top of the shoulders up. If your headshot is a half-body torso shot, your face will still be smaller on a cell phone screen. People connect with the eyes and mouth.

If you have a Top 1% Headshot on a cell phone, it will still pack all of its approachable, confidence power to draw in clients. and help produce more contacts, sales conversions and relationships.

Your other website images will all be smaller on a cellphone screen. Complex images like the baker and two smiles will be small. Also product lists, offerings, food menus, etc. will also be smaller. So test all your website images for what they look like on a cellphone screen.

Who do I help?

Businesses with websites
Businesses with printed materials
Recovering websites that have repelling images
People who do not love their headshot
People who no longer look just look their headshot.
Anyone who hates having their picture taken
Anyone who loves having their picture taken
Anyone who wants more success.

OK. What is the most important picture on your website?

The most important picture on your website, and other marketing collateral/materials, is the headshot of the owner or chief customer contact(s). But only if it is a Top 1% Headshot.

The next most important pictures are of your staff, also as top, 1% headshots. Next is happy, satisfied customers, all wearing model-type, big smiles. If staff are around these happy customers, then the staff can also be showing model-type smiles showing they are happy the customers are happy.

Lastly are product-type images showing what you are selling or offering. Many websites have product images, but ignore the people-connecting headshots. They are client-engagement failures.

Your "About Us" Page:

The simplest approach is to have an About Us page with headshots of the owner/CEO, and your customer contact staff. Add in attracting investors/financial approvals, and you would include your C-level staff, all with Top 1% Headshots. Alternates to the About Us page include: Our Team; Leadership; Staff; Who We Are; or About. Remember the "About Us" page is the most visited page on most websites.

The reason the "About Us" page is the most-visited webpage is self-evident, people want to connect with people. But if your website has no top 1% headshots to connect with them on the "About Us" page, they move on. This is why the "About Us" page gets more hits and time spent than your product offering, pricing or even testimonial pages.

Remember, people do business with people , not all your hard-written., product or service focused, words/copy. They want human connections who present themselves as approachable, client-directed, and competent. My Top 1% Headshots do this for you.

Add in a few words of description of the person in each Top 1% Headshot and you will satisfy the normal and universal human desire to make a connection with those they do business with.

So whether you are a job hunter, a CEO, a service provider, looking for financing or partners, or building a team/staff, your Top 1% Headshot will open doors and draw opportunities for you. Headshots are only good for 1 year or two, so keep yours current.

If your headshots are not Top 1%, then the best you can hope for is a neutral response when they see your headshots, but rarely will they seek you out. A neutral response is not a good first-impression and will not help you. Your goal should only be Top 1% Headshots.

What about LinkedIn?

LinkedIn has both a profile picture and your profile page. It has images and words/marketing copy. LinkedIn is a business connection, social-media website. You may have great words on it, but, if you want opportunities or clients from LinkedIn, to be the most effective, your headshot/profile image must be a current, Top 1% Headshot.

Think of your LinkedIn profile as your mini-business website. And if you have a business you can also have a business profile on LinkedIn. In both cases these human psychology rules apply.

For more on this see: https://www.donmannphotography.com/Professional-Headshots-for-LinkedIn

And: https://www.donmannphotography.com/don-t-go-without-a-profile-pic-on-linkedin-here-s-why

So, What is the Best Picture?

The best picture for your website is a Top 1% Headshot of the owner/creator or chief customer contact.

Better is several Top 1% Headshots of each of your delivery and support teams.
And one or more of people satisfied, and with toothy grins, happy with your offerings. Or a combination of products and happy customers.

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, then a Top 1% Headshot is worth 10,000 words of the best marketing copy there is.

I can save you from wasting money, or losing any more prospects.

I live and breathe images that accelerate your business, and I do not rest until all your images are high octane.

Websites are based on visual appeal. Visual appeal is assessed by viewers within 50 ms, suggesting that you have about 50 ms to make a good first impression with your website.

I will be happy to do a consultation with you on your marketing imagery and give you my honest opinion.

Just use my contact page and shoot me a request . Contact Page

Wishing you all the Best,

Don

QUESTIONS?

Phone: 302 - 561 - 5555 | Email: Info@DonMannPhotography.com | Rates & Booking

Don't Go Without a Profile Pic on LinkedIn. Here's Why.

183:739017323 (Don Mann) — Wed, 18 Nov 2020 17:35:37 GMT

Your LinkedIn Profile Image Is Far More Important Than You May Think.

Don’t Go Without A Profile Pic On LinkedIn. Here’s Why.

Your LinkedIn Profile Image is far more important for life and business success than you may think. We humans are innately wired to seek after, and make snap judgements based on appearance, whether in person or in pictures.

If we humans cannot see you in person , we will seek you out in pictures on the Internet. In today’s social media world, anyone you meet or knows of you will look you up on social media, especially any pictures of you on the Internet. This includes potential recruiters, clients, customers and/or financial resources.

On LinkedIn your chief, first impression is your LinkedIn profile headshot. People look for it, and at it, instinctively. That initial first-impression is based solely on your profile image. Then they may look at your profile description. But they look at your profile image first, and then almost instantly, make that snap first impression to look for more, or not. You are now in the world of social media.

Your profile picture is a key element of your LinkedIn presence , and your effectiveness to open doors and draw opportunities. LinkedIn research shows that just having a picture makes your profile 14 times more likely to be viewed by others.

While critical, having a profile picture is vastly different than having a 1% headshot that opens doors and draws opportunities. On LinkedIn, they measure how many connections you make, but job hunting needs, not LinkedIn connections, but job interviews. A connection is like a handshake in a crowded room, which is temporary and of little risk. A job interview is more like paying a large deposit on a house where there is performance and reputation risk involved. Not on you, but on those making decisions about you.

A job interview means far more risk for the interviewer. For the kind of image that draws interviews we look to the acting industry where high lookability, 1%, headshots produce interview requests in a highly competitive environment, and where low lookability, 99%, headshots do not.

The only chance you have is if there are no 1% headshots in competition. But if you have a 1% headshot, you go right to the front of the competitive pile. This makes a high lookability headshot your “ace in the hole,” in a sea of poor lookability headshots made by amateurs, and even many professionals.

If you do not have a profile photo, see any of the many articles that tell you how to take a cell phone selfie that will fill a spot on a form, and that is much better than no image at all, and it may get you some connections. But will it help you on a job hunt? Probably not.

In today’s world there are hundreds of qualified applicants for every slot , all with super resumes/LinkedIn Profiles. What is in shortage is high lookability (we call these 1%) headshots that convinces the reader that you fit your super resume/LinkedIn Profile.

In reality, most headshots are so bad for personal branding success, that it is not 1%, but more like 0.001%, but that is too mathematical for most. Maybe we should call these high lookability, door-opening headshots, “one in a million.”

High lookability means the viewer will look longer than 3 seconds at the image. Otherwise the viewer looks away in a milli-second, depending on just how poor your image is. At best you may get 1/10 of a second in viewing from a better selfie or most professional headshots.

Look at the images in this article. These are proven, high-lookability, our famous 1%, one-in-a-million, headshots.

If you looked at any of these images for 3 seconds or more, they did their job.

High-Lookability, 1% Headshots to open-doors and draw opportunities for your success.

In reality, most headshots are so bad for personal branding success, that it is, are not 1%, but more like 0.001%, but that is too mathematical for most. Maybe we should call these high lookability, door-opening headshots, “one-in-a-million,” rather than 1%. But to keep it simple, we refer to these highly effective, marketing headshots, as 1%.

High lookability means the viewer will look longer than 3 seconds at the image. Otherwise the viewer looks away in a millisecond, depending on just how poor your image is. At best you may get 1/10 of a second in viewing for a better selfie, or most professional headshots.

And while they are looking, they see you as approachable, competent and good to work with where what they need is your priority. You move to the front of the pack, and they want to meet you and work with you. This is the path to those interview calls.

Look at the images in this article. These are proven high-lookability, our famous 1%, one-in-a-million, headshots.

If you looked at any of these images for 3 seconds or more, they did their job.

Yes, you do want a LinkedIn Profile headshot.

What does a Top 1%, Marketing Headshot cost? That is not the right question. The right question is, "What do I get?"

If you want a high-lookability, 1%, one-in-a-million headshot, give me a call. If you want a door opening, opportunity-drawing headshot that could mean thousands of dollars more for you, no matter what it costs, the value is beyond imagination, give me a call.

To those who want to succeed in life, a high lookability headshot is as important as your cell phone, as it makes connections for you while you sleep or are otherwise busy.

QUESTIONS

Phone: 302 - 561 - 5555 | Email: Info@DonMannPhotography.com | Rates & Booking

How Job Hunting Works

183:739017323 (Don Mann) — Mon, 27 Jul 2020 20:22:42 GMT

A Professional, Top 1% Headshot Adds Rocket Fuel to Your Job Hunt

A "What to do" article from our 10,000 Headshots Project in July 2020. As we shot, many of the subjects were very appreciative, not to mention the joy and cries of delight as they saw their brand new images.

Most had never seen what professional lighting and coaching can do for their self esteem, and their images, and how it can put rocket fuel into their futures.

This article was posted here for reference. The event has come and gone, but the often secret, information on job hunting and headshots, is still critically valid.

If like many others today, you’re searching for a new job — maybe something that offers a flexible work-from-home option to sustain you through the COVID-19 pandemic? — you have to freshen everything up, from your resume to your portfolio to that first impression in the age of virtual job searching: the headshot.

Headshots may not be required along with your resume, but they’re a necessity for professionals, topping LinkedIn and Twitter profiles (yes, people do find jobs on Twitter). A professional headshot sends a certain message that a selfie just doesn’t, especially when potential employers are looking at your profile.

The drawback? Professional headshots can be perceived as expensive, with the cost of a sitting starting at around $250, and $2,000 is not unusual. If you’re out of work right now, that expense may seem a bit out of reach, yet is less than the cost of a cell phone, a good jacket or even some tattoos.

In response, photography booking agency Headshot Booker and Brookfield Properties launched 10,000 Headshots, a single-day photo initiative where more than 200 photographers provided free headshots to unemployed people across the all 50 states on July 22.

In Delaware, Don Mann of Don Mann Photography Inc. in Wilmington, participated that day from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Christiana Mall.

Mann came out of retirement to start Don Mann Photography, specializing in professional headshots for businesses, actors, modeling portfolios and individuals, as well as commercial and event photography.

“Our community, like so many others, was hit hard by COVID-19 and we were looking for ways to help our neighbors get back on their feet,” said Mann, who noted that,

"According to LinkedIn, people who include headshots receive 21 times more profile views and nine times more “connection” requests."

“We heard about what Headshot Booker and Brookfield Properties were doing across the country and wanted to be a part of it. We are giving hope in a desperate situation, and are excited and grateful to be able to contribute to such a great initiative.”

Anyone who was currently unemployed was eligible to get a free headshot. If you plan to participate, visit HeadshotBooker.com to schedule a time to be photographed in order to facilitate safety and social distancing for the 10 minute one-on-one sessions. Photographers are required to wear masks throughout the shoot, keep 6 foot distances, and participants will receive their images through contactless photo delivery courtesy of SpotMyPhotos.

If all the resumes meet the job requirements, what can set you apart? The answer starts with your headshot.

The holy grail of job hunting is hot referrals, yet when an employer hears of someone, the first thing they do is look that name up on LinkedIn. They go right for the profile picture, your headshot. If it is a compelling, Top 1% Headshot showing approachability, competence and trustworthiness, you go right to the top of the list. If not, provided your resume is close, you may get added to the pile. If other applicants have Top 1% Headshots, you often will not even make the sort file, much less the interview list, no matter how great your resume and job application. The door opener is a Top 1% Headshot like we create for you.

The Headshot Battleground.

The battle zone for a headshot starts when your headshot is first viewed. You have milliseconds to win this battle. If you win it, they keep looking at it for a couple of seconds. At the gut level they say to themselves, "I like this person, they look competent, and I would be glad to work with them." This battleground in the best cases leads them to contact you right away. Lose this battle in those critical first milliseconds, they move on looking for other answers. Often the headshot is so poor it repels the viewer, who turns away or glosses over it in their mind.

You can rank headshots on a scale from 0 to 100. Only the top 5% win this first impression battle zone. Most headshots do not even make it to the 70% category. Here they see your headshot and gloss right over it, and look for other alternatives to you. They may not be offended, but they certainly are not impressed.

As a job hunter or client hunter in today's world, you may met the initial entrance criteria, but without a top headshot, you will not jump ahead of the other competitors. If everyone has a top resume, the battle belongs to the headshot. Ignoring it or going cheap is not a wise choice.

We use the term "Top 1%" headshot to focus on the high lookability factors of approachability and confidence leading to trustworthiness. These rare headshots are more like one-in-a-million, but we use the "top 1%" name to drive the point that all headshots are not equal, and sadly, most are not even contenders in marketing and branding for career advancement, much less for a job, or clients, in desperate times.

What is a Top 1% Headshot?

A Top 1% Headshot is a marketing/branding image that invokes immediate viewer engagement, so they perceive the person as approachable, competent and trustworthy to help the viewer achieve the viewer's goals. The Top 1% Headshot is based on the findings of modern psychology.

The result of this photographically-induced engagement is the viewer likes you, wants to work with you and to contact you, believing that you will do them good, and that you are concerned about them and will solve their needs. It is a unique, “you first” image, and not the typical, “me first” image.

A top 1% headshot is “commercially viable” in that it brings you business, and opens doors of opportunity, and on the Internet, markets for you 24x7.

1% Headshots can be used in all media, business cards, websites, billboards, video conferencing profiles, social media profiles, and even passport and security badge photos.

One of the most effective uses of a Top 1% Headshot is in your LinkedIn profile, and other social media. It is powerful if it can be used on your company's website.

A Top 1% Headshot is the job hunter's "Ace in the Hole."

I explain these top 1% headshots in this article. https://www.donmannphotography.com/what-is-the-best-picture-for-your-business-website .

Rocket Launch

Add Rocket Fuel to YOUR business life, and Watch it SOAR with a proper, Top 1%, Headshot!

We are experts for those who hate having their picture taken.

A proper professional headshot does not just fill a spot on a form. Studies prove it can be one of the most valuable marketing tools there is, WHEN DONE RIGHT.

This is even more important in these COVID 19 days where meeting people in person is constrained by masks and social distancing. Your professional headshot is the only way to introduce your better self. Then add in video interviews with amateur cameras at strange angles, and the job seeker is placed at a disadvantage, unless the interviewers are also looking at their awesome and compelling headshot.

"I, Don Mann, was competitively selected to join the world’s top headshot shooter for his team."

"When people see a proper headshot with that extremely rare confidence and approachability caused by my proven coaching, they want to meet you, work with you, and call you. This is the power of my rare expertise for you."

"Head shots are becoming more and more important in business these days," said Mann. "You want to be somebody who looks approachable, knowledgeable, confident, competent, trustworthy, and people would like to do work with you."

"For a business head shot, over-the-top happy with a big toothy smile, is a bit needy-feeling," said Mann. "It's that moment afterwards, where it's just that afterglow of the smile and it's not over the top and it's confident and it's connected. That's the moment I capture with my camera."

Typical review when people see the headshots we create with them: "The difference between the other “pro” headshots I had and yours is remarkable! I'm so glad I found you. Thank you so much!"

I create headshots that help people get jobs and clients, and I put that know-how into YOUR headshots. The result for YOU is more business, more job interviews, and more opportunity success. And for the job hunter, getting those awesome calls for an interview.

These times are harder than ever before. Don't be penny wise and pound foolish.

I’D LOVE TO HELP YOU.

The see more Top 1% Headshots see our home page. https://www.donmannphotography.com/

Contact me now: 302-561-5555

Adapted from: "Unemployed and ready to update your job profile? Check out this free headshots event.

Don Mann Photography participated in the nationwide 10,000 Headshots initiative at the Christiana Mall on July 22."

By Holly Quinn

https://technical.ly/delaware/2020/07/13/unemployed-free-headshots-event-christiana-mall-don-mann-photography/

QUESTIONS

Phone: 302 - 561 - 5555 | Email: Info@DonMannPhotography.com | Rates & Booking

10,000 Headshots Initiative

183:739017323 (Don Mann) — Sun, 05 Jul 2020 17:17:48 GMT

Opening the door for those out of work due to COVID 19

10,000 Headshots Video

We’re Helping Americans Get Back to Work by Providing Complimentary Professional Headshots for 10,000 Unemployed Workers Nationwide

10,000 HEADSHOTS

200 PHOTOGRAPHERS

50 STATES

Don Mann Photography was competitively selected to participate in this event.

As Peter Hurley stated, "We picked Don out because his work shows that he is at the world-class level in Professional Headshots."

Peter, with numerous awards and recognitions, is considered by many as the best headshot photographer in the world. Peter has been named many times the best headshot photographer in Backstage Magazine .

WHAT'S THIS ALL ABOUT?

Headshot Booker is coordinating the largest, single-day photo initiative which will provide 10,000 unemployed Americans nationwide with a complimentary, professional headshot to include with their resumes and post to job sites such as LinkedIn and other social media. According to LinkedIn, people who include headshots receive 21 times more profile views and nine times more “connection” requests.

10,000 Headshots will take place at locations across the US on Wednesday, July 22, 2020, and are open to anyone who is currently unemployed. More than 200 Headshot Booker photographers will participate across all 50 states, creating pop-up studios at Brookfield Properties retail locations to take the headshots. All headshots will be taken with social distancing and safety measures observed.

*Photo sessions are limited to 50 appointments per location.

**Participants must pre-register to reserve their 10 minute one-on-one headshot session.

WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?

10,000 Headshots is the brainchild of Tony Taafe, who co-founded Headshot Booker with renowned portrait photographer, Peter Hurley, national event photographer, and Lauren Lieberman. Taafe recalled the struggles his dad had with unemployment and the impact it had on his entire family. “I know firsthand that the effects of unemployment extend well beyond an individual,” he explains. “My dad was the hardest working person I ever met. He was in construction, the work wasn’t consistent and he had almost zero job security. “Unemployment impacts everyone and everything associated with that person,” Taafe continued.

“Unfortunately many job seekers underestimate the value of a professional headshot, instead opting for a snapshot taken by a friend or even worse a selfie. The headshot has become the cornerstone of one’s digital brand identity and we want to empower people as they go through the process of procuring a new job and getting back into the workforce,” explains Headshot Booker co-founder Peter Hurley.

“We want everyone coming through 10,000 Headshots to have a wonderful experience and look to us as a support network,” explained Lauren Lieberman, co-founder of Headshot Booker and CEO of LILA PHOTO in Palm Beach. “Finding a job is hard work. Our hope is that, along with a great professional headshot, they will leave the photo session with a greater sense of confidence and purpose, knowing they are making an investment in themselves and their future.”

“This is an impactful initiative on multiple levels for participants, photographers and partners,” said Ryan Jacobs, founder and CEO of SpotMyPhotos. “We are proud to leverage our platform to empower 10,000 people with the confidence accompanying such high-quality headshots as they seek out new job opportunities.

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

We are making every effort to ensure our photographer’s safety and each participant’s safety. Social distancing practices will be implemented at every Brookfield Properties location and Photographer studio.

Each participant will have a one-on-one session scheduled in 10 minute time slots.Every photographer will be wearing a mask throughout the photo session.
Participants will receive their images through contactless photo delivery courtesy of SpotMyPhotos either on their cell phone or their email address.
Safety guidelines will be implemented at each location.

HOW DO I REGISTER?

You must be pre-registered before the shoot date to participate.

Get on the list now and get your registration.

Go to https://headshotbooker.com/ for registration.

Wishing you all the Best,

Don

QUESTIONS

Phone: 302 - 561 - 5555 | Email: Info@DonMannPhotography.com | Rates & Booking

The Ultimate Guide To Good and Effective Real Estate Headshots

183:739017323 (Don Mann) — Mon, 29 Jun 2020 01:05:21 GMT

Effective Business Headshots are Rare But Possible

"I've bought and sold more than 10 properties in my life, and worked with real estate agents on each one of them.

I wish I had known then what I know now about the psychology of headshots, it would have left them with much more than just a single commission." Don Mann

Real estate agents are well aware of the importance of proper staging -- and this "lookability" goes for agents as well! Are you looking to increase your attraction rate to homebuyers? Learn the differences between good and effective headshots below.

If You Want a Cheap, Ineffective, Money-robbing Headshot, Stop Reading.

Based on my looking at numerous LinkedIn-realtor headshots, not to mention a lifetime of billboards and sales brochures, few in the real estate industry seem to understand and appreciate the power of an effective headshot.

The psychology of headshots makes this a critical factor for real estate professionals.

They all have a real estate headshot, but most of these headshots repel rather than attract prospects. They all have them, but they obviously do not know how to tell good ones from bad. My hope is to help all sincere real estate people get and use effective headshots.

Your headshot is the first introduction to who and what you are. It is a handshake with your unseen prospects. You may be a wonderful, warm, exciting person and problem solver in the flesh, but if you don't win that first digital introduction of your headshot, you will never know. If you don't win that first opportunity at a great impression they will move on, and move on in microseconds, never looking back. This is called "repelling at first opportunity."

Many treat their business headshot as a perfunctory requirement and spend little effort on them. Their mantra is, “Make it quick, I’ve more important things to do.” Yet studies prove that a headshot is one of the most potent human interaction tools there is. Ignore them at your financial peril and personal risk.

Your modern, real estate headshot is critical to your success in today’s overwhelming digital, image-driven world. As prospective clients search for agents online, their first impression is with your real estate agent headshot, whether online or in print.
It is entirely possible to make headshots that when people see them, they want to stare at them, not to look away, but want to get to know the person, and work with them. We call this “lookability.” These are extremely rare in the world of portrait photography, while we at Don Mann Photography make them every day. It is my gift to those who trust me enough to create high lookability headshots for them.
The awesome thing is that lookability is not beauty. It is the ability of a picture to show the real person behind the face, beautiful or not, in such a way that it draws people in to want to work with them. This is the Holy Grail of all marketing images, and you can have one of these top, 1% headshots on your business card, your mailers, and on your website. Your business life and your personal life can reap the bountiful rewards of such power. All found in a simple, but extremely rare, high-lookability headshot.

The right headshot can make you seem friendly, approachable, engaging, confident, trustworthy, and professional. That means it’s worth the investment to make sure you get your real-estate headshot right, the first time. And if you don't have one, maybe even swallow your pride and fears, and get one.

So how can you ensure your headshot puts your best face forward? Here are a few pointers to help you get the perfect shot.

People Overwhelmingly Buy Through Real Estate Agents

First, let’s look at some facts. A 2018 study by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) found 87% of home buyers purchase their home through a real estate agent. It’s evident there’s a large market for real estate agents. But how can you reach prospects?

Most agents rely primarily on personal referrals, and it is key. But before prospects contact you, they will research you. And that is where your headshot makes or breaks that potential connection.

55% of people will search online for reviews and recommendations before making a purchase, with 47% visiting the company website, 26% checking out the physical store, and 23% of people talking with friends and family. (KPMG) Based on these numbers, 55% of friends and family referrals will be researched on the Internet. Others suggest 70-80% will online research before they make a purchase/engagement decision.

This means 55% to 80% of your prospects will research or confirm their willingness to work with you by Internet research. And the primary thing they look at is your headshot to consider you.

Based on this data, with an ineffective headshot most real estate people are leaving at least 55% of their potential business on the table. What would your life look like if you had 55% or even 80% more business?

Let’s dream for a moment. Imagine what your life will be like WHEN you have our jaw-dropping headshots working for you 24x7 to improve your fortune? Our headshots feature you with confidence and approachability to draw prospects favorably to you.

Headshot Impacts Can Last For Years

Besides pictures of babies and puppies, people love pictures of other people, especially headshots. A poor headshot will make the viewer go from “open” to “Ugh!” If it is an agency website, a mailer, a brochure, a print ad, your business card or a For Sale sign, you will never know how many a poor headshot is not just being ignored, but actually repelling potential clients. And those poor impressions can last for years!

When a prospect goes to your agency website, what do they see? Just your face or a sea of faces? Most agency websites are like a cattle call with a maze of faces.
You are not just in competition with every other agency and their agents, but also with your own agency team. If that prospect sees a sea of agents, how are you going to stand out? So we are talking about your headshot first, then other supporting material surrounding your image.
If your headshot shows you as confident, approachable and trustworthy, your viewer will respond back to you with those same emotions. Your awesome headshot keeps them looking longer and selects you out of other images around you. They will choose you over others. Headshots with high confidence and approachability will be remembered long after the first time they saw your face. And that image will be associated with good, positive emotions for years, making it the perfect sales tool.
Numerous studies now show how viewers look at headshots and make their decision in milliseconds whether to stay or move on. If your headshot does not win this super-quick attention battle, you have lost your opportunity with that viewer.
Headshots with those critical engagement features are as rare as hen’s teeth. While anyone with a cell phone can take what they call a headshot, few know how to work the light for you, and even fewer know how to coach and then capture those compelling headshot expressions that upgrade your future.
Yet most realtors are happy with a headshot that fills in a form, or has what they consider a good headshot. And since few spend all day reviewing headshots, they have no idea what makes an effective marketing headshot. What they usually use for comparison are what they see on TV or the Internet, where effective headshots are as rare as cats barking. So their standard is bad headshots, not good ones. These are the people that tell you your headshot is “good enough, there is more to life, move on.” And you are left with a headshot that repels opportunities for years to come.
A simple test is the typical school headshot picture. Parents are happy if their child has a nice smile, but none consider if that image evokes approachability and confidence in the viewers. And few photographers are aware of what it takes. Especially in a production mode where each child sits for 2 minutes or less in a chair for their picture, or each real estate agent in a production-line headshot session, so they spend only 30 seconds on one of the most important marketing tools there is. Now you know why top actors and models spend days on their headshots, their very working lives depend on them.

But There Is Hope

Do you want more calls from prospective buyers, more calls from property owners for you to list their property? More buyer calls, more listing calls, more deals closed! More calls for you to join investor teams. More access to financing and suppliers for your projects. Or simply more MORE!

All this is made possible by our compelling, proven-results, top 1%, headshots!

If done right, a great headshot can enhance the feeling of intimacy between you and your viewer to build trust and acceptance. The viewer sees you and wants to work with you, and if a prospect, they now want to contact you. All this while you are not there!

Bigger Than You Think

I just discovered another headshot concern. Our neighbors just listed their house, and of course we looked up the listing. On the house’s page there was a small headshot of the listing agent. In fact all you could see was that she was maybe smiling. If you then clicked on that picture, you got a headshot the entire size of the cell phone screen. Wow, she looked terrible. It was an obvious cell phone shot with poor lighting, and rather scary. It repelled both of us at the same time. Short change your headshot and you short change your life. A prospect has no intention of trying to work with someone who ignores basic details!
I routinely get post-card real estate mailers. In these the agent has their little business card headshot blown up 3 to 5 times. And, boy are they repelling. Grimaces, fake smiles and red eyes abound. Not one ounce of approachability or confidence in them. My heart goes out to these agents who invested good, and hard-earned money, into repelling potential listings. The first response to me was maybe I need to list my house, but I will look elsewhere for a listing agent!
In these images these agents look predatory, fearful, ready to make money off of me, but not willing to listen to me, or look for my best interests in what is the largest financial transaction of my life! No way, not when I see the face of a shark and I see myself as their chum! All from a rather typical, ineffective, money-robbing headshot.

We Do Have Answers for You.

What you need. Timeless expressions for effective headshots. I was not trying to match the Mona Lisa, but we make high marketing, right expression, top 1% images every day. I just pulled this un-retouched headshot of Stephanie from my files. Notice the similarities of the expressions.

EXPERIENCE OUR HEADSHOTS THAT UPGRADE YOUR FUTURE.

A proper professional headshot does not just fill a spot on a form, or a website, or a business card. Studies prove a headshot always evokes a reaction, and that a headshot is one of the most powerful marketing tools there is, and positively awesome - WHEN DONE RIGHT.

A Headshot has Two Great Powers:

1. A proper headshot can immediately build a bridge of engagement where people see you, want to work with you, and connect with you. These rare headshots upgrade and jump-start your best relationship and financial future.

o A famous portrait is the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci, painted in 1503, and it has that awesome connecting face. Its power is so great it has drawn and amazed people for centuries. People never get tired of looking at it. Now that is the kind of marketing headshot you want!

2. In the first few milliseconds of viewing a poor headshot it repels, where the viewer immediately looks away, and looks for other answers, puts your image out of their mind, and forgets your name. And this from what many would consider an OK or even a good headshot. The only thing worse is no headshot at all.

The First Type of Effective Headshot is Extremely Rare.

They are found by random chance in some photography, even production pictures such as school or corporate staff pictures. Literally, one in a million.

Or intentionally created by those who produce actor headshots, and their skills are tested and proved daily in the cruel world of casting directors and audition submittals. Effective headshots result in constant calls for auditions. Ineffective ones are where the phone rarely rings. Few headshots are tested daily to such rigors. For realtors, you just never know unless your phone rings less. But if you never had an effective headshot, you will think it is normal.

The second type of headshot, the prospect-repellers, in all their various forms, are those most commonly found everywhere, including the real estate industry.

People see a proper and effective headshot with that extremely rare confidence and approachability by our coaching. They want to meet you, work with you, and call you. This is the power of our compelling headshots for you.

A typical review during my headshot and commercial photography sessions: "The difference between the other “pro” headshots I had and yours is remarkable!" The power is in the expressions we create together.

I create headshots that get Actors jobs, and I put that know-how into your realtor headshots. The result for you is more business and opportunity success.

Look, an actor or model’s headshot has about 5 seconds to win the casting director for an interview. If that headshot does not grab them in the first few milliseconds, that opportunity is lost.

If the headshot grabs the director, then the person has a shot at the interview. The headshot has done its job, and the next steps are up to the person, but at least they get the call. It is exactly the same when anyone sees your headshot. If it does not engage the viewer, they move on and you never know it. But if it engages the viewer, you are on your way! This is our expertise for you. This is the power of a top 1% headshot.

More Than One Smile

We human can discern every aspect of the human face, and are scanning continually to determine if we are in danger or what our next action should be. The expressions of the lips range from a frown with the lips curved down to a wide toothy grin with lots of teeth showing and the lips curved up. For marketing purposes, to capture attention in a positive way, or to set a viewer at ease when you are selling, the effective smiles are limited to only a few. We will describe these ranges of smiles to produce compelling, high-lookability headshots.

I’D LOVE TO HELP YOU.

One of my greatest joys is the laughter and tears of both men and women as they see their headshot during our sessions. See the home page at my website for some of these reviews. www.DonMannPhotography.com

Our compelling, marketing headshots are custom-tailored to you and your objectives.

At Don Mann Photography your final digital images are ready for Professional use, LinkedIn profile, Social media, Website, Portfolio, Advertising and Marketing.

See our images at www.DonMannPhotography.com

Dos and Don’ts for a Real Estate Headshot That Works For You 24x7

Do: Look Your Best in Your Real Estate Headshot

Your real estate headshot should look like you on a good day. That means that you should do your hair and makeup with extra care, but definitely don’t go overboard. You don’t want to look fake in your real-estate agent headshot. If a prospective client meets you after seeing your headshot, and you look like a totally different person, this will break their trust, and could drive them away from doing business with you.

Aim for a polished and professional look in your real estate headshot. Consider wearing a blazer, tailored dress, or suit in your photo. Even if you aren’t formal on a day-to-day basis, business professional clothes are ideal for real estate agent headshots.

Just remember, your professional headshot isn’t a glamour shot. Your headshot is about presenting yourself as an approachable, reliable and trustworthy real estate agent. It is not selling your clothes, your jewelry, your make-up, or your hair, but you! And what you are selling is your ability to work with them, solve their problems, and for them to have fun doing it.

The picture: on left is the original portrait crop, on the right is a headshot crop from it. Notice how your eye goes to and stays on the headshot crop. While the lighting is terribly poor, but the more authentic expression still draws you in.

Don't: Strike a Stiff Pose in Your Real Estate Headshot

The last thing you want is a cheesy, stiff, or overly posed real estate headshot. For the typical waist-up portrait, crossing your arms will make you appear closed off, and tilting your head too much can look unprofessional. The best pose for a real estate agent headshot is a natural and approachable stance like you would stand if you were spending time with your friends. Better yet is planning on a close crop, and focus on the face and crop out the arms.

Remember this is a headshot, not a portrait. A professional headshot is from the top of the shoulders to the top of the head. If you can see the chest, it is no longer a headshot for business marketing purposes, and wastes image real estate. You, your significant other, your mom or dad, or your best friend may love the portrait from the waist up, if you have a good figure, but while often seen, it is not a marketing headshot. It may be a great social media shot, but it is not what it takes to draw business to you.

If you feel nervous or awkward about taking a real estate headshot, that’s totally natural. Most people feel a little awkward the first time they have a headshot taken. A professional photographer and expression coach can coach you to your best expressions. This is what connects you with potential viewers. You could also bring a friend with you to help you feel more comfortable around the camera.

Look at the experience of taking a real estate agent headshot as something fun! The result will be a real estate headshot that shows off the real you: a person that’s friendly, approachable, and great at their job.

Do Avoid The Pan-Am smile

This smile gets its name from the Pan Am flight attendants, who were required to keep smiling, even when customers and circumstances made them want to throw peanut packets across the cabin. Widely regarded as forced and fake, the Pan Am smile is extreme with lots of teeth showing.

Studies show that when people are posing, they use extra effort to yank on their zygomaticus major muscle running vertically on each side of the face. As a result, the corners of the mouth are extra high, and more of the teeth are exposed. If a posed smile is asymmetrical, the left side of the mouth will be higher than the right side.

The result is the classic forced smile made infamous by Pan Am flight attendants. Pan Am Airlines closed in 1991, but that insincere smile still lives on in multitudes of cell phone shots. And repels real estate prospects by the droves daily.

This smile has its roots in fear, and invokes fear in those who see it. It means untrustworthy and difficult to work with. It is the last smile a real estate agent should make, yet seems to be a standard in the industry.

Right Next to the Pan Am Smile is the Diva Smile:

Here the Diva smile is the mouth only, usually with a bigger, toothy smile than the Pan Am smile. According to experts like Barbara and Allen Pease ( The Definitive Book of Body Language ) a white toothy smile shows a fear response. If it has no connection to the eyes, it is read as fake immediately. Seen often in magazines and on television, and in real estate marketing. Fear is most easily transmitted to others. This puts fear-avoidance into the mind of the viewer as they look at your headshot, making them to turn away and avoid you.

The Diva smile invokes insecure and untrustworthy feelings. When seen on a yard real estate sign, where you see the face surrounding a big white toothy grin, repels most prospects, yet many prize this look in ignorance. Without the eye involvement it looks more like an animal baring it teeth to scare you away. How can this possibly draw prospects and opportunities to you? It repels them.

If you’re one of the nearly 13.8 million people employed in the sales industry, or if your job requires you to interact regularly with the public, you might want to reconsider relentlessly deploying the Pan Am or Diva smile, as it could affect your health, not to mention your income. It repels people, instills fear and anger whether in person or on the phone. And of course builds your own stress levels. Killing you daily! That is no way to grow a business.

A recent study published in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology found that people who have to fake happiness regularly at work often end up drinking often, or using other debilitating drugs, to hide the stress after they clock out.

The Grimace Smile

There are two major kinds of grimace smiles. The first is the forced smile seen above, with just the mouth involved, but not the eyes.

There are days when you are in no mood to smile, and yet the situation requires you to present a smiling face. Or someone cracks a not-so-amusing joke, and expects, if not your laugh, then at least a smile. The soulless smile that you then flash is the forced smile. While your lips try to look happy and smiling, your eyes betray you are not.

Usually the grimace smile is straight across, teeth exposed in fear, but the cheeks are not identical. There is no eye involvement. And you look like you are, at best, in pain.

The second is an authentic smile where both the mouth and eyes are involved. While still an authentic smile, for most marketing purposes, it is too strong and not comfortable to business prospects. It is too eager and makes the viewer wary as to what is going to happen next. With all those showing teeth straight across, the grimace is still a fear-based smile. An approachable smile needs the corners of the lips to be upturned and the cheeks upraised.

Do: Think Happy Thoughts for Your Real Estate Headshot, and Never Just Say “Cheese,” "Yes," "Yippee," or “Jubilee.”

Did you know that the right smile can make you appear more trustworthy? In your real estate headshot, don’t be afraid to give a tiny smile to the camera. If you can laugh and bring a real smile to your face, prospective clients will be able to sense the authenticity in the photo.

Ultimately, that means they’ll see you as trustworthy and someone they would want to work with. But don’t take the picture at the peak of the smile, but just before it fades away. This is the approachable smile you want in your headshots.

Business and Social Media Headshots

An effective business headshot is not a selling, dating or social media headshot, but can be similar. While explaining the differences can take time, we humans can spot them almost instantly. The dating, social media, authentic smile will include showing some teeth, while the business smile will have curved lips with little or no teeth showing. Both will involve the eyes and cheeks.

To put it simply, a business invitation smile is less, and more reserved than a social media smile. We typically make a range of smiles for our clients so they can pick their favorites. Some for business, the others, are with more teeth showing, for social media.

In a business situation (such as a seller listing with you, selecting a marketing agency, a job interview, or a casting director going through a pile of candidate headshots) there is fear or extreme risk on the decision maker’s view. They have to choose right, or it will cost them.

Who they go with, or choose for the next step, is a serious decision, and if wrong it could haunt them for a long time, and involves risk in money and peace of mind. For many home owners buying or selling their home can be a financial life decision full of fears and concerns. This is offset by the potential for the right decision to improve significantly your financial condition and life happiness.

In a social situation this kind of stress is usually not there, such as viewing profiles on Facebook, etc. In these situations beauty and attractiveness are perhaps more important, but not business trust and competence. There may be other stresses, but usually not a lot of money at risk, or your reputation with others, much less your personal self-esteem as in business situations such as picking a buying agent or a listing realtor.

There is a service at photofeeler.com that claims to rank profile pictures, but the voters are not in critical business situations. Their results may be useful for social situations, but almost useless and counterproductive for critical business issues.

The focus of a social media smile is toward the one doing the smiling and not the viewer. A big toothy smile says “Look at me,” and not, “I can make a good difference for you, and I like doing it for you.” The focus of a business smile is, “I am approachable, I won’t hurt you, I can help you and solve your problems with skill.” Nothing about this is sharp black and white. it is more a matter of degrees. The issue is, do you want a lesser marketing tool of the social smile, or the higher marketing tool of a commercial business smile? What kind of results do you want?

If you look at your headshot and say to yourself, "Oh, good, this shows me as pretty/handsome," then reconsider. In business the focus is not you, but the customer. If you look at your headshot and say, "I want that person on my team, they will get it done," you have a high marketing business headshot.

Realtor Comp Card

We see the same difference in modeling. Most model jobs are to sell lifestyle or products, and the image saying, "My life is better because of these things I am selling, so join me and get the benefits." For models we make shots with both kinds of smiles. The confidence and approachable smile saying, "I am good to work with, reliable, trustworthy, friendly and will do the job excellently for you, so pick me for this job." The other images are with the larger, more toothy social media type smile.

The different smiles are put on what is known as a model comp card so casting directors can see multiple facets of the model. Typically for a comp card, we make images for a top 1%, high-marketing headshot fully on one side, and on the other side with 2-4 different near and far views of the model with social or selling smiles. Just like a professional headshot, making these comp card images takes longer than the typical 3-5 minute production headshot, and requires more skill, and yes, costs more.

This is very similar for realtors. A high marketing business smile to draw prospects, and then social smiles at an open house showing how great this property is. Just like you have different shoes for different purposes, so you should have different images (and attitudes) for different realtor marketing purposes.

I just got a real estate mailer using these different style images. On the front was an attempt at a business headshot. And on the back was the realtor at an open house situation wearing a bigger social smile. On one side trying to say, "Choose me, I can do it for you," and on the other side saying, "I can sell your property, just like I am doing here." In essence, this mailer was a real estate comp card to the casting directors, the potential buyers and sellers/clients.

We recommend realtors get 2-4 headshots so you have enough for your business sites and various mailers, along with several for your social media sites. Even more powerful is comp card portraits for selling-type images.

To help you get that genuine smile, think about a funny story or watch stand-up comedy before you have pictures taken for your headshot. Then start laughing. Feel the joy until you believe it, then put on a grin, and start laughing. For many this could include looking at pictures of babies or puppies. This is way beyond saying “cheese” or “jubilee,” which by itself, always looks fake, and repels prospects and opportunities.

Do: Get An Expression Coach For Your Headshot Sessions

The sad reality is that there are few who know how to coach authentic expressions, so most headshots across all industries repel prospects and opportunities. Just take a few moments to look at most real-estate agency websites or LinkedIn profiles, and see all the door-closing, opportunity repelling headshots.

Just as in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king, and those with a high approachability and confidence headshot will tangibly experience the benefits of a proper professional headshot with compelling expressions – MORE business and MORE personal success.

I’ve seen numerous photographer websites where they talk about confidence and approachable-soaked headshots, yet have none, or few in their portfolios.

Of course at Don Mann Photography creating such door-opening, compelling headshots is our proven skill. And our clients reap the benefits in more business and personal positive results.

The above is maybe a rather large social media smile, but too much for an effective business headshot. The question is, "Are you happy about yourself or will you stretch to take care of me with skill and patience?" The social smile is on the edge of "No" for a business headshot.

Don't: Complicate Things

When it comes to real estate headshots, the simpler the background, the better. Keep your background simple. A simple white, gray or black backdrop inside a studio is always a good choice. If you want something less formal, going outdoors for a real estate headshot can also work, but not nearly as well. It usually puts too much clutter in the background. Such clutter pulls the viewer’s eye away from your face and away from your headshot, which is never good for you.

If you’re outdoors, opt for a simple brick wall or background of solid green trees, and make sure there aren’t distracting patterns, or people in the background of your realtor headshot. Here you want the environment in the background to be out of focus with no discernible patterns, and no bright spots or regions, or lines or features running through your head.

Props are also too distracting for a real estate headshot. Don’t sit at a nick-knack covered desk for your headshot, and don’t hold your pet in your photo. If you want to add personality to your headshot, try wearing your favorite color. Ultimately, you should be the focal point of your real estate agent headshot, so simplicity is key.

Do: Hire a Professional Photographer

Hire a professional headshot photographer to take your real estate headshot. Yes, it might be pricier than asking a friend to take your headshot, but the investment will be worth it. LinkedIn will tell you such headshots run $250-500. Your real estate agent headshot is one of your most valuable marketing tools, which means getting it wrong could drive away prospective clients and make you look unprofessional. Do not be penny wise and pound foolish.

Yes, you can get cheaper shots in a group where you are one of many running through the studio, but authentic, compelling expressions take a little time, which often will not happen in a typical 3-5 minute production headshot.

A professional should have a high-end camera, an understanding of lighting, and a proven portfolio of impressive headshots. Allow them to help direct your stance, the way you style your hair, and even your jewelry, outfit and makeup choices.

A skilled headshot professional knows exactly how to get an awesome headshot, so splurge a little and let them take the lead. It will be worth it when you have an amazing, high-quality realtor headshot in your hands. Even better is your real business increases.

Look at this shot above on the left, notice how small the face, smile and eyes are compared to the rest of the picture. Want to drive prospects and opportunities to you, use a closer headshot such as above right.

Now the confidence in the eyes is readily seen, and the approachability in the mouth draws prospects and opportunities in. The smile is still too big for a powerful business headshot, but is already better than 99% of those out there.

Remember you are not selling clothes, jewelry, hairstyles, ear rings, dentistry, your teeth or your waist. You are selling you and your best points of internal integrity, trustworthiness and approachability. Don’t waste valuable picture space on distractions that let the eyes wander from you, the real gem in the headshot!

One More Thought on Smiles

We've seen lots of toothy smiles in this article. This includes even the second guy (lots of hair) above this paragraph. The problem is that a big smile in a headshot is not an effective, connecting, sales or marketing smile. It is too needy and fearful. It repels prospects almost immediately. Some slight teeth can be OK. Best is a tiny smile with slightly upturned lips and a squinch in the eyes to show facial involvement. This can be in the arena of a top 1%, high marketing, effective headshot. This is what we see in the guy just above this paragraph.

Don’t: Forget to Do Your Research

You shouldn’t go into a professional photo shoot just hoping for the best. Do not pick the cheapest one you can find. Take a look at other real estate agents' headshots to see ones with high lookability. Scroll through Pinterest, check out your colleagues’ real estate headshots, and do a Google search to look for ideas. Take notes on what outfits, poses, and backgrounds you like best for a portrait. For a true headshot a simple solid background is most effective, and usually requires a studio set-up.

Then, do your research to make sure you find a photographer whose both style and pricing work for you. Before hiring anyone, set up meetings with a few potential photographers to discuss what kind of real estate agent headshot you want.

You need a photographer who can truly understand your vision for your real estate headshot. If you diligently do your research, you’re far more likely to end up with a headshot you love.

The Return on Investment (ROI) for a top, 1% headshot is off the charts. A good realtor can make $100,000 to $500,000 per year. If your headshot cost you $2000, over the course of 2 years, the ROI would be between 1% to 0.001%. Nothing competes with this kind of ROI. Then consider it is 100% tax deductible, and the ROI is even greater!

The most expensive way to do it is to go cheap in cost and cheap on skill. It will cost you business and time, and if you ever do find a headshot expert, will cost you even more money and lost opportunities to do it right.

Do: Communicate Your Brand Message

Make sure you’re honest with your photographer about how you want (and don’t want) your real estate headshot to look. You are the representative of your real estate brand, and you need to make sure your headshot reflects what that brand is.

If your brand is more buttoned up, you know you need to look professional in your headshot. If you’re more fun-loving and use bright colors throughout your brand, you may want to communicate that in your real estate agent headshot by wearing a fun (yet still professional) outfit.

Consistency is key when it comes to your real estate headshot. Whatever your brand message is, with a little attention to detail, you can definitely communicate it through your headshot. You just have to make sure your photographer knows what your vision is. So speak up, and make sure you get a photo that fits with your brand.

This "fashionable" headshot may make you and your mom happy, but is it an effective marketing headshot? Based on all the selections people make as evidenced on the Internet, billboards and LinkedIn, more than likely, not.

In the image above notice how the viewer's eyes are drawn to the yellow cabs, and the beam running through the ears of this guy with a nice enough social smile. Also notice that the face is so small in the image. This image does this person little commercial good except his mama may say, "Nice smile." If he was selling a travel image as a model, it's OK, but again the yellow cabs pull the eye away from the face. Bold ties and big jewelry do the same.

Don’t: Keep the Same Real Estate Headshot Forever

Lastly, keep your real estate headshot up-to-date. A photo that is too old will make you appear out of touch and careless, not to mention unprofessional. Remember a business headshot needs to be like you are now. As a general rule, it’s a good idea to update your real estate agent headshot every couple of years. Clients are more likely to trust you if you look just like your real estate headshot, so it’s worth the investment to get a new one(s) when you need it. (Best is annually.)

High-Marketing Realtor Headshot for success. This says you (the viewer) are important and I can get the job done for you the way you want it. It is not about me and about how I feel, but how I can satisfy what you want, showing perfect confidence and approachability.

How do you know it’s time to replace your real estate agent headshot? If your outfit is obviously outdated, your haircut has drastically changed, or your business seems slower than it should, you should get a new, but effective, real estate headshot. Or after reading this article, you suddenly realize you do have an ineffective business headshot.

Headshot photography is a sub-specialty of commercial portrait photography. Commercial means for business purposes. It takes years of practice to become expert at headshots for business. That's why I call them "top 1%" headshots because they are so rare.

So be aware that just because a photographer does weddings, family portraits, commercial, journalistic, fashion, real estate or newborn photography, it doesn’t mean they are proficient in creating high-marketing headshot photography. Compelling headshots are rare in the world of headshot photographers, so view a photographer’s portfolio before you make your selection.

If you are confused, drop me an email, tell me the name and website of who you are considering, and I’ll be glad to chat with you: Don@DonMannPhotography.com.

Now, you’re ready for your headshot! Just remember these dos and don’ts, and you’re sure to get a real estate headshot that will effectively work for you so you will love the business and personal results.

Be Blessed!

QUESTIONS?

Phone: 302 - 561 - 5555 | Email: Info@DonMannPhotography.com | Rates & Booking

Impacts of COVID-19

Sun, 26 Apr 2020 20:49:07 GMT

We can still do photography

COVID-19 IMPACTS: With stay at home orders in my immediate region – Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, much less most of the world – our portrait photography creation has been curtailed until these restrictions are relaxed. The good news is that most of my photography can be done at distances of 6 feet or longer, so we can maintain our social distancing.

For our individual headshot business, we can move outside for greater safety. With all the job changes, our door-opening, connection-building, professional headshots are more important than ever. While I don’t think anyone could notice, as always, for any clients who feel our COVID-19 shots limited them, we will be happy to re-shoot as a gift, once the crisis is over.

I can wear a mask, even gloves and a lab coat as I did for many years in high technology, while my subjects can remain without PPE for the shoot. And if they want shots with a face mask on, no problem. They can arrive and depart with them, especially face masks. Of course frequent washing of hands/disposable wipes is part of this. For studio shoots we can go outside for most shots. And of course, we have a great property for model comp card shots and general portraits. Our make-up artists can work just as the salons in Georgia are doing now.

Of course we put in a HEPA filter that serves the studio.

The biggest impact is on our coverage for indoor group shoots such as events, meetings, and some indoor commercial shoots. The biggest difference is less close shots with 15-50mm lenses, and more with my 70-200mm or longer lenses. I even have a 600mm from my nature photography. At a 6 to 10’ appropriate social distance we can get great shots as needed. We expect group shots limitations will be gone by June or July, so we can book them even now.

The biggest impact on me has been my network marketing. For now inside group meetings are off, but I can do some cold phone calling, even exterior commercial shots, especially if owners can turn on some interior lights. For example we prefer to do restaurant or other business shots before service start and then add the staff portraits after the staff arrives. So bringing in a few staff should not be a problem.

I have to confess the crisis has not been all bad for me. My son and his family live with us. I get to spend many days playing with my 5 year old grandson – time that can never be replaced, and I wish I had done more of when my children were smaller. Now he did take over my office to do home schooling on my large monitor. Even golden clouds can have a black lining!

QUESTIONS

Phone: 302 - 561 - 5555 | Email: Info@DonMannPhotography.com | Rates & Booking

4 Reasons Why You Need A Professional Headshot

183:739017323 (Don Mann) — Wed, 26 Feb 2020 17:13:31 GMT

Our Top 1% Headshot, Professional Images are Your Path To More.

4 Reasons You (Really) Need a Professional Headshot

Headshots, informational

Backstory: Have you ever considered the reasons why you need a professional headshot? Sure, everyone seems to need one, but why? As someone who derives most of his living from headshots, I can tell you for sure that it’s big business. But can a good headshot help you with your business? Check out these three reasons why you don’t just need a headshot, but a great one.

Did you know it only takes a fraction of a second to make a first impression?

Online impressions are critical in today's cluttered online environment of click or dismiss.

That's why your professional headshot is the most important image on any social media platform.

But how do you know if your image is working for you? There are a few qualities that are a must for breaking through that clutter and building your brand.

For starters, your image should convey confidence and trustworthiness. A genuine smile can impact a person's perception on likability and competence. and the eyes can convey trust and a willingness to work hard to get a job done.

Make your first impression with a headshot that will blow away the competition and set you up for success even prior to stepping foot into the job.

Schedule your headshot today.

1. Your Online Presence IS Your Business

According to research by the ODM group, 74% of people use social media and online research to inform their purchasing decisions. Furthermore, this number goes even higher when talking about Millennials, who are now the largest part of the US workforce. If you are in any kind of business, it is in your best interest to have an online presence that shows potential clients who you are and what you are all about. Also, a great headshot that really captures your personality can help people make a connection before they ever meet you.

2. A Killer Professional Headshot is Perfect for Networking

Let’s face it, a long-term marketing strategy depends on having a great network of relationships. If you are running any kind of business, leaving a good impression on someone is critical to networking. Having a clear, captivating headshot can help people remember you the next time they see you in person. If your headshot looks like you and isn’t 15 years out of date then you just might be the one person that people remember. Make sure to take advantage of meeting people by connecting with them on social media immediately so they can see that great headshot and can put your face together with your name.

3. Stand Out From Your Competition

Whether you are in the business of legal services, real estate, consulting, web development, or anything else, chances are that your field is pretty competitive. The interconnectivity of the modern world puts endless options at the fingertips of every potential client. If you have a modern, responsive website, an authentic social media presence, and great headshots and brand images, you will eliminate a substantial amount of your competition.

Think about it. Have you ever been to a restaurant or other small business where you walked in and thought, “Nope. Nope, nope, nope. Not for me”? For the modern consumer, that feeling happens all the time online. To make sure that you are showing your business in the best possible light, have professional, top 1%, photos of you and your team that really showcase what kind of service a client can expect.

4. Because It’s Hard to Convey Tone in an Email

Have you ever experienced the phenomenon of assuming the tone in a an email? In our minds we can often get off on the wrong foot in an email exchange because of a tone that we apply to a message. The sender may type something that they think is perfectly harmless, but when it goes through the filter of a stressful day, you can take it the wrong way. This works both ways too! Having a friendly face on as an email signature is a powerful way to make sure that the person on the other end of that email is always reminded that you are a charming and delightful person.

Bonus Round: Do’s and Don’ts for Professional Headshots

Do – Hire a professional. Someone who specializes in the type of work you need for your brand.
Don’t assume that just because someone is a real estate photographer that they can take a great headshot.
Do – Put together a collection of headshots you like from the web. Give your photographer some clear direction as to your brand’s vision.
Don’t try and do it yourself with your phone (and apply those horrible filters). Everyone, yes everyone, can tell the difference.
Do pick a photographer who knows how to create those extremely rare Top 1% Headshots than can immediately, and for the long term, upgrade your future.

If you got this far, CONGRATULATIONS

Remember: 4 milliseconds (0.004 of a second), that is all it takes to create a first impression of you while looking at your profile image. So whether it is a full page spread in a magazine or newspaper, live on a floating widescreen, or that tiny dot profile on LinkedIn, this is always true.

What does that image say about you? Does it turn heads, does it stop the scroll? Does it show you as approachable, competent, confident and trustworthy? If your headshot is not stopping the viewer's scroll, it's not doing anything for you! Worse, it is hurting you!

Through your headshot you need to connect with the viewers, what do you want them to see?

Do you need to get updated headshots of you and your team? Check out our Services Pages with samples of our work and pricing information.

Some ideas by Gary Hughes of Hughes-Fioretti Photography

QUESTIONS

Phone: 302 - 561 - 5555 | Email: Info@DonMannPhotography.com | Rates & Booking

How to Get Ready for Your Headshot

Sat, 15 Feb 2020 18:21:41 GMT

Helping you how to look great for your headshot or portrait.

How to prepare for a headshot portrait session

Great advice from Robert Read Photography

Congratulations – you’ve booked your headshot session! You’re investing in yourself, and you deserve it!

We provide and you will experience:

Expert Coaching

We are here to help. Most people don’t know how to look approachable, real, and confident on camera; they think you just have to “be photogenic.” But it can be learned and there is a method, and I will show you exactly what to do. I can coach anyone into their best expressions. You will love what you see.

Comfortable Atmosphere

Your photo-shoot will feel relaxed and easy. There’s nothing like having an experienced professional be completely invested in making you feel great and look fantastic. You may find your confidence rises permanently when you see how good you can look on camera.

Instant Review

You will get instant reassurance that you’re looking good. My camera connects to a computer so you see results in real time. You will watch the results as your shoot progresses. You’ll choose favorites before you leave.

Now let’s maximize your investment, and make sure you’re prepared. Here is what you need to do to get ready:

1-3 Weeks Before The Session:

Choose what’s comfortable. Start thinking about the clothes you want to bring as soon as you book, hopefully at least a couple weeks before the session. Solid, muted colors are best, but some simple patterns work, too. Different textures can add interest. Think about what you already like to wear and is comfortable. That’s probably a great choice to start with.

Try it on. If you pick an outfit you’ve not worn in a while, try it on to make sure it still fits and is comfortable. I have seen guys bring in their only button-down shirt and tie and discover they can’t close the top button.

Make sure the clothes look fresh. Your favorite sweater might be super comfortable, but if it’s covered in pills and looking a little threadbare, it’s probably best to leave it home. Don’t leave pressing or dry-cleaning to the last minute.

Go shopping: be like the fashion designers. Get some new items, keep the tags on, and then return anything you don't love.

Don’t stress. If you don’t find anything you like in your closet and want to stay on budget, then you might try exploring one of the many excellent clothing stores or a site like ThredUP or Pintrest to find some new looks. Once you land the new job you’re looking for, you’ll want some new things to wear so consider this a head start.

Bring as many outfits as you can. At least three options are good, but more is always better. We may not use everything, but it’s great to have options to try.

You don’t need jewelry. Stud earrings are suitable, but it’s best to avoid distracting items like dangling earrings and necklaces. If you feel you must have your jewelry, bring it and we can compare your images with and without.

If you need a haircut: Schedule one a week or so before the session. This gives the hair time to look natural again after the cut and also lets any tan lines fill in a bit.

Facial Hair: We can do both rough and shaven looks, just bring your shaving kit.

The Night Before The Session:

Get a good night’s sleep. It’s difficult to make a great impression when you are not well-rested, so get as much sleep as you can. My colleague Gary pointed out to me that sleeplessness is a sign of stress, and we certainly don’t want to convey stress in your headshot.

Don’t overindulge. Avoid alcohol as it can make you look puffy. I shouldn’t have to say avoid hangovers, but yeah, that’s happened, and it’s not your best look.

The Morning Of The Session:

Relax. If you look in the mirror the morning of your session and discover you’ve broken out overnight – don’t panic! Our expert retouchers will make that, and other blemishes disappear. Don’t worry about covering it up with a concealer that could end up looking worse in the photo than the magic the retoucher will do.

With makeup, the goal is healthy-looking skin. If you choose to wear makeup and do your own, start natural and light, especially around the eyes. You can always add more during the session if you want more, but it’s best to start light and go for subtle definition. Less is more.

Bring your make-up kit with tools if you need any touch-ups.

For those opting for no makeup, use moisturizer. Even if it’s not part of your usual routine, moisturizer will help your skin look healthier and more vibrant. For men who can grow stubble, go ahead and come in with a bit of stubble to start with. Bring your razor so we can get some clean shots, too.

Summary:

Come hair and make-up ready.
Pack your clothes individually in dry-cleaning type bags to prevent wrinkles.
Bring your make-up and hair kit.
For men - bring your shaving kit.

Yes, with our coaching and your preparation you can have a Top 1% Headshot like this to jumpstart your future.

If you read this much, then you are already well on your way to being prepared for getting the best shot of yourself you’ve ever seen. We'll looking forward to seeing you in the studio!

Typical response: * "Wow, that's the first time I ever liked my photo, and we had such fun making it." - C. A.

QUESTIONS

Phone: 302 - 561 - 5555 | Email: Info@DonMannPhotography.com | R ates & Booking

What is a Composite Card?

Fri, 14 Feb 2020 02:50:31 GMT

Comp Cards can be the ticket to a great future.

What is a comp card?

"What is a comp card?" is usually the first question I hear when I address the topic with an actor. Which is surprising, given what a great marketing tool it can be. Comp card is short for composite card, which is used by actors and models for commercial print auditions and self-promotion. The size I prefer is 6”x9”, with a headshot on the front and 3-5 images on the back. The purpose is to show as much variety as possible, so the casting director can envision you as different types. Ideally the images on the back should look like tear sheets from magazine ads.

Comp cards are NOT just for models- every actor should have one as well. Generally, a model’s comp card is editorial (like a spread in Vogue Magazine), while an actor’s comp card is lifestyle (talking on a cell phone or hailing a cab). Fashion work is reserved for models, but there’s a ton of print work for actors. Advertisers are always looking for attractive, everyday people to sell their products. Click here to see day rates for print work, specifically for actors and "real" people.

A comp card is an important resource in addition to a headshot. It allows you to introduce yourself to industry professionals in a much more diverse way than with a headshot alone. If you’re looking for a commercial agent, submitting with a comp card will give you a much better chance of meeting them, because you’re showing them a variety of looks. They’ll see you as significantly more likely to book a job, be it print or on camera. If you already have a commercial agent, a comp card will allow them to submit you for print work as well as on camera and voice overs. It opens up an entire new avenue to generate income.

Below: Rebeka Choudhury - Comp Card

Front : Rebeka ChoudhuryHeadshot

Back: Comp Card

Card by Jordan Matter. Jordan tells us, "Rebeka COULD NOT GET AN AGENT until she submitted her comp card, then she had eight meetings within a week."

QUESTIONS

Phone: 302 - 561 - 5555 | Email: Info@DonMannPhotography.com | Rates & Booking

Modeling Pay Rates

Fri, 14 Feb 2020 00:55:19 GMT

Question - Why should actors get Professional Modeling Comp Cards?

Answer - So they can get modeling jobs!

What are the going pay rates for models and actors doing modeling?

Remember, print work (images in printed material) is not just for models. This rate sheet will give you an idea of the work available to performers with acting comp cards. This information is provided by www.IndependentModeling.com.

~ ACTOR RATE SHEET FOR PRINT WORK~

Definitions here cover model job types as defined by a primary market such as New York. These are suggested rates, and it is up to the company and the model to agree upon a rate for the job. Please use these rates as a guideline of the different scales of pay between types of modeling work. With the changes going on in the modeling industry, these definitions and rates are by no means set in stone. Use our interpretation as a guideline only, as the model job type definitions and rates may be different from market to market. These definitions and rates are common knowledge in large markets such as New York City and secondary markets such as Miami.

Commercial Print
Commercial print model have an "average person" look that consumers can relate to. A lot of commercial print work is used for printed ads and other forms of advertisement.

$75.00 to $150.00 per hour. Day rate $400.00 to $950.00

Advertising/ Product Print
Essentially the same as commercial print, using a "real person" look, but featuring a product or line of products.

$100.00 to $200.00 an hour and up. Day rate $500.00 to $1,200.00 and up.

Swimwear/ Bikini Modeling Print
Models who model swimwear must be in great shape. Because this is specialized it commands higher rates. Think twice about doing this for free, as the potential to exploit you is there and you are worth more than nothing.

$500.00 to $2,500

Full Figure/ Plus Size / Curves Print
This is a rapidly growing area of modeling, as advertisers have realized that there is a big demand for models that the average consumer size 10 and over can relate to. If you are a plus size model, look into this. Plus size print modeling is normally catalog and commercial print, but can apply to editorial and other kinds of print, too.

$100.00 to $200.00 an hour. Day rate $500.00 to $1,000.00

Parts (hands, feet, teeth, etc)
Very specialized modeling, the demand is not too high, so the jobs demand high rates as parts models must take extreme precautions to protect their assets. For example, a hand model would avoid doing dishes and any harsh work with their hands, and some wear gloves to make sure that their hands are in prime condition.

$300.00 to $500.00 per hour. Day rate $1,000.00 to $10,000.00

Ethnic Modeling
If you are a minority such as Hispanic, African American, or Asian, this type of modeling does not pay more, but the market is growing, and it presents more opportunities for the independent model. Demographics of a market will be a large factor to determine your marketability as a model.

Standard Rates. Open

Fit Modeling
Fit models work with designers and model their clothes for them. This kind of work is common in large markets and fashion capitals. This kind of modeling requires patience and endurance, as there are long periods of standing as garments are adjusted on the model. Fit modeling is a great way to get your foot in the door for other types of modeling, however, as you will get a chance to get to know the designer.

$150.00 per hour and up.

Promotional Modeling
Promotional modeling is the lowest paying modeling job, with rates below that of even editorial print. Models are hired by night clubs and companies like alcoholic beverage brewers to work events. Many models make a living doing this, as a day rate over $100.00 is common. Promotional models usually do not need the skills and qualifications that trade show and convention model do.

$12.00 to $30.00 per hour, for at least four hours. Day rate $100.00 to $200.00

Trade Show Modeling
A lot like promotional modeling, but usually manning a booth at a trade show and requiring models with good people skills. For promotional models, the "next level".

Day rate $200.00 to $500.00

Convention Modeling
These are "trade shows" that require refined, trained models to do presentations and promote the company, usually from a large booth or exhibit area that the company has set up. Models with acting experience, a mastery of more than one language, and the ability to use presentation aids such as ear pieces, radio transceivers, Teleprompters, video projectors, computers, and laser pointers are cut out for this work. The pay is great, but so is the responsibility. As you can see, the education requirements and the skills needed are way above that of a promotion model or a trade show model, and these models often have years of specialized training, trade show experience, and college degrees. These models have to be approachable, smart, and witty, as well as have a professional business look. The top level of event modeling. These jobs are often offered in large markets.

Day rate $1,000.00 to $4,000.00

QUESTIONS

Phone: 302 - 561 - 5555 Email: Info@DonMannPhotography.com Rates & Booking

Make the most of the season by following these simple guidelines

websitebuilder@1and1.de — Fri, 14 Feb 2020 00:32:28 GMT

The new season is a great reason to make and keep resolutions. Whether it’s eating right or cleaning out the garage, here are some tips for making and keeping resolutions.

Make a list

Lists are great ways to stay on track. Write down some big things you want to accomplish and some smaller things, too.

Check the list regularly

Don’t forget to check in and see how you’re doing. Just because you don’t achieve the big goals right away doesn’t mean you’re not making progress.

Reward yourself

When you succeed in achieving a goal, be it a big one or a small one, make sure to pat yourself on the back.

Think positively

Positive thinking is a major factor in success. So instead of mulling over things that didn’t go quite right, remind yourself of things that did.

QUESTIONS

Phone: 302 - 561 - 5555 | Email: Info@DonMannPhotography.com | Rates & Booking

Keep in touch with site visitors and boost loyalty

websitebuilder@1and1.de — Fri, 14 Feb 2020 00:32:28 GMT

There are so many good reasons to communicate with site visitors. Tell them about sales and new products or update them with tips and information.

Here are some reasons to make blogging part of your regular routine.

Blogging is an easy way to engage with site visitors

Writing a blog post is easy once you get the hang of it. Posts don’t need to be long or complicated. Just write about what you know, and do your best to write well.

Show customers your personality

When you write a blog post, you can really let your personality shine through. This can be a great tool for showing your distinct personality.

Blogging is a terrific form of communication

Blogs are a great communication tool. They tend to be longer than social media posts, which gives you plenty of space for sharing insights, handy tips and more.

It’s a great way to support and boost SEO

Search engines like sites that regularly post fresh content, and a blog is a great way of doing this. With relevant metadata for every post so search engines can find your content.

Drive traffic to your site

Every time you add a new post, people who have subscribed to it will have a reason to come back to your site. If the post is a good read, they’ll share it with others, bringing even more traffic!

Blogging is free

Maintaining a blog on your site is absolutely free. You can hire bloggers if you like or assign regularly blogging tasks to everyone in your company.

A natural way to build your brand

A blog is a wonderful way to build your brand’s distinct voice. Write about issues that are related to your industry and your customers.

QUESTIONS

Phone: 302 - 561 - 5555 | Email: Info@DonMannPhotography.com | Rates & Booking

Tips for writing great posts that increase your site traffic

websitebuilder@1and1.de — Fri, 14 Feb 2020 00:32:27 GMT

Write about something you know. If you don’t know much about a specific topic that will interest your readers, invite an expert to write about it.

Speak to your audience

You know your audience better than anyone else, so keep them in mind as you write your blog posts. Write about things they care about. If you have a company Facebook page, look here to find topics to write about

Take a few moments to plan your post

Once you have a great idea for a post, write the first draft. Some people like to start with the title and then work on the paragraphs. Other people like to start with subtitles and go from there. Choose the method that works for you.

Don’t forget to add images

Be sure to include a few high-quality images in your blog. Images break up the text and make it more readable. They can also convey emotions or ideas that are hard to put into words. Key is top 1% headshots and images with appropriate and captivating expressions. Don Mann Photography majors on these.

Edit carefully before posting

Once you’re happy with the text, put it aside for a day or two, and then re-read it. You’ll probably find a few things you want to add, and a couple more that you want to remove. Have a friend or colleague look it over to make sure there are no mistakes. When your post is error-free, set it up in your blog and publish.

QUESTIONS

Phone: 302 - 561 - 5555 | Email: Info@DonMannPhotography.com | Rates & Booking