Your cover photo is your most important personal branding element. Are you following these 10 steps for a social media profile photo that screams "HIRE ME!" ?

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Commissioned for
Perfect social media profile picture
Creating your

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Why do I need to think about my profile photo?
Your profile picture (a.k.a. headshot), is the single most important
personal marketing tool you have on social media, or any digital channel
for that matter!
It is always the first thing people see when they browse your profile, and quickly
differentiates serious professionals from amateurs. If you want to be taken seriously,
you need a high quality profile picture.
This presentation will provide some cheat sheets &
the top 10 best practices for creating your headshot

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The following template should be used to create a
500x500 pixel profile picture for your social media
accounts.
1. 1/3 rd Golden marker for eye
2. Bottom of chin
3. Side of head
4. Torso lightly angled
5. Chin slightly up, keep eyes level
6. Solid color background
Quick anatomy of the perfect profile picture

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What it should & should not look like
Profile photo courtesy of Big D2112
Ideal
Too far Too high Too low
Noisy background Hands & objects Too near
Ideal

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The technical summary
This provides the basic technical outline of what you’d like to achieve. If your photographer permits, take
several photos, and ask them for a set both with and without backgrounds.
Quantity Two photos
Aspect #1 16:9
Resolution (min) Full HD 1920x1080 pixels
Aspect #2 1:1
Resolution (min) 1080x1080 pixels
Background Transparent (No background)
Clean cut, a background may
be added later.
Lighting Uniform studio lighting, no
harsh shadows.
Color Full color

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The specifics of what you need to do
1. You should be fresh & clearly in focus
Don’t be artsy or put yourself in the background. You are the main subject of the photo. You should be
perfectly in focus, with your eyes open and full of life. Not droopy, closed, tired, or worn out. Try to take
the picture in the morning so you’re fresh.
2. Only you should be present in the photo
No group photos please. Remember that you are the star of this photo. Nobody else should be visible at
all, not even in the background.
3. Clothing
Wear professional attire. For gentlemen this is a suit, shirt and tie. Freshly shaven or beard recently
trimmed. Ladies please ensure your shoulders are covered, not strapless, strappy, flowery or floral.
Jewelry should be minimal and professional. Clothing should ideally be solid colors, pin stripes are
acceptable, not distracting prints or loud tartans.

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4. Posture
Your posture communicates a lot about you, after your face it’s the first thing people tend to notice.
Stand straight, shoulders back, chest out, slight angle to the camera. Chin ever so slightly up. Do not tilt
your head to the side. You should look confident and capable.
Your hands should not be near your face. Keeps your arms crossed – this will help position your
shoulders too.
Your photographer should be able to help you with this. For corporate profile photos, ensure that all
subjects use the same two poses. (1) Facing the camera squarely (2) Facing the camera with torso
slightly angled (as shown in the outline picture).
5. Smile
It’s surprising how many people don’t smile for photos. You want to seem welcoming and open to
conversation, so smile naturally.

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6. Background, location & lighting
The background should be a single solid color. No patterns, no plants, nothing busy or distracting. The
color should not be the same as something you’re wearing or your skin tone. This makes it easy for the
background to be removed digitally, a more appropriate background can be added as needed. Ask your
photographer to provide your headshot with a transparent background (a.k.a. no background).
You want the lighting to be uniform, no harsh shadows or color lighting effects.
7. Colors
Full color only please. No black & white or sepia photos please. Don’t apply any Instagram (or other)
filters.
8. Professional photography
Even if you have a friend that’s taken a course in photography, I always recommend going to a photo
studio to get your photos taken. There’s a big difference between a professional studio photo shoot and
one taken at home. This is the mental image people are going to recall, make it as brilliant as you can.

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9. Sizing & Positioning
Whilst social media and other profiles will generally not use more than 500x500 pixel images, when it
comes to photo sizes, the bigger the better. Please ensure your photographer provides you high
resolution photos (Full HD or a lot more). This ensures that your photos can be used in print or on
bigger screens. You don’t want to be chasing your photographer one year’s later when you need to print
your headshot in a magazine.
To ensure that your profile picture makes best use of the available space without over crowding, you
should fit your photo to match the outline provided. This places your eyes at the 1/3 mark, leaving a
feeling of empty space, without being too zoomed out or too close in.
Most social networks will automatically resize your profile picture to match their requirements. You
should ensure that your headshot is a large (16:9) format picture, but that your photographer also gives
you one that is a perfect square so that it looks correct when scaled automatically.
Social Media Profile Photos Resolutions
LinkedIN 400x400 Twitter 400x400
Google 250x250 Facebook 180x180
Instagram 110x110

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10. Keep it up to date & use a recent photo
Your profile picture needs to accurately represent how you look. That doesn’t mean you need to update
it every time you cut your hair, but you shouldn’t be using a photo that was taken 10 years ago.

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Thank You
To download this presentation please visit:
kameelvohra.com/marketing-resources
For best practices on writing your personal biography/text-profile, please visit:
kameelvohra.com/how-to-write-a-good-personal-profile/
Kameel Vohra
www.kameelvohra.com
Private & Confidential. Not for Public Release.