Are You Making This ONE Big Mistake With Your Business on Social Media?

Read on to learn one actionable step you can take today in improving your social media presence!

Picture it. You are scrolling through Instagram, a Facebook Business Page, or some form of social media website and you run across what seems to be a pretty interesting business. You decide to click on the link. It takes you to the business and its main website, social media page, or landing page. You want to learn more information about the owner, or more information in general, just to get more details about either the company or product. Every time you click around the website, there is absolutely no face behind the business- just the company logo-or some picture that really has nothing to do with the mission of the business. You may give the business the benefit of the doubt and continue to click around on the website, but you discover the “About Me” page of the company still is not telling you anything about the owner and because of this you make absolutely no connection with the business because you don’t know if you could trust the business and because of that you click away. The reality is you clicked away because you had no personal connection to the business, and within seconds you determined that this business is not for you.

You all…this happens every day in a manner of 6-7 seconds because that is the average length of time a person spends on your social media profile and determines if they want to proceed in learning more about you and your business.

You may have experienced this either with a business whose main profile picture is of a logo or of an object pertaining to the business and there is no sign of human life in the photo. Embarrassingly, in the past when I was running my photography business as a side-hustle, I was guilty of this as well. I stuck my “logo” as my profile picture and never put any photos of myself in the profile, therefore no one could genuinely connect with me.

It may seem silly but having an updated picture of yourself creates more trust between the viewers (your potential audience) and you (your business).

One of the reasons why I am sharing this is because I see so many small business owners make the mistake of putting their logos in as their main profile picture on SO many of their social media platforms. As a small business owner, you are most likely running the show as a soloprenuer and showing your face to the world can help put you and your business on top of mind to other businesses and even other potential clients. Your profile picture will be the first impression many visitors will come across and sometimes a first impression is crucial. Here are some ways you can improve that first impression:

-make sure that the photo is updated (and is the best representation of your current business)

-make sure you are actually looking at the camera and smiling (I have read that if you are looking away from the camera, it can create distrust because the viewer cannot see your eyes. There is a lot of psychology that goes into even a basic business profile picture!)

-you can have your business logo as your cover photo, or even at a different part of your website but the main “About Me” picture needs to be of you!

-make sure the photo is not grainy or dark and underexposed, make sure the viewer can clearly see you!

-(speaking to my solo-business owners) make sure the photo is not you in a group of people that have nothing to do with the business!

-make sure the picture is a representation of you and your business! Examples: If you are a website designer who creates gorgeous websites for other small business owners, perhaps a picture of you with your computer looking at the camera. If you are a realtor, perhaps a picture of you standing in front of a house. If you are a photographer, a picture of you holding your camera looking at the camera (that’s so meta I realize). Another example could be, if you are a chef who creates home meals for customers, perhaps a picture of you in the kitchen cooking a delicious meal while looking at the camera.  (I hope you see a trend here: whatever your small business is, you should put yourself in that element and look at the camera and smile!) In other words, if your small business is a dog-walking service, how can a client know that if your profile picture is of you holding a margarita on the beach in your swimsuit? Make your profile picture relevant to your small business and make sure it is of your face since you are the owner!

You all, if I could encourage you to take one immediate actionable step to “freshen” your business it would be this; update your profile pictures to be an actual picture of YOU.

ACTION STEP: So now that I have walked you through several reasons why it is important to have an updated and fresh profile picture of you to best represent your small business, can you please do me a favor right now? Please stop what you are doing and update your business profile pictures right now! Do it! It will only take a few moments and it is a fresh way to update your social media and website presence with more consistency and professionalism. And if you have already done that, well then, this is me sending you a virtual high-five! YAY!

(also, I have inserted a video so you can watch me awkwardly explaining this concept-Also do you not LOVE how awesome my freeze-frame photo is?) 

Now, if you are at a point in your small business where you are ready for a complete branding session and you need content, not just for an updated profile picture, but a complete content overhaul for your social media and online business presence, I would love to chat with you about capturing and best illustrating the message behind your business through a branding session! If you are not based in Nashville, then I strongly encourage you to find a local photographer who lives in your city who specializes in branding photography who could help elevate your social media presence with images that will match the message behind your business with consistent and professional images. To schedule a branding session with me, please click here.

If you enjoyed reading this article, please share it on Facebook or on Pinterest! I love encouraging other small-business owners and I love connecting with other businesses as I continue to grow my own small business!

Meet Your Friendly Nashville Branding Photographer

Dolly DeLong is a Nashville-based family & branding photographer and a creative business educator & encourager.  Dolly loves serving families, eloping couples, and business owners with her timeless, radiant photography.  She loves capturing the joy and emotion in both digital and film photos.

She also has a heart for serving the larger business community. Dolly shares her knowledge of tools like Pinterest, Dubsado, email marketing, and business systems with new creative business owners in an encouraging and supportive way through automation training, helpful blog posts, and her online courses. You can start your automation journey here.

Dolly’s faith and love for her family motivate her to help other business owners find the joy and freedom she’s found in running a successful small business.

Whenever she has a spare moment, she enjoys watching TV (i.e. Survivor), eating way too many sweets, and listening to podcasts while running or walking. To work with Dolly DeLong Photography LLC, please email her at thedollydelong@gmail.com or fill out her contact form here.

Interested in elevating your business with some professional branding photos? Please click on the image below to schedule an appointment with Dolly DeLong Photography!