With the pandemic slowly, but surely, receding, there’s been a noticeable increase in the amount of interest in professional headshot photography across the country.
While the portrait photography business has been disproportionately affected during the pandemic, there’s reason to believe that there will be a massive surge in the industry over the next two years.
To understand why, you need to understand how the workplace has changed since Q1 of 2020.
With that said, here are the top four reasons why headshot photography will be even more important post Covid-19.
Reason #1: First Impressions are Still King (Or Queen) 👑
No matter who’s reading this article right now, I can virtually guarantee that you’ve never:
- Purchased an item online without seeing photos of the item
- Booked a hotel stay with seeing a photo of the room
- Gone on a first date without seeing the person’s photo
Psychologically, the vast majority of people hate reading and understanding complex subjects, but love looking at photos/videos that quickly convey a narrative story or important information.
Is this person trustworthy?
Would I like this person?
Is this person smart?
People create first impressions in just 1/10th of a second, so your photo better convey the above information extremely quickly.
In a digital age post-pandemic, your professional headshot establishes your first impression with the majority of new customers, company colleagues, and hiring managers.
Reason #2: Personal Branding Became Essential During the Pandemic
If you’re a business professional, and you don’t have even one good photo of yourself to use in a business context…you were at a massive disadvantage during the pandemic.
Not only did you look unprofessional to your internal peers on zoom calls, chat profiles, and the company directory – but you didn’t get the chance to show your professionalism in-person.
Going forward, there are a TON of people who need to update their professional photo as an important part of investing in their personal brand. (Regardless as to whether you’re currently looking for a job, launching a company, or taking your career to the next level.)
If half your company is working remotely from now on, that’s half the company that only sees you via profile photos online…
Nevermind if you’re applying for jobs – literally 100% of hiring managers/recruiters will look at your LinkedIn headshot.
Reason #3: In Tough Times, Trust Becomes a Differentiator
Studies show that during emotionally draining periods, people who are making purchasing or hiring decisions tend to over-index on safety & trust. This tendency makes perfect sense. With increased anxiety and uncertainty in the outside world, people crave consistency and reliability.
If you have an unprofessional or outdated photo online, you’re not just communicating that “[You] have a bad photo”, you’re communicating that “[You] don’t care enough to get a decent photo”.
Not caring about your career/image says a lot about you, and will make you seem less trustworthy. That impression will make a big difference if you’re looking for a job, building a company, or trying to get customers online.
Reason #4: If You’re Single, Dating Apps Became Critical in 2021
With bars, restaurants, concerts, and other live venues shut down for most of 2020, dating apps undeniably exploded in popularity as the only avenue for meeting new people.
Getting your professional headshot done is a great opportunity to also get a great photo for your dating apps of choice. Simply change out of your formal clothing and into a t-shirt or sweater – and you’re ready to go!
Our Platinum Branding Sessions are incredibly popular for this exact reason. You can spend 30-minutes of your session taking formal corporate headshots in our studio, then spend the second 30-minutes taking more casual headshots outdoors. It’s the easiest way to get a portfolio of great photos of yourself.
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Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed the article, consider sharing it online. Do you have another reason why headshots will be even more important after Covid-19? We’d love to hear it. Send us an email at smile@headshots-inc.com.
