15 Tips for Choosing the Best LinkedIn Photo

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Is yours projecting the right impression of you and your small business? Your LinkedIn photo is often the first perception potential clients, partners and employees have of you and your company. The last thing you want is to lose out on business for something that’s so easy to fix.

Expanding your company starts with creating that positive first impression of you and your business. If you are trying to figure out which picture to use for your profile, here are 15 tips that can help.

01. Wear a Confident SmileYou wouldn’t walk around with a flat

expression at a networking event;

the same rule applies for your online

presence. People like to do business with

happy people. Be approachable. Sit up

straight to project extra self-confidence.

When to Break This Rule: If you

work in a more traditional field, such

as finance, and don’t feel comfortable

smiling in your photo, it’s okay to have

a more subdued expression. Just don’t

smirk or frown.

02.Pick a Neutral Background

A white background is usually a safe bet. Blue looks good

with most complexions, and brown is a possibility if you look

good in earth tones. With a black background, you may need

professional lighting to keep your hair from disappearing into

the backdrop.

When to Break This Rule: If you own a landscaping

business or a café with lovely al fresco dining, an outdoor

background (that’s not too cluttered) might be perfect.

03. Size Your Photo Right for Best Quality

Your image file can be a maximum of 500 x 500 pixels

(80 x 80 is the minimum). For a nice, sharp image that

shows detail in your face, use a version of your photo

at the higher end of the scale. You don’t want to look

fuzzy.

When to Break This Rule: If most of the people in

your target demographic use mobile devices to go

online, resize your image to have fewer pixels. This may

help ensure that it’s easily compatible with a variety of

devices and screen sizes. 200 x 200 should be fine.

500px

500p

x

04.Keep Props to a Minimum

Most of the time, holding something or posing

next to an object looks odd or staged. Props

can distract from the whole point of the photo —

introducing yourself visually to prospective clients

and peers.

When to Break This Rule: A prop can enhance

your image if it’s directly relevant to what you do.

For example, the owner of a flower shop might

hold an artfully designed bouquet of flowers.

05. Get the Distance RightFor a traditional shot, make sure your entire head is

visible, along with your neck and a little bit of your

chest and shoulders. Pulling back too far makes your

face unrecognizable.

When to Break This Rule: Zooming in is okay if

you want most of the focus to be on your face. It can

even be artistic and playful, particularly if you are in a

creative field.

Angle your face and body toward the center

of the profile page. This posture is much more

flattering than a photo in which your shoulders are

facing straight ahead at the camera, which can be

reminiscent of a mug shot. An angled pose also

highlights the contours of your face.

When to Break This Rule: If you are wearing a

business shirt with your logo embroidered on it,

pose at whatever angle makes this logo visible.

06. Choose a Three-Quarter Pose

07. Shoot for ConsistencyMake your LinkedIn photo the gold standard

for how you want to present yourself online.

Spend extra time and care to make it

perfect. Then, use the same profile picture

on your website, print materials and social

platforms to help people instantly recognize

you and your brand.

When to Break This Rule: If your audience

is significantly different from one social

platform to the next, use different images on

each platform. For example, your Facebook

profile photo might be more lighthearted

than the one you use on LinkedIn.

08. Gaze into the LensIn your photo, you should be

looking right at the camera. This

virtual eye contact makes people

feel they are meeting the real you

online.

When to Break This Rule:

Camera shy? If staring straight

into the camera makes you

uncomfortable, look slightly off into

the distance instead. The photo will

be much more successful if you

seem relaxed and confident.

09. Step Up Your Professional Game

Even if you typically wear a polo shirt and khakis (or a

t-shirt and jeans) to the office, dress up for your business

portrait. This is particularly important if you are in a

financial, legal or consulting industry. A business suit or

the equivalent wardrobe choice for women serves as a

uniform that signals knowledge, reliability and respect.

When to Break This Rule: Sometimes, business

professional just won’t do. The definition of professional

really does depend on your profession. Glamming it up

like a rock star might be right on target if you are an

event planner targeting millennials.

10. Promote Your Brand with ColorUsing color allows you to choose apparel

and accessories that pick up the hues in

your logo. This is a good reason to use a

color photo rather than a black and white

shot, which might be perceived as too

serious by potential clients and connections.

When to Break This Rule: If you want all

of your employees to have a similar look

for their LinkedIn profiles, you can opt for

black and white photos. It’s easier to make

everything match as staff members come

and go over the years.

11. Cover Up a Little More Than UsualMen, keep that top shirt button closed

— even if you have to use a collar button

extender to do it. Women, keep in mind that a

V-neck that dips below the edge of the photo

can give the wrong impression about how

much might be visible in a full-length shot.

When to Break This Rule: In some

industries, body image is particularly

important and covering up isn’t mandatory.

For example, if you own a gym, wearing

fitness gear that shows more skin or muscle

definition might be appropriate.

12. Wear Solid ColorsKeep it simple when it comes to

fabrics. Prints can easily look dated,

and plaid is just distracting. Plus, the

LinkedIn image is so tiny that the

patterns may not show up well.

When to Break This Rule:

Accessories can be patterned to

make an image pop. For example,

a striped tie can work as long as it

doesn’t take attention away from

your face.

13. Go It Alone

Pick a photo that features just

you and no one else. That way,

connections don’t have to struggle

to figure out who you are in the

photo. And don’t try to crop anyone

out of the photo — having a

severed arm in your LinkedIn image

just won’t do.

When to Break This Rule: If you

are a veterinarian, posing with a

furry patient makes perfect sense.

14. Use Contrast to Your AdvantageA dark suit jacket paired with a light shirt is

slimming because it divides the body into thirds.

If you aren’t wearing a jacket, opt for a long-

sleeved shirt that contrasts with your backdrop.

You want to really stand out.

When to Break This Rule: Using light and

dark shades together is great, but don’t contrast

colors like red and green. It can make people’s

eyes ache.

15. Select a Recent Photo Avoid using a photo that is more than five

to seven years old (especially your high

school prom portrait). Your photo should

look like the best current version of you.

People may not recognize you in person if

your portrait is out of date.

When to Break This Rule: If your

appearance really hasn’t changed in

a decade, you’re lucky (and possibly

immortal). Spend your marketing budget

on something other than a new portrait.

Peers Who Are Getting It RightReady to learn by example from your peers? Check out some

SUCCEED members who are making a great impression with

their LinkedIn photos:

Marc Shaw

Cloud Strategy Officer

at True North ITG

Dawn Mentzer

Freelance Writer/Copywriter

Dethra Giles, MBA, SPHR

Author/Performance

Management Strategist

Krista Canfield

Passionate Storyteller

Sandra B. Tate

Executive Leadership,

“The Ballsy” Coach, CSL

Mike White

CEO, Founder,

Urban Shuffle, LLC

Sort through your photo files

this week to see if you have

a good image to use. If not,

make a point of getting a

professional portrait taken

soon, or ask a friend to snap a

few shots of you.

Advice InspirationActionBe aware that your LinkedIn

connections may receive an

activity broadcast each time you

make a change to your profile

photo. If you are experimenting

with uploading different image

files, space them out over the

course of a few weeks to avoid

bombarding your feed with

these alerts.

“You never get a second chance

to make a great first impression.

Within a few seconds, with just

a glance, people have judged

your social and economic level,

your level of education, and

even your level of success.”

– Olivia Fox Cabane, Author of

The Charisma Myth

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