9 TIPS MEMILIH GAMBAR PROFAIL / UTAMA

1. Happy Profile Picture = Happy Life

Believe it or not, if you smile in your profile picture, you are more likely to be happy later on. According to two studies of college students, people who smile in their profile picture are happier. Really!
“…smile intensity coded from a single Facebook profile photograph from male and female participants’ first semester at college was a robust predictor of self-reported life satisfaction 3.5 years later.”
The bigger the smile, the better.
“…Participants who exhibited a more intense smile in their Facebook photo had better social relationships during their first semester at college”
That settles it. The perfect profile picture has a big smile.

2. The open-mouth glamor shot: body language for your face

Body language and non-verbal communication is critical in first impressions. In his book, How to Make People Like You in 90 Seconds or Less, author and photographer Nicholas Boothman lists
ways in which body language can be open or closed.
When you see someone with crossed legs, folded arms, closed hands and a buttoned jacket, you know what that means: not open. So if you want to show an openness on your face, try opening your mouth.
I know of some extremely successful online networkers with open-mouth profile pics. They all look so friendly!

3. Fake IDs: babies, cartoons and pets.

Cartoons? Nothing says “take me seriously” like a Simpsons version of your head. Or South Park, or Mad Men.  But at least these are better than the common trend of using a photo of something other than you.
Please, if you’re using social networking for professional reasons, don’t use your baby or your dog as your profile pic. Keep it in your wallet.
Or, go all the way and print a life size version of your baby’s face and tape it to your head. While your at it, put your dog’s face on your driver’s license.

4. No logos, but still a bit of brand

Sorry, but logos are not as compelling as people. People are hard-wired to connect with people and there is just no replacement for a human face. So, use a head shot, not a logo, whenever possible.
But if you want to bring the brand into your photo, here are a few tips:

• Brand colors: wear a shirt with a splash of the company colors.
• Brand in the background: Put a tiny bit of your office in the background. Leslie Vickray has a profile pic with company name in the background.
• Mini-logo in the corner: Daniel Scogin (RedEye)
• Living the brand: George LeClaire is a photographer, and it’s obvious from his profile picture. He’s holding a camera.

5. Bright Backgrounds

Rand Fishkin, founder of SEOmoz and web research mastermind, discussed profile pictures in a Whiteboard Friday videos:
Rand: I have actually done background color testing on photos for my personal account to see whether my Twitter account would get more followers or less with certain ones. Orange works very well for me.
Will: We have people from different Distilled offices have different colored backgrounds.
Rand: Perfect. I love A/B testing everything in marketing, including the background color of your photo.
He suggests bright colored backgrounds and likes orange for himself. Makes sense. You’re trying to stand out from the crowd.

6. Keep it consistent, across sites and over time.

An article on the topic from Mashable reminds us to be consistent. “Don’t change it too often.”  Changing it weekly or even monthly may make it harder to become a familiar face.
I would add that it’s good to be consistent across networks. There’s an advantage to using the same photo on different sites: people will recognize you.
That’s a good thing, right?  So use the same photo in all the networks you use professionally.

7. Look at the camera, or look to your left.

Eye tracking studies have shown that when a website has a picture of a person, visitors tend to look at the face. It’s natural. Looking at the camera helps make a direct connection with the viewer.
But the same studies show, when the face is looking to the side, visitors look where the person in the picture is looking. That’s right!  If the picture is looking to the side, the visitors will too.
This is why in my own profile, I’m looking to my left, toward the content. Maybe that’s why you decided to read this post.

8. Worst Profile Pic Ever? The QR Code

I just can’t understand when I see people using these as profile pictures. A QR code is an offline link. It lets people take a picture rather than type an address.
But why on Earth would you use one on a website? Isn’t is easier to have visitors click using the mouse in their hand? Isn’t that easier than taking the phone out of you pocket, downloading a scanner, then taking a picture of their screen, only to see a much smaller version of your site? I don’t get it.
I bet if you met Mr. QR-Code-Head in real life, he would have his phone number written on his forehead so you can call him if you wanted to talk.

9. Use a Pro Photographer

If you plan to get serious about working within a social network, seriously consider this. The difference in quality between professional and amateur work is huge.

Bonus Tip: Ignore All Previous Tips

This is, in the end, you. And being true to yourself trumps all. So if you want to use your logo, a painting of you or a picture of your car, do it. Remember, this picture will be a split-second first impression for thousands of people, but if you feel strongly about it, go ahead! Use your cat!