Adding Pictures to Your Website

What's one way to add more YOU into your marketing materials? Add pictures of the person behind the magic on your website. That means you! This is an easy way to personalize your marketing materials (and your work) and stand out from a crowd of similar professionals.

What kind of pictures should you add to your website?

Of course you need to have a professional head-shot. In addition to this you can add a few variations of the head-shot with a shoulder-up, waist-up or full standing picture. This is the bare minimum and expresses professional confidence. It's a great place to start.

But if you really want to let your personality and style shine through, consider adding the following types of pictures, sprinkled throughout your website, as a great way to give your potential clients a feel of who you are. As long as it matches your marketing message (obviously no Goth looks for image consultants), it adds lots of warmth and humanity to your website. People are desperate for a little authenticity in the marketplace so let your personality out.

Now this doesn’t require you to look outrageous, super energetic or loud. Not everyone fits that profile nor does everyone want to work with that style of practitioner. What creates impact is your ability to express your version of your profession. So if you’re more of a quiet and soft personality, feel good about sharing it. You'll laugh when you hear how I came to this understanding.

When I first started nutrition counseling in 1999, I had it in my mind what a holistic-minded nutritionist should look like. Kind of preppy (think clinical), definitely very calm and centered and oozing a healing, "granola" vibe. If you know me at all, you can already guess what a mismatch that was. 

Well, I could put on that act for a little while but eventually my inner goofball who likes to laugh out loud with clients, talk straight and bring lots of energy to my sessions would out it self and I'd freak out my clients.

They would be surprised by one of my silly ways such as enthusiastically cheering them on, joking around and just being myself. It wasn't until I put some of my personality into my marketing materials did I start attracting clients that were a "match" for my style and approach to health and nutrition counseling. And as a result my work became much more pleasurable.

So here's what you do. Hire a professional photographer (or a friend with an eye for picture taking) to tag along to some of your events or come to your place of business to take action shots of how you do what you do.

For example, if you’re a professional speaker: Get a few shots of your speaking to groups looking like a pro and with an engaging presence.

If you’re a writer: Take a picture of you at your desk or other favorite places to write or teaching a writing class. Do you take your laptop to a quiet park to write or have an inspiring view from your home office? Share it!

If you're a personal coach who loves the outdoors, then take your professional shots outside.

Think about what you do, how you do and for whom you do it for, and share this in your pictures to draw in your readers and stand out from a crowd.

When it comes to healthy living services and products, people hire not just on facts and features. They also buy on emotional desires - feeling understood, a feeling of trust and more. So make it easier for people to really "get" you and your services buy putting it all in pictures. 

To your professional expansion,

Karin

Stay tuned for four more tips on adding more YOU into your marketing materials.

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