Page 34 - Visual Marketing

5. Putting the “Self” in Self-Portrait: Finding the Right Photo to
Express a Personal Brand

T he standard head shot may be safe, but it can be boring.
Michelle Villalobos found this out when she selected the right
image to represent herself and her personal brand. Villalobos
runs workshops and teaches marketing and business concepts to pro-
fessionals. Her most popular program is You: The (Online) Brand. She
often uses multicolored Sharpie markers to draw charts and liven up
her visual presentations. She knows the value of using the right image
to make a point in education and promotion.

Yet when it came to promoting herself on her blog, Facebook,
LinkedIn, and Twitter accounts, she did what many professionals
do: pose for traditional portraits in business attire. The result was a
beautiful professional portrait—but it didn’t really represent her. At
one of her workshops on personal branding an audience member
commented, “Your portrait doesn’t reflect your brand—you’re fun,
young and vibrant, your headshot is sedate and boring.

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