If you’re a coach working with clients to support their career goals and personal development, you need to earn your prospective clients’ trust before you can expect them to invest in your services. However, it should be noted that when you’re advertising your services online, you have to rely on your public profile to make an impact on your prospects. In fact, the quality of your profile photo alone may just make or break your chances of getting hired.

Since your prospective clients will likely not have any previous experience with your services, they most likely depend on your online profile photo to judge your character. While some people may form different opinions about you when they see your photo, there are various ways you can ensure these judgments are favourable to your business. To learn more about how your profile photos can help build you up as a credible coach, read on.

1. Always Use a Photo

The first thing you need to take note of is that you must always have a photo displayed on your profile. It will help people searching for you know that they’re connecting with the right person in a sea of individuals who may just have the same name as yours.

For instance, let us say there are a couple of coaches named Will Thomas listed on a certain coaching directory. In this case, it’s the presence of a photo that can help a client easily identify the correct Will Thomas they want to get in touch with. So, to make sure your clients can easily find you online, always make sure you’ve uploaded an easily recognisable photo to your profile.

Another consequence of a blank profile photo is that your audience might tag your profile as a fake or a spam profile. So, put in the extra effort. It only takes a few clicks, after all.

2. Choose a Recent Picture

Many people prefer uploading profile photos that they think reflect the best versions of themselves. This is fine unless the photo was taken 10 years ago or even further into the past.

Don’t do this, because you want to show people what you look like in the present. Otherwise, they’ll be surprised when they meet you in person for the first time and you don’t match the photo they saw on your profile. This may cause your clients to think you’re misleading them, which can affect their trust in you.

3. Select a Photo That Conveys Trust

To make sure your profile photos make an impact on your potential clients, they must show your trustworthiness and credibility as a professional. The best way to do this is to look confident and self-assured in your poses. Look directly at the camera as if you’re having a conversation with your audience. Also, avoid wearing sunglasses so people can see the sincerity in your eyes. Most importantly, smile. You want to look pleasant and approachable so clients won’t hesitate to approach you for help.

4. Consider the Dimensions Required by Each Site

Depending on where you want to post your profile photo, you need to be mindful of the dimensions each website or social media site requires. For example, for LinkedIn profiles, the recommended photo dimensions size is around 400 pixels in width by 400 pixels in height. The photo’s file size also shouldn’t exceed 8MB.

Also, some directories may display your photo in a circle. If this is the case, you may need to adjust your photo to make sure your face appears in the centre of the circle. Fortunately, other websites will display your photo in a square format, so you won’t have to do much adjustment should that be the case.

Some websites also allow cropping and zooming in on the profile photo you’ve uploaded. To ensure you look professional whatever the recommended dimensions may be, upload images with your neck and shoulders clearly visible in the shot. This way, your posture and attire can be shown whether the photo is uploaded in a circle or square format. And in case you need to crop the photo, viewers will still have a clear view of your face.

5. Make Sure Your Photo Looks Good on Different Devices

Lastly, you want to check how your profile photo looks on different devices. While it may look exactly how you want it on your laptop, it might appear blurry on a mobile device. Since many of your potential clients may view your profile on their mobiles, you want to inspect how your picture looks across different platforms and devices. Ideally, your clients should still be able to recognise your face whether they’re looking at your profile from their smartphones, tablets, or computers.

While it’s quicker to establish trust if your clients meet you in person, it’s more than possible to make a positive impression online through your profile photo. So, the next time you upload a new photo for a coaching directory, make sure it shows that you are professional and approachable. That way, your clients will view you as someone to trust and credible, even with just a glance at your profile.

Need help to find the right impactful photo for your online business profile? Visit our coach directory right away!