I was at an event last week with over 100 attendees and a woman I know through social media approached me. We have several real life friends in common and we were instantly deep in conversation because of our online exchanges.
She complimented me on a recent webinar I’d done and said one of my tips had been a catalyst for her to take action on something she’d been wanting to accomplish.
But the best part was, she thanked me for looking like my photo!
If your goal is to “get virtually famous” with increased visibility to enhance your credibility and authority as an expert in my field, the image you project online should reflect the person you are in the real world.
Here’s why. Experts and authors have to work hard to get noticed. Every aspect of your online presence should show you are likeable, approachable and trustworthy so people feel comfortable hiring you and working with you.
Having a great professional profile photo helps foster that trust, while seeing someone who looks nothing like their photo may harm it. It’s fine to use a photograph that has been touched up. We all want to look our best. Just keep your online image in the realm of possibility.
It was a wonderful thing to be recognized and make an immediate connection because a “virtual” friend felt she already knew me.
Has this happened to you yet?
Here’s a related post I wrote in 2010: