Social Media is Here to Stay

If we like it or not, social media is here to stay. Some local Agoura residents embrace it with enthusiasm – others with scorn. When Hollywood immortalized Facebook with a movie, we all realized this online presence is a force to be reckoned with. If you, as an individual, decided to jump on the bandwagon and post your image on Facebook, you have officially welcomed in a new era. Small and large Conejo Valley businesses are being judged by what they post to the world. Los Angeles and Ventura county businesses are starting to trust it as a new means to reach and maintain relationships with customers. What face would you like to portray to your friends and family? What face would you like to portray on your Facebook business fan page? What image would you like representing you to your local Conejo Valley colleagues and employers on Linked-In or on Twitter? Give it some serious thought. The image you choose is how you will now be representing yourself to our Agoura Hills community neighbors, as well as the world.

Many folks I meet treat Facebook with disdain.  “It is a waste of time; people ramble on about what they ate for breakfast or play games feeding virtual animals on Farmville.”  Some Las Virgenes and Conejo Valley teachers I meet avoid joining Facebook because they do not want to get socially involved with their students online. Yet this new platform is here to stay and those who embrace it as a new communications vehicle to connect with the world will benefit from a more fulfilling experience as a way to make new friends and network with business associates and new clients.

How Should I Represent Myself to Our Community and the World?

Your personality type and prospective audience will guide you on image selection. How often do you swap out this carefully selected profile image? Teenagers swap their headshots as often as they change radio stations, or these days…YouTube videos.  Did you put any thought into which image to use? Did you post an image where you cut out your buddy or ex-girlfriend leaving half an arm intact? Do you have a tree growing from your head? Are you squinting in the sun? Are you wearing a silly hat at the beach? Did you post a snapshot from your Iphone that warped your nose or did glasses glare obliterate your eyes? Is your image just grainy with such low quality it is blurry? Did you just post a photo of your dog because you couldn’t find a good image of yourself among your snapshots? Baby Boomers may be less likely to rotate images on Facebook like a revolving door – possibly because “good” images are harder to come by, as gravity takes its toll on our waning youthful appearances.  Perhaps a professional portrait may be what you need.

Your Boss May Be Watching

Having a professional portrait created that represents your personality through expression, expert posing and color, wardrobe and background selection can make all the difference – especially for a Facebook business fan page, Linked-in business portrait and Twitter profile images.  

 Have You Tried Googling Your Name?

The last profile picture you posted on Facebook of a goofy comic book character is a merely click away from your potential new employer. Market your personal image to our community and the world with style and grace. Your online presence will be judged by employers, business associates as well as peers. Be proud of your personal “brand,” your portrait. No doubt your friends on Facebook will “Like” you for it.

In my next blog post, I’ll discuss how a retouched portrait can make all the difference in your personal image.

I’d love to hear your opinions and experiences. What have your profile picture experiences been like on Facebook, Twitter, Linked-In and your personal or business web site? Has photo tagging, helped connect your business? Please post questions and comments below!

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Karen Vaisman

Professional Photographic Portrait Artist specializing in the Art of Retouching

Agoura Hills Photography and Adobe Photoshop Trainer

http://www.karenvaismanphotography.com

Join me on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/KarenVaismanPhotography

http://www.facebook.com/KarenVaisman

Join me on Twitter @KVaismanPhoto

memories@portraitsbykaren.net

Agoura Hills, California