dating apps and profile pics have a lot in common
Experts say humans form an opinion of a person based on their image in 7 seconds...
Nowhere is that more evident than in the world of online dating.
I’ve heard the above statement from photography colleagues and mentors for years. And, for a while, I’ve always been a little skeptical at this assertion. It just felt judgey and not really taking into account all factors.
And then one day, this concept came together in my head as I was in the midst of a swipe-fest on a random dating app.
Here I was, killing time in between tasks on the app, looking at the profile images of each woman, and without reading their names or profiles - or even looking at a second and third picture - I simply went swipe crazy based on their photos:
If the photo was too wide and I couldn’t see her face, swipe left.
If the photo was dark, swipe left.
If the photo was a group picture, yeah, that’s lame - swipe left.
If the photo was of something other than the woman herself - it’s a funny meme or something non-related to her - swipe left.
Of course, I do swipe right from time-to-time as well, :)
The point here, though, is that I was making ridiculously fast judgements to eliminate those that made it difficult for me to actually get a sense of who the person is through their profile image. It was quick and sudden - there was no wishy-washiness with the decision.
The image presented itself, I consumed it, and a decision was made.
This is exactly what happens when people view potential clients, service providers and collaborators profile pictures on social. The reasons for “swiping right” on them is a little different than for the dating app, but, the results are exactly the same - out of mind, out of sight.
And that’s why it’s essential that you leverage profile images that present confident, approachable and likable aspects of your personality through your body posture and facial expression.
That profile photo that was taken at that holiday party three years ago needs to go, folks - c’mon now!
You have a lot to offer to those who need you, but, if you never offer yourself the opportunity to show up to those people in a way that clearly illustrates who you are, who you serve, and why you do what you do, these potential clients will keep swiping away until they find someone who does.
What are your thoughts on this? Have you found yourself swipe-festing through social profiles with horribly outdated and unprofessional profile images?
PS - For those of you who aren’t in the know, I mail out these blogs 3x a week, and lemme tell you, they’re a real party, so, if you’d like to get in on this, sign up for it here and I’ll throw in a free gift for you, because I care, :)