3 Reasons why Connection is more important than Look in your headshots

A great image or headshot needs a few things to be successful. It needs great photography, great editing, great colour grading and toning, great framing and generally needs to be of a very high standard. But is that all it needs to help you reach your goals with it?

Great headshots and branding images can have all those things and still not achieve what you’re hoping they would… the reason… Connection!

Connection is the most important feature of a great image but what is it? How do we define connection?

Connection - noun

noun: connection; plural noun: connections; noun: connexion; plural noun: connexions

a relationship in which a person or thing is linked or associated with something else.

Connection in images refers to an implied or inferred relationship between the viewer and the subject. What does that mean? Well loosely defined, it means we like images of people we know more than people we don’t. Images with us in it are more interesting to us than images without us… why? Connection.

Have you ever scrolled through your socials and glanced at an image a close friend put up… you would’ve looked it at for longer than an image from a stranger… even if it’s micro-seconds… it’s still longer… Your brain automatically found it more interesting and familiar and you were more likely to like it and to take action from it… that’s just human psychology…

So, why is it so important and how can you make sure you have it in your images? Connection comes from different aspects of a great headshot but arguably the most important is the eyes. If you are looking directly at the camera, the viewer will be drawn into your gaze and their brain will interpret your body-language within micro-seconds which will cause them to develop an opinion of you… So it’s right there that we need to work to make sure the opinion they form will be favourable or at the very least, memorable.

Body Language Baby! The easiest and quickest way to create Connection in a headshot is to mimic the body’s natural language. When you’re in a conversation with a friend you enjoy being around, your brain will force your eyes to squinch slightly and cock your head at a slight angle… this is our listening face and it’s universal… have a look next time you’re at a coffee shop… So, using that, we can create the same effect in a headshot by giving the viewer of the image the same body language, making their brain feel more open to the image and creating instant connection… all without them ever knowing it’s happening…

WHY is it so important?

Connection makes images much more memorable

Your brain will recall an image of a friend or celebrity much faster than a stranger, it will also be able to recognise that person and form a link to them at a significantly deeper level. What does that mean? Well, if you’re presented with 10 different images you’ll feel more drawn to the ones of people you know or people you’re familiar with… it’s that simple. A strong connection in your headshot will create this link on a subconscious level with the viewer and they will be more likely to recall your headshots and feel connected to you.

Connection compels action

If someone feels connection to your headshots, they are much more likely to take action, even on a subconscious level (even if that action is simply lowering some of the barriers they feel). Their brain will store the image and will recall it much faster in future. The next time they see it the connection will be even deeper and you are now more familiar, even if you’ve never met. Which makes it all the more likely they’ll engage with you and not your competition or rivals. Connection even has the power to make them feel positive emotions when they see your headshots… it’s THAT powerful.

Connection Lowers Interpersonal Barriers

We’re all human… some of us have trouble interacting with other humans, some of us don’t. But the one thing we all have in common is that we have interpersonal barriers. These barriers are there for good reason. They protect us from threats and keeps us on alert when we encounter strangers. It also causes us to feel a level of suspicion towards people we don’t know, and were more likely to engage with negative beliefs about them - that’s why rumours spread so fast. Connection will remove some of these barriers and walls making you seem more familiar, closer and like the person actually knows you…