Is it unfair that something as shallow as this was what finally set me apart from the competition, and led to more and more job offers over the following months? Maybe.
I went from looking like every other freelancer on the internet who can take selfies with a smartphone, to a legitimate professional who kept up with changing times and cared deeply about her own professional development. Those head shots were only $120, but they triggered a new path for me. People would come to me already pre-sold on my expertise, with their wallets out, ready to get started. The more time and money I invested in my organic content - from web pages and blog posts to social posts and email marketing - the less I had to work at garnering leads, nurturing leads, and making sales. I ultimately grew my freelance business-of-one into a content marketing agency of many.
I saw myself as someone who wasn’t afraid to take up space in the world, someone who cared enough to invest actual money and time in my business. This shift impacted my actual behavior with a powerful ripple effect: I started learning new skills, expanding my reach online, creating and improving my website, and honing my service offerings. The shady clients looking for cheap work fell away, and I developed relationships with clients of a higher caliber, relationships that I still maintain to this day. I was making new connections and sales on LinkedIn. Suddenly, I started getting invited to jobs on Upwork. I spent $120 on professional head shots and replaced my profile photos on my online networking channels. This is a quick story about when I was freelance writing, and it’s a story about the best investment I ever made - one that took me from that abhorred “feast or famine” freelance lifestyle to earning a stable income and enough to retire my husband early! Instead, they get what they see - and if what they see isn’t polished, they’re going to doubt your credibility.
Your prospects can’t get the warmth of your handshake or the sense of your personality like they would through a direct conversation. It may sound shallow, but it’s the truth: when we’re online, digital images and words are equivalent to first impressions.