Will You Help Me Decide My Twitter Photo?
I have a conundrum. I thought the photo I was using on Twitter was a bit too “crowded” so I changed it, and asked for feedback. Some people loved the new photo, some said the old one was better, even more “welcoming.” Will you help me decide?
On Twitter, they reduce your photo to the size that will fit on a dime, and I was using the same photo I use here, with my hand in the photo. When cropped square, Twitter-style, I thought it looked a bit cramped, so the new photo was sans hand.
Please let me know if you prefer “Before, with hand” or “After, without hand.”
Before, with hand
After, without hand
I’d say thanks for giving me a hand, but that would just sound silly, wouldn’t it?
Oh, and follow me on Twitter: @marciahoeck
[tags]Twitter, Marcia Hoeck[/tags]
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December 3rd, 2008 at 8:58 pm
From a professional perspective, the hand is distracting. I suspect you want to convey a sense of warmth and openness, which I think the second, more recent image conveys right off the bat. Also, the hand under the chin has a tendency to push up one’s chin and make it appear larger than it really is. I say, you look fabulous in the “without hand” picture. Stick with it.
December 4th, 2008 at 8:11 am
Marcia,
You look great in both photos!
And I understand why some professionals might use the same headshot everywhere to reinforce branding, but I like the idea of mixing it up on different applications (especially if you think the Vibe of one application/medi is different than another). That said, I don’t use Twitter, yet, so I can’t tell you which one is more ‘Twitter-like’, but I can tell you that this is the 1st time I saw your 2nd one & I like it, so my vote is to use it for Twitter to mix it up!
Joe
December 4th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
I liked the one with your hand better, but I see both points. Maybe there’s a way to have a more standard headshot while keeping it more casual.
Sunglasses, looking off-camera, sticking your tongue out, laughing, different background other than the office blinds…
I’m not trying to push, but I think if you’re looking for warmer but without it being cramped, that kind of change might be more useful than to hand or not to hand.
December 4th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
Thanks, guys! All great comments, and thoughtful, too. Makes me feel like changing up my photo on a regular basis — maybe that’s not such a bad idea!
I truly appreciate your differing points of view, and I take them all in. Don’t be surprised if you see me sticking my tongue out — that we can blame on Chuck!
Marcia