Why should attorneys get headshots?
We recently were invited to write an article on this topic for the marketing edition of American Bar Association’s “Law Practice Magazine.”
The number one reason that attorneys get headshots…
… is unsurprising. And it’s already sprung to mind, right? Prospective clients, of course! Whether our client is a boutique practice or a mammoth global organization, professional headshots help confirm credibility, reveal the humanity of the partners and associates, and ignite connections.
One of the amazing superpowers of headshots is that they make first meetings almost retroactive. You know that familiar feeling you get when you meet someone in person whom you’ve already seen in photos? Headshots pave the way for that sense of connection.
As humans, we desire that connection with each other. A good photographer will convey aspects of your personality that potential clients will respond to, whether that’s an attitude of authority, a warm and relatable approach, an unbreachable professionalism or a steely-eyed determination.
This sense of connection, however subtle, is why people reach out in the first place. If you and your firm are vying for a client, headshots and portraits and personal branding photos can be a make-or-break part of your acquisition strategy.
People want to do business with people they know and trust. Brett Deutsch and I have heard this from our clients — attorneys, realtors, financial advisors and more — many times.
Then there’s the less obvious reasons some attorneys get headshots.
In the piece I wrote for American Bar Association‘s “Law Practice Magazine,” I share a couple of other audiences that lawyers consider when they get headshots:
Opposing counsel. And other firms with whom they may partner on cases.
And … (and this is a big one) … the media. The media often will not take the time to request a formal portrait of you or your partners and associates. If a story is breaking about a high-profile case, a community outreach effort, or even a firm’s expansion, they will often just do what the rest of us do: go to your website and do a screen grab. Make sure great images are available. Otherwise, they (again, like many of us) will just google it. And imagine what they will come up with?! Dark selfies. Law school pics. Or (please, no!) images you didn’t even know existed of you but are out there on social media.
Professional images put YOU in control of your narrative. Because you know your firm’s strengths, you know its values, you know the messages you want to communicate to the aforementioned audiences. So don’t settle for schlocky stock imagery that portrays you and your partners are cookie-cutter lookalikes in the legal field.
Let a professional photographer help you capture the humanity and singularity of your firm. And then use those images on your website, on social media, in professional organizations, on speaking tours, and with the press.
Who are the audiences you want to reach with your headshots? Contact us, and we’ll help you get the images that will do the most for you and your firm.
Read more in the just-released Mar/Apr marketing issue of “Law Practice Magazine” in the article “The Eyes Have It.” In the same piece, co-authors Cayce Crown and Lynn Lavender, CLTC also share how firms can expand their reach with video and multimedia storytelling. And Carol Greenwald, Ph.D., many thanks for inviting us to contribute!
Co-owner of Headshots NYC, Deutsch Photography & Gotham Family Photos. Lover of images & the stories they tell. Fanatic about words, numbers & patterns. Entrepreneur & adventurer w/keen wanderlust. Life/love/business partner of my husband, photographer Brett Deutsch. Eternal love affair with NYC, where I landed by way of GA, TX & CA.
