This is part two (read part one here) of my new blogging series on how to become the go-expert in whatever field you choose to blog about. I’m not sure how many parts there will be, but I do know the series will help you greatly in presenting yourself as the go-to expert to your readers.
Making YOU Stand Out
In part one, we learned the importants of making your blog stand out by giving it a custom look. Now it’s time to give yourself a custom look. The old saying “don’t judge a book by its cover” maybe true, but the truth of the matter is most people do judge things based on first impressions. When I go to see my lawyer or accountant, I don’t expect him to be wearing Bermuda shorts. I can be wearing Bermuda shorts, but he can’t!
To project a professional image, I recommend you take some nice photos of yourself. They don’t need to be professionally done, but they should be of the highest quality you can afford. These photos will not only be used on your blog, but on marketing materials like press releases, business cards, information sheets, etc. This is the photo I use for my About page.
The photo is actually embedded into the top demo video and makes people want to play the video to find out more about me. For all my promotional videos, I never let YouTube select the screenshot. Instead, I will always upload my own custom shots that puts me in the best light.
For the back of my Make Money Online book, I used the photo you see below. I’m wearing blue because that’s the color used to convey information. The picture blurs the wall in the background so the focus is on my face. This is the photo I send to publications and trade show programs. It’s the classic headshot, and you need to get one.
For my Powerpoint slides, I combine the two images, along with my logo, to create this presentation header. The header helps to re-enforce me and my brand during the entire presentation.
The Money Shot
The last photo, and the most time consuming one to make, is call the money shot. I learned how to create this shot from Joe Bauer. The money shot is what I used on my Facebook page. It pretty much encapsulate what John Chow is all about.
What makes the money shot so great is obvious. It’s one thing to have a photo of you, it’s another to have a photo of you in front of a bunch of people throwing money at you! The photo was created by me standing on a chair, and 49 other people surrounding me. On a count of three, I raised my hands and they show me the money. The shot was taken in front of a green screen so I can edit it out and add any background I want. Here’s the original photo.
I also have a non-money shot. It’s the same shot, but instead of holding out money for me, the crowd is just holding out their hands and reaching for me. The effect of the shot is to convey that I am the go-to expert, and that everyone wants a piece of me.
A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words
A picture really is worth a thousand words. The problem is most blogger don’t have any good pictures that they can use for their blog or branding materials. You can separate yourself from the pack by getting some high quality photos of yourself.
You become the go-to expert when you look like the go-expert. Look for part three soon.