You’re a realtor in the Sacramento area and you’re either thinking of getting new headshots or you just did. You might change your LinkedIn profile picture and send it in to update the company website, but you might be wondering… “is that the best I can do with my new headshots?” No, you’re barely scratching the surface!

I’m a portrait photographer in Sacramento and I have worked with over 30 realtors in the area over the last year. I create not only stunning images for my clients but also go over how they can best utilize them. I would hate for my clients to invest in awesome images and have them just change their profile picture. These images are in your tool belt now and I take it upon myself to educate my clients on the true value of this new tool to help build their personal brands.

What is a personal brand and why do realtors need to care?
A personal brand is when you go from “Hi, I’m David and I take photos” to “Hi, my name is David, and I specialize in creating stunning imagery for realtors in Sacramento to ultimately help them build a brand they love. Oh, and I have a one-year-old pug named Maya and I listen to Gary Vaynerchuck every morning during my morning workout.”

Building a personal brand is all about creating an avatar for you that represents your values and characters as a real person. And the question now is … “David, that sounds hard – why should I care?” And I totally understand! As a business operator myself, I know how busy you can get but think of it this way. Would you more likely (AND happily) get your hair done by a random Jane down the street or @JanineDoesHair on Instagram, the local gal you’ve been learning from on how to style your hair through her videos and also know she has two young kids like you? The answer is latter and I’m not psychic, that’s just how humans buy. People like to buy from people we trust (and know) and this is SO relevant to realtors – you know it!

With that being said, let’s get into these 19 ways you can use your headshots to either start or elevate your personal brand.

1. Facebook Business Profile Picture
   
   
2. Facebook Business Banner Photo. Many times my clients have a photo of a generic house as their Facebook banner so I would extend the background on their new photo to create a beautiful new banner for them. Ask if your photographer can do this for you.
   
   
3. Website Photo Updates
   
   
4. Blog Post re-introducing who you are and why quality needs to be cohesive throughout your service and branding. This can’t be truer if you pride yourself in high-quality service. Reaffirm your audience your core values of how you treat your clients and how that shows throughout your whole brand.
   
   
5. Blog Post interviewing your photographer as a local business feature to your audience. This is one of my favorite ones for realtors. How awesome would it be if you went from just selling homes to having an audience that looks up to you as an expert of Sacramento? And I know for sure you are. You know the top 5 bbq places, top date spots, and 3 must-go-to restaurants if you have toddlers in Sacramento. Interview the owners and interview your local photographer! Now that’s already 4 blog/post ideas already! Here’s an example blog of how I interview local small business owners.
   
   
6. Blog Post about your favorite hobby if you took some photos of you doing your favorite hobby. This can be baking, jogging, reading, or hiking. ‘My favorite holiday cake recipe’ or ‘3 books you HAVE to read this year.’ Here’s a picture of one of my clients with her favorite margarita. She used the photo and turned it into a blog post titled ‘My Perfected Margarita.’
   
   
   
7. Blog Post about Motherhood/Fatherhood if you took photos with your kid or pets – I know many of my readers are dog moms and dog dads. I know that if you’re a mom, you’ve had that INSTANT connection when you met another mom, even more so if you’re toddler moms. Write about this, because this is inspiring. ‘I’m a mom and I find homes for families.’ Blogging doesn’t have to be boring. Write about your passion!
   
   
8. Facebook Post on any/or all of the ideas above
   
   
9. IG Post on any/or all of the ideas above but in a bite-size (perfect because you have the photos already)
   
   
10. Weekly Post on sharing something personal about you. This should be super easy because you have photos already. Do you have a photo of you and your kid? Do a fun fact about your kid! A photo of you and your friends drinking? Write a post on your favorite drink! And here’s a hashtag I even thought of for you #MeMonday
    
    
11. IG Profile Picture
    
    
12. LinkedIn Post on any/or all of the ideas above with a twang. LinkedIn is one of the best ways to brand yourself today. You can literally take all the blog ideas and add a little twang of “business” in there and it’ll be golden. Your ‘ I’m a mom and I find homes for families‘ blog can be ‘what managing being a mom and realtor has taught me about time management.’
    
    
13. LinkedIn Profile Picture
    
    
14. Business Cards
    
    
15. Flyers
    
    
16. Open House Signs
    
    
17. Email Footer Signature
    
    
18. Holiday Cards
    
    
19. Local magazines
    
    

And that’s it! Now you’re equipped with 19 ways of utilizing your headshots. The question is will you implement it. Remember, “your brand is the single most important investment you can make in your business” – Steve Forbes.

Let me know what’s your favorite and how many you’ve done before in the comments below! Do you not have a set of professional photos that you’re confident about and look beautiful in? You can see more of my work by clicking here or book a shoot with me here.