Colorado Springs, CO (PRWEB) September 17, 2014 -- It’s been said that a picture is worth a thousand words, but in our noisy information age, experts suggest our profile pictures may trump our words altogether.
“Social media users might be surprised to know it only takes about 100 milliseconds for someone to draw conclusions about who they are from their profile photo,” says Ann Pierce, a world leader on the subject of profile photos and the impressions they form.
Today, people are using online profiles for all means of networking and socializing-- from finding friends in a new city, to landing dates in hopes of meeting the one they can start a family with, to selling themselves to potential employers. That means the stakes are high for choosing photos of themselves that make the right impression online.
“Research shows that different photos of the same person routinely create impressions as varied as completely different people,” Pierce says, adding, “We created PhotoFeeler so that a misleading or unflattering photo never comes between good people and opportunity.”
PhotoFeeler is a free online tool that relies on a supportive community and accuracy-boosting algorithms to provide reliable feedback on photos submitted by users.
“Our patent-pending algorithm ensures users get feedback they can count on because decisions should be based on unbiased and statistically-significant data,” Pierce says.
Michelle G. discovered that firsthand after trying PhotoFeeler. “Photos I thought were conveying the right message were actually not at all,” she said.
To help people like Michelle, Pierce provides advice on how to take that perfect photo. “To start, everyone needs to know the difference between what a photo should look like when it’s being used on a dating site versus a professional profile. For every type of profile, there are different characteristics that you need to get across to the viewer,” Pierce says.
Jen V. experienced this firsthand in her photo feedback. “I just registered at LinkedIn and put the best photo I had of myself as my profile photo. The photo I chose was flattering, but [as I find out on PhotoFeeler], not professional. I took a lot of selfies (with a tripod and a timer), experimenting with clothes, lighting and makeup. Upon seeing the first 5 votes on my final picture, I knew that it was ‘the one’. I confidently edited my LinkedIn profile picture.”
High school students also need respectable profile photos since 30 percent of college admissions officers are Googling applicants, Pierce notes. “Taking their profiles into account now will help students enter the working world later, because more than 90 percent of employers are recruiting through social media.”
In fact, “in a recent study by TheLadders, they found that recruiters spend 19 percent of their time on a LinkedIn profile looking at the picture,” Pierce says. “In online dating, the text on your profile is less than 10% of what people think of you. It’s just incredible how much depends on your picture. Ultimately, you need to have photos that communicate the right things about you and PhotoFeeler can make sure you do!”
ABOUT PHOTOFEELER
PhotoFeeler was co-founded by Ann Pierce, a world leader on the subject of profile photos and the impressions they form. A free online tool, PhotoFeeler relies on a supportive community and accuracy-boosting algorithms to provide users with reliable feedback on their profile photos. Originally created for job seekers and service providers wanting to look their best in front of employers online, PhotoFeeler has since expanded its services to help casual social media users and online daters have greater success connecting with the right people online.
For more information, visit http://www.photofeeler.com.
Robyn Stevens, PR Media, +1 (856) 885-0913, [email protected]
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