My work as a portrait photographer in San Francisco has changed as a result of an interesting phenomenon: we are in the age of the “Personal Brand”.

People don’t only come to me to get a nice photo to send home to Mom, but rather professional profile pictures to represent themselves online. And we are all the same. Whether it’s an employee at a big tech company or a small business owner, we all have some sort of social media presence that highlights who we are and what we’re about. Perhaps it’s time to take a little personal audit of your professional social media presence.

I came across an article by a graphic designer and blogger named Shauna Haider, aka Nubby Twiglet. She talks about consistency between social media outlets. Are you uber-professional in your business portrait on LinkedIn and yet have a public photo of you with a beer in your hand on Facebook?

Whether we like it or not, when we are about to meet with someone new for work or pleasure, they will look us up. And as a social media photographer, I can’t help but ask: What would you like them to see?

“Your photo essentially becomes your personal logo. Take a look at your various accounts and see if you are sending a unified message. Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter,” – Shauna Haider. Read more of the brand audit article.