Does an Interesting Profile Pic Make Readers Click on Your Posts?

4 ways I make my profile pic work for me and how you can too

When I first started writing last year, I never gave things such as profile pix or pen names much thought because frankly, I was just happy to have drummed up the courage to put my words out there.

I didn’t expect success or an audience.

Heck, I didn’t even think of myself as a writer. Still have trouble calling myself one.

I prefer parttime blogger because blogging is what I love to do the most despite developing an interesting resume in a variety of writing gigs over the course of the year.

It is not surprising that some didn’t take me seriously in the beginning because I hid my face behind a mask.

Probably must be hiding something, huh?

No duh.

My privacy, that’s what!

Yes, I’ve gotten rejected by a couple of clients because I refused to change the last part of my pen name or take off my mask for their website.

But I didn’t let that bother me much because both my name and pic are part of whom I am as a blogger.

And the interesting thing is, I have been able to use my masked writer profile to my advantage:

How?

✅I have a unique profile pic, mask et al, that helps my readers easily identify me. And I am happy to report that the mask is now an important part of my identity/online image as a writer.

✅I keep it consistent across the platforms I write on, my social media, and for all my freelancing gigs.

✅I don’t change or update my profile pic on a regular basis as that would mean my readers have to relearn how I look.

✅The biggest plus, for me, is that most of my readers on Medium feel like they have come to know me in a way that a single professional headshot cannot convey. My 16K + followers on NewsBreak don’t seem to mind either as they are more interested in my stories.

However, not everyone may want to roll the way I do and that is fine too. In his article, Jacob Tomlinson suggests some tips to up your profile pic game with the following:

1️⃣Face the camera with a friendly expression and open body language. He also emphasizes the importance of eye contact: “When you talk to someone in real life it is polite to face them and give them eye contact. It shows that you are listening and engaged in the conversation. This kind of body language could also be inferred from your profile picture.”

2️⃣Be the only one in the photo to avoid confusion.

3️⃣Keep the photo natural and full of color to give a more professional vibe.

He also points out the following no-nos as well👇:

I am curious whether a stellar profile pic actually encourages a reader to click on a post and even more importantly, entices them to keep coming back for more.

Maybe what I’m asking is do you think a profile pic, model beautiful, skimpily dressed, anime, can help sell an article or does it come down to writing — whether it clicks or not?

Please share your thoughts in the comments!

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