Faces Matter: How Showcasing Your People Boosts Engagement and Builds Trust

Studies show that photography and artwork with faces attract more attention as they are more likely to evoke an emotional response compared to those without. Similarly, content on social media, and platforms such as LinkedIn, performs remarkably better when featuring people.

Let’s jump straight into some interesting LinkedIn statistics:

1. Posts with photos of people see a 2x higher engagement rate compared to those without.

2. LinkedIn posts with photos get 94% more total views on average compared to text-only posts.

3. Posts with human faces are 38% more likely to receive likes and 32% more likely to get comments.

We’re social creatures, and by integrating people into your business photos, you not only enhance the visual appeal of your content but also create meaningful connections with your audience.

We’re wired to seek connections with others, and this extends to our digital interactions. When we see a face, the part of the brain that specialises in facial recognition interprets the emotions and intentions. From this, we then make instantaneous decisions about how we feel about that person. Do we trust them? Do we want to connect with them, or avoid them?

So, utilising selfies and photos of your employees on your business social media channels  goes a long way to building trust and authenticity. Instead of reaching your audience with sales messaging, you can engage them with content they feel they relate to, and in turn this may make them more likely to onboard with you as a client in the future.

As a headshot and branding photographer, the worst-case scenario is seeing an empty profile photo on an active LinkedIn account. The individual may be trying to post, message and connect to grow their network, but will be treading water as the recipient battles with whether or not the faceless account can be trusted.

It’s estimated we are exposed to anything from 5,000 to 10,000 marketing messages per day! We’ve evolved to do as much subconscious filtering through these to establish what is genuine or applicable to us. Brands that show us real-life moments of people enjoying their products, or capture behind-the-scenes style content, break down the barrier of what is a marketing tool and what is a real individual. This relatability encourages viewers to engage more readily, whether through likes, comments, shares, or a purchasing decision.

So don’t be afraid to humanise your business. Showcase your employees, your workplace culture and client success stories. Create posts that resonate on a personal level with your audience with deeper, more meaningful connections. By including friendly faces in your content, you’ll see higher engagement rates.

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Photography: Headshot Toby