An interesting discussion here.
You wouldn’t wear a tux to a bar, nor sportswear to a business meeting.
It creates an image that distracts from your message. It primes people with a perception that will be difficult to shake.
The same is true with your avatar (or profile picture).
Your image should prime people how you need to be perceived.
If you’re managing a community of professionals, invest the time and money to have professional pictures taken. That’s worth the investment.
If you’re managing a community where caring, compassion, and enthusiasm are important, find the right image to match. We don’t spend nearly as much time selecting the right picture as we should.
Here’s a useful rule of thumb. If someone with the image you’re about to select was about to tell you something, what do you think they would say?
And update the picture every 2 years. You want to be recognized at events.
Your picture is going to appear alongside every post you create to every member every day. This is an easy one to get right.