Do Headshots Belong Business Cards?

Preface: Before AM Branding, I was entirely focused on photography, specializing in corporate headshots/portraits. Needless to say this is a fun topic for me, but I will come right out and say this now - I do not blindly recommend everybody put their headshots on every business card.

That said, let’s explore.

Business cards are more than just a method to provide contact info. They’re proof that a real, human interaction happened. And in an age where digital connections can be forgotten as quickly as they’re created, a card is a physical reminder that you transcended the digital realm. When used properly, the business card tangible proof you shared a true human connection, something that is becoming less available, and increasingly craved.

It’s also a branding tool. Just like your website, logo, and LinkedIn photo - the look and feel of your card can say a lot about you - from your industry to your role. So it’s important to consider what you want to say.

Are you in tech? Maybe your card includes a sleek QR code that launches your digital profile. But if your clients are more traditional, that might feel cold or confusing—and signal you may not quite understand them and their needs.

Or consider an attorney. Compared to tech, as a whole, people tend to see the law as more “buttoned up” - in fact if you saw someone a a tech company wearing a suit to work, that would stand out as much as someone working at a law firm wearing a T Shirt to the office. So maybe your business card deserves some polish, whether in the ply, the material itself, or embossed print. The decision for how to design your card is one thing, but not the thing we are looking at.

So… should your business card have your headshot on it?

Short Answer, It Depends

Trust me, the headshot photographer in me wants to say yes, and in many cases, I do think it’s a great idea. But just like with the headshots themselves, context is everything.

The more dialed-in you are to your brand, your audience, and how business actually finds its way to you, the more confidently you’ll know if a headshot fits.

Use a Headshot If:

• You are the brand.
  Coaches, consultants, solo creatives—if people hire you specifically, a headshot helps them remember who made that impression.

• You’re meeting lots of people fast.*
  Think: conferences, networking events, trade shows. A photo gives visual recall in the stack of 50 cards someone goes home with.

Skip the Headshot If:

• Your value doesn’t hinge on you personally.
  If you’re part of a larger company and not the face of the brand, the focus should likely stay on the business—not the individual.

• Your audience is old fashioned
  For certain professionals, that might seem a little trendy since they’ve been doing things their way for so long.

A Deeper Look

Since context is better understood with examples, I’m including examples for both my headshot business, State Street Headshots and AM Branding Agency.

Ironically, I deemed both my headshot business and the branding agency to be better suited without a headshot, using the physical real estate on the card to create a strong, creative message.

For goodambranding.com, the text says “New Business Is Just Beyond The Horizon”, and below that is a yellow line with my contact info. Effectively, the yellow serves as the “horizon”, and you might say that contacting me is the first step towards new business.

For State Street Headshots, I wanted to show my best work, and any headshot photographer will tell you - it’s far easier to photograph someone else than to stage a headshot of yourself. So I opted to use one of my favorite headshots that captures the elegance, honesty, and fun you can expect from my sessions and the results.

Final Thoughts:

Branding decisions are typically dependent on context, and the question of headshots on business cards is no exception. Choosing to include headshots on the business card is a decisions that could go either way for a given audience and the circumstances of the interaction.

The best thing you can do is stock up on both, and use the business cards with headshots at events with a lot of faces to remember, and use the more classic business card in settings where there is time for the interaction to go deeper than a quick 5 minute chat.

BONUS:

*Last week, I had the pleasure of hearing Ross Fishman - a 30 year expert in the field of legal marketing - speak about this exact topic. I’m excited to share that along with the general suggestions above, he specifically mentioned the idea of having multiple cards depending on context - using the idea of having a unique “conference card” for trade shows etc., where interactions can easily blend in a crowded day. Ross, I couldn’t agree more!

A couple tips Ross shared that I feel are worth forwarding along (with his permission):

• Divvy up your cards so you have them wherever you go. Backpacks, pockets, gym bags, brief case, glove boxes.

• Get a QR Code Card as a supplement, not a replacement - the physical card increases recall

• Get a card you can write on to add notes