More than 80 percent of customers look at a professional’s profile before deciding whether to hire. Your photos, reviews, and Q&A help customers understand who you are and how you operate. Don’t skip these steps — here’s what you should update now, based on feedback from real Thumbtack customers.
- Upload a smiling headshot to your profile photo
- Build up your five-star reviews
- Upload photos and videos showing your work
- Share your background and qualifications
1. Your profile photo: Show your face and personality
Customers want to see the person who will do the work. Upload a high-quality, friendly headshot that shows your face. Avoid using a logo — it’s less relatable.
If you’re taking your own profile photo:
- Wear simple clothing in natural colors.
- Take the photo in front of a plain wall with a window next to it.
- During the day, turn off the lights to let the natural light do the work.
- Hold the camera slightly higher than eye level and snap your shot.
Whether they’re hiring you for the day or a month, customers want a sense of who they’re working with— and your profile photo is your chance to make a strong first impression. Pros with a profile photo are hired 62 percent more often than those who don’t.
See examples of great profile photos and tips on how to upload your own. Sounds like a lot of work? Hire a photographer to take a great photo for you.
2. Your reviews: What do real people say about your work?
“It’s so important to read reviews from customers whose projects are similar to mine,” says Bret, who renovated his kitchen using Thumbtack.
Make sure you ask for a review from every satisfied customer. A great review can be worth much more in the long-term than the original job that led to that review. If you’re new to Thumbtack, you can get reviews from past customers to help you get your footing.
Get better reviews with this article on How to Go the Extra Mile for 5-Star Reviews.
3. Your work: Prove that you’re as good as they say
Upload videos and photos that show the range of work you’ve done in the past, especially if you have before-and-after photos that prove you can get the job done. 98 percent of hires on Thumbtack go to pros who have at least one photo or video in their media section.
“The things you include on your Thumbtack profile should be the best of the best. Everything else should go on your website to show your range,” says Albert Benichou, who runs a multimedia company on Thumbtack.
Upload new photos and videos to your profile using this article from Thumbtack’s Help Center.
4. Your background: Are you qualified for the job?
When customers look at your profile, they want to understand if you’re experienced, professional, and pleasant to work with. Just keep your message short and clear.
“I always read the first paragraph of the profile bio. If I’m busy, I’ll skip everything after that,” says Thumbtack customer Laura A.
You can also show customers that you’re qualified for the job by including information on licensing, certifications and background checks on your Thumbtack profile.
Many professions that are on Thumbtack require you to have a license―but not all. Regardless, pros with a background check on their profile are 44 percent more likely to be hired than pros without one.
Register any licenses or certifications so they’re displayed on your Thumbtack profile. Check out Thumbtack Top Pro Rachel Grahmann’s ‘About this pro’ section for more writing inspiration.
Ready for even more tips? See this article on What Customers Really Want: 4 Secrets to Getting Hired on Thumbtack.
