BABY - Does having a baby in your profile photo increase your chances of selling OTO in your WSO?

No. Not necessary

If this is the latest in sales marketing is pretty disgusting.

Hell yes I would definitely say it helps if anything. Just from my background in psychology. Whether its "disgusting" or not, it still adds a strong personal element to your marketing.

I just got done visiting some womans website, she had a picture of her and her family smiling, I immediately noticed my mood getting "lighter". Like "wow, this persons a human being". Even if logic tells me it was put there to manipulate me, emotions are emotions. Its usually the first emotion thats triggered, that dominates a persons state. Theres actually a name for this effect in psychology, just don't remember it. Secondary emotions most of the time are ignored. Humans are weird like that.

Plus when you really think about it, business is business. Whats wrong with using your kid to get more business (ESPECIALLY IF you're using that money to feed the kid)? People like to play dress up when they take pictures, tv hosts put makeup on, its all deceptive, but people still do it. Thats reality for you.

ps. Its important to note that 1 picture should not have that significant an influence on conversions. It could probably raise them by a small amount, but there are far too many confounding variables to consider. What if your child has red hair, black eyes, freckles, and an evil smile? But if things are positioned properly (its always about positioning) then yes, I'd say it would help.

This could be the next fiverr gig.

"Fake babies for hire" - $5

I have nothing against people doing this that are genuine, but doing this as a marketing tactic to simply to increase conversions is "disgusting".

I'm off to make babies.

Of course it won't most of the people that join this forum are single males.... and we can give two crap about your kids. Lets be honest....

Once remember Frank Kern mentioning it in a video. He had a pic of him with his wife and kids because he wanted to be portrayed as a family man.

He went on to say the family man image is a lot more trusting than say without the family.

Me personally, it wouldn't even register with me. I like to think I can see through all that.

James Scholes

Might work if you're targeting women. Doesn't do anything for me.

Pictures of Dad's with babies aren't designed to affect you at a rational, logical level.

Selling is an emotional thing and it's been shown over and over again that we prefer to buy from people that we like and we're genetically pre-programmed to like a family man more than the same guy without his family around him.

There are lots of people saying, "That doesn't work on me." That's the logical side of your brain talking and, I hate to be the one to break it to you, but it's secondary to the emotional side of your brain.

Clearly you're not going to buy horse dung at $1k a pound just because someone has a photo of themselves holding a baby but I can guarantee you it'll help you self justify a purchase that you've decided you want on an emotional level.

Interesting question coming from someone who is blatantly using a stock photo of a woman as their avatar

Not new. When I was a child (and I'm best described as mature now) a certain door-to-door religious group always brought a small child with them. Presumably to stop you slamming the door in their face.

Some interesting views guys and gals from both sides of the fence. It would be bad if warriors used their babies for more financial gain. On the other hand, the genuine warriors aren't doing it intentionally. I was looking at some previous WSO's I purchased and the interesting thing was that 3 out of 5 product owners had photos with their babies.

Mind you looking at WiiR, April, John, Red, James and Andy (plus others) who have all been highly successful and are well respected in IM with just their normal photo or in Andy's case a drawing of himself.

WiiR, when do you have time to make babies, your busy working 24/7.....lol
When can I expect to see a powerful proven blueprint of making money online (WSO)? I await eagerly.

Cheers

Now we are going to see a big increase in the number of prelaunch pages....

"WSO launches in 6 months...

Just waiting for my baby so I can include him in my profile photo."

When I see photos of Dads or Moms for that matter with a baby, it doesn't do anything to persuade me that the product is worthy or that the seller is more reputable. They may be or they may not be. I judge the product alone and am not persuaded by baby photos. Some of the world's most heinous criminals have been parents.

It has the opposite effect on me. I'm a skeptic. When I see family photos being used as marketing pieces, I automatically am put off. My mind tells me that they're using a family to look respectable or credible, so watch out. A lot of the flogs that came around used that tactic and I instantly have a negative reaction to this marketing ploy. A product that is good enough to stand on it's own, doesn't need a family photo behind it.

Doesn't work for me at all
Even I don't care about a profile picture

I guess it depends on whether the person seeing the picture considering babies 'cute'. I think that not everyone feels warmth in his heart when they see a baby, much like not everyone goes OHHH when they see a cute cat.

interesting question... The profile pic might have a little influence over your subconscious mind but is not that important.. after all u know how many fake profiles, display photos and names out there when people are just in the market for money?

my 2 cents.. no offense to anyone~ chill~

your profile pic is part of your personal branding.
Same as your username
and your language

This works first on a sub conscious level.

Any man looking at a pretty women smiling, step back and tell me honestly that it doesn't get your attention for at least a second longer.
Any face smiling, will tend to lighten your mood.

Ditto for a sad face crying, or an aggressive or dark picture.

How do you think Hollywood films and magazines and adverts work?

We are all animals and we judge heavily on what we see - it's a primal reaction to look for danger, sex and food.
You can say it makes no difference on you, but you aren't aware of what your sub conscious does. That's what the "sub" word means ;-)

But it isn't just babies.

Every one who has combed their hair for their avatar photo is trying to "appeal".

People who use their hot girlfriends, or sadly not so hot (yep sexist - and that's why we are drawn in to this).

Avatar photos can also put people off.

I was on a site the other day. Was totally bowled over by the authority of the content.
Read with glee. About to buy the book.
Then I saw his avatar - a fat balding ugly man who looked like he lived off macdonalds.

I'm not complaining. That's how I see myself too. (except I know I don't eat macdonalds).

The point is my feeling of authority for him, went out the window.

Anyone who uses a picture of them in the FORCES (a fire man, soldier)
anyone showing their girlfriend, or baby, or in a crowd of celebrities,
anyone showing themselves in a luxurious environment.

these are all "status symbols" hey look at me and how great I am and what I have, or how I served my country a decade ago.

If you think it doesn't work, tell me if you are not put off by a mad looking women with wide eyes who could be your lavender smelling aunt

(no offence to lavender smelling aunts - I am one - oh no hang on - I'm sure I was related to one once)
the point is, do you expect your aunt to give you brain surgery?
Do you expect her to be an expert in marketing?
NO you expect her to be an expert in "cookies".
Her "image" represents her authority.
Comb her hair, stick her in a white coat with a stethoscope, remove the lavender smell and add glasses - and pop me on the table with a black and decker multi speed !

That's how judgmental on "looks" we are.

I challenge anyone to not look differently at a person with a disfigured face, such as second degree burns.

A friend of mines cousin has no face muscles (some birth condition).
She gets taunted and stared at every time she goes out. Not just by children. But by adults. Shop keepers. Every one.

She looks like shes in pain all the time (she isn't) you just can't help whincing.
And it takes a few moments to get past that to the vibrant, fun loving, confident, happy women that she is. Most people will NEVER give her those few moments!
They would never buy from her true avatar!

Tell me looks do not matter now!
Tell me you would buy a WSO from her?

Of course you would. You should. But only on a second passing.
Your first pass would be OMG what's that. Your spine would shudder.
OMG look. OMG horrible.
Then logic and humanity would kick in and you'd go
"ah there's a person inside"
then you'd start to listen to her message and decide on WHAT she had to say, not how she said it (she may slur her speech as well, or have a lisp or a stammer) or how she "looked".

but that's on a second pass, if you even get there.

The point is, an "attractive" smiling face, would not have had to go through those hurdles.

In marketing, we use whatever devices we can to get our message across as effortlessly and fast as we can. We have 7 seconds to make up peoples minds. I know you've heard that before.

And yes sure! I get endless complaints about my fake carton avatar and I know I lose business over it.
But I'm a private person.
I have deep confidence issues over my looks.
But I don't want to be judged on how I look, but how I live and what I stand for.

You say that avatar branding doesn't impact you?
Tell me honestly when you looked at my avatar you didn't think
"who is this joker" (exchange for expletive).

But for me my cartoon avatar is better than the real me.
You'll judge it less.
I'd rather be a "joker" than something else.

By appearing with a baby, or a hot girlfriend, or in a I served my country uniform, that would be a disguise - just like my cartoon.
Or I could go for a glamour shot like Perry Beltcher, where they caught the nobility in his chin.

I know it works because every time I see Brad Gosse avatar with a totty on each arm, I think jammy bloke - and I "know" he is married, and that they were paid. I "KNOW" that and still I think "I wish that was me". And I "KNOW" they were paid.

Tell me again that imagery on your personal brand does not matter ?!

Politicians kiss babies in photo shoots all the time. i wonder why that is, they can't vote yet ;-)
Why do you think they "air brush" all model and actor shots?
Why do you iron your clothes?

Because we care what people think about us, and the start of that comes from "how we look".
Your avatar is part of your personal brand and a part of how you are perceived.

Sure, some people will get past that, give you a "second" chance.
Others don't need a second chance because they get their avatar picture right (uniforms, hot girlfriends, exotic places, babies, smiling, healthy teeth and hair).

Looks change peoples perceptions. Don't doubt it for a moment!

Peter

Psychologically speaking it has some effect, whether it be great or small. It is a well known fact that it is almost virtually impossible for someone to hang up on a telemarketer who is smiling, happy and cheerful on the other end... at least for the first 10 seconds. That excitement gives the telemarketer that extra 10 second boost he or she needs to grab the attention of the prospect.

Same goes with the picture. Whether it is a picture of a baby, someone smiling, or people having a happy family moment, it is virtually impossible for any normal person to just hardheartedly skip over that picture without any emotion. They are going to look at it and feel something. The point is that extra 5 or 10 seconds in the beginning is what is needed for the salesman to grab the attention of the prospect, and if the picture is so exciting that it grabs their attention and keeps them on the page for an extra 5 seconds, then it did its job.

Yeh "virtually impossible" is a phrase you want to stay away from in marketing lol.

You can use words like "common" or "happens most of the time", but a lot of people hear "virtually impossible" as "impossible".

I do the same thing with telemarketers myself. I hate them. They can have the happiest voice in the world, my excuse is always "I'm waiting for my dr to call, can you call back at 10pm?" (you have to say it fast). They never call back lol.

Best way to find out is by TESTING.

So I'm testing. I'll let you know about the
boost in sales.

-Ray Edwards

sex sells...
now babies sell

Smiling, sexy women increase conversions. Not just profile pics but on product covers as well.

I didn't ever think that way. Ya, this strategy might have an impact upon at least few prospect customer's mind.

I tend to react negative to attempts to manipulate me. Still, you can use children if the product is for those who are very young. For example, if you are selling tricycles to parents, I would probably include pictures of smiling children in the copy. Be careful as you might turn off more people than you turn on.

A college professor once told me that he was trying to sell kites and he had several ads with children in em. Well, one ad did super and the other ad did worse than using no pic. He said that the ad which sold lots of kites had your typical suburban smiling kids with dad and mom. The ad that did poor was edgy and has some "inner city" juveniles that were angry.

Babies, no. Babes, yes.

My youngest son is 14...mmm...looks like I will have to make a new baby...going to notbealonebutgetahotsingleandmakeanewbaby dot com.

This post has to be the funniest I have read and literally LOL! Personally, when I first read this, I thought no way.....people are usually very proud and humble of their children and instead of posting a photo of themselves (boring) why not their beautiful children. NOW, however it may appear as another marketing scheme.....hummmm......

Buying from user with normal profile photo or children profile photo don't make any change for me. I only hope this is not a technique to achieve that result, because in this case it is simply disgusting.

Try with kittens and doggies, probably they will work more better

See you soon,
Alessandro

I would look at the product, not at the profile picture... some [only some] people are even using fake pictures in their profiles...

i think its pretty cheesy to do that, however i think the main reason people do it is not just to get emotion from you , its to say i am not gonna scam or rip you off as i have a family!

My partner would never let me show pics of our kids to the kind of people you get here on the Forum

I think a lot of wsos are targeting single young (and not so young) men who are chasing cash, and I guess aspiring to a certain lifestyle.

Showing pics of you, having fun with your kids and/or a smiling partner says 'hey, I'm succesful, I'm content and I have it all.'

Another similar phenomenon I've noticed recently is the number of beautiful young ladies who appear to be providing the most mundane link-building and seo services on Fiverr...

@Rossy - Great idea for a post man

It depends on the target market.

A few years back one of the truck companies (I looked but couldn't find the video) ran a commercial with a 'tough' guy in his truck. The truck was all dirty, etc... He pulls up in the parking lot of a store and opens the back seat. We are all thinking he'll be getting tools/supplies/etc and instead he gently lifts his sleeping child out and we see the store is actually a toy store. He is just taking his child to the toy store.

I'm a dad. I love trucks. I have four kids. The commercial worked for me. It all depends on the target market, as always....

Hey Guys, many thanks. I'm really impressed with the quality input on this thread from all of you.

I was going through all the IM products I purchased and around 80% had a photo of a Dad and a child. So psychologically we are programmed/automatically attracted to buy. It's 'subliminal marketing'. I cannot comment on how this affects others but it certainly had an affect on me.

Please remember there are a large number of genuine marketers out there who don't use a photo of their baby for marketing purposes.

WiiR, Jill and a whole lot of others- where do you get your wit and humour from. I was in stitches with the funny posts.

Pictures of attractive people also seem to help!
:-)

I think this doesn't only apply to baby photos it applies to any photos. because our eyes responds to image and it gives us the mental picture of something we might have encountered that has touched our emotions or it could give us something traumatic.

Anyway, my point is that desired audience and the right image could stimulate your target market.