Should You Smile In Your Profile Photo? Here's What Research Shows
Whether you are building a personal brand or trying to connect on a dating site, your profile photo expression changes how people perceive you. The most common question is, should I smile in my profile photo? And, if I do, should it be a little smile or a big, toothy grin? Here's what the research shows…
A study just published in the Journal of Consumer Research looked at the effect of smiles in Airbnb host photos by analyzing eight months of transaction data for nearly ten thousand U.S.-based hosts. The researchers found that Airbnb hosts who smile in their profile photos saw a 3.5% increase in booking demand. That may seem like a modest gain, but for the average host that translates to an additional $673 in annual revenue—just by smiling!
The smile effect isn't uniform across all hosts. For male hosts, smiling boosted bookings by a whopping 8.7%, while for female hosts, the effect wasn't statistically significant. That's because there's already greater uncertainty when interacting with male hosts (who are generally perceived as less warm). A smile helps to overcome this uncertainty.
The researchers, led by Shunyuan Zhang, then conducted a series of controlled, online experiments to confirm that smiling creates a "halo effect" that improves perceptions of both warmth and competence.
The experiments employed subject counts ranging from 400 to 1,600 and served to establish the causal relationship between smiling and increased bookings. They also confirmed the underlying psychological mechanism.
The Airbnb findings aren't surprising when you consider research from other platforms. According to data from PhotoFeeler, a website that crowdsources photo ratings, smiling with visible teeth in LinkedIn photos significantly increases perceptions of competence, influence, and likability. They suggest avoiding huge, laughing smiles. These can reduce perceived competence and influence.
Smiling may even help you get more connections. One study analyzed tens of thousands of LinkedIn profile photos and found that individuals with 500 or more connections had significantly higher 'smile scores' than those with fewer. Of course, that's correlation, not causation. Perhaps the smiling people are happy because they are more popular?
Interestingly, the gender divide in smiling effectiveness appears across other platforms too. Dr. Jess Carbino, a sociologist who has worked at dating apps like Tinder and Bumble, says that smiling profile photos lead to significantly more right swipes. An often quoted but perhaps apocryphal statistic quantifies that improvement at 14%.
There is a difference, though, between the best smiles for men and women. A study from the relationship app Hinge found that women smiling and showing teeth were 76% more likely to get a like compared to those smiling without teeth. On the other hand, men smiling but not showing teeth fared better. They were 43% more likely to get a like than those with tooth-baring smiles.
Not all smiles are the same. The best profile photos feature a Duchenne smile that involves the eyes ... More as well as the mouth.
Smiling isn't just about looking happy—it triggers psychological responses in viewers:
Before you paste on your biggest grin, know that authenticity matters. Research consistently shows that genuine smiles (known as Duchenne smiles, which involve the eyes) outperform forced smiles.
To be effective, a smile should not be exaggerated or forced. It should, however, involve the whole face. 'Crow's feet,' those wrinkles at the corners of one's eyes, may not be attractive but they do signify a true smile as opposed to a pasted-on social smile.
Based on this research, here are some practical takeaways:
In a digital world where we make split-second judgments based on limited information, your profile photo can't be an afterthought. The research is clear: in most contexts, an authentic smile can be your secret weapon for creating positive first impressions that translate into real-world results.
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