Many people regard an exquisite profile picture as essential to making a good impression on social media, which is increasingly pervasive in everyday life.

A photo studio in Zhengzhou, the capital city of China's central province of Henan, recognized a business opportunity there and launched a social media profile photo service last March.

The service, first introduced as a giveaway, offers square-format close-ups taken in their studio, which are suitable to be used as profile pictures on QQ, WeChat and other social media platforms.

Kai, the studio owner, said the service mainly targets young women born in the 1990s, who have brought a boom in business.

However, the offering has recently shown signs of decline, as many consumers wanting a profile picture find the price of 199 yuan (US$31) a little high up against the prospect of getting a free one.

According to the owner, it takes no more than 20 minutes to shoot a standard profile photo priced at 100 yuan (US$16), while taking a more customized picture that meets individualized demands requires at least an hour.

Kai insisted that the price is reasonable and said the studio also plans to upgrade their service to expand the market.

Instead of delivering overly-retouched or artsy photos, the service aims at providing people with pictures that present a natural and positive self-image for the purposes of building social networks, the owner explained.

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)