Pimp yourself: Get a Gravatar!

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Disclosure: I am not paid by Automattic to write this! But you can bet, I wouldn’t say no if they did, ;)

One of the things I’ve learned since I’ve become involved in social media is that it’s SUPER important to be recognised. Let me stress this again: It is SUPER SUPER SUPER important to be recognised on different platforms (if you are serious about building your online identity). You put a face to your Twitter, your Facebook, your Foursquare.. whatever it may be. But you know what, it doesn’t end there.

What about blogs. You read blogs, right? You might even write one! And you comment on blogs. So here’s the thing. Us bloggers or social media users interact with a huge amount of people every day. On our blogs and elsewhere on the web. And most of the time it’s very difficult to remember names. That’s why we put a face to our names. It leaves a permanent impression. And we think, aaaaah.. I remember you!

So here’s my advice to you. If you comment on blogs, websites, forums etc. put a face to your name. I’ll get to the “Why do I need to do this” part later on but let’s take one step at the time.

What is a Gravatar?

Gravatar is short for “Globally Recognized Avatar”. It’s a hosted avatar service for profile pictures. In simple speak that means, you tie a picture of yourself, a logo, product (anything really!) to an email address. Hence, whenever you leave a comment anywhere on the web with said email address, the picture will appear next to your name. It’s MAGIC.

For the more schizophrenic among us who frequently comment with different Email addresses, it’s still MAGIC. You can set up several Email addresses and use the same or different pictures for each one.

Why do you need one?

It really doesn’t matter if you comment to voice your opinion or if you have a hidden agenda, like encouraging others to visit your site or even promote a product/service (Be careful with promoting in the comment section of blogs. Subtlety is key. No jokes!), you should have an avatar next to your name. Here’s why:

For one, and I’m being totally selfish here and speak for many other bloggers, it’s SO much easier for us to recognise you if there’s a pretty face next to your name. Even though we sometimes show off our exceptional super powers, remembering Email addresses is usually not one of them.

That’s just a fancy little side effect that makes it easier for the bloggers. But most of you don’t care about making it easier for the blogger. Rightfully so. But there are about a billion (total exaggeration!) reasons why YOU should have one, for your own sake.

• A gravatar makes your comment stand out more. People can relate to you, because there’s a face. Human nature plays a big part in this. People are just more likely to remember you if there’s a face to your name. Also, people respond a lot better to faces than they do to faceless names.
  
• Your comments will seem more credible and don’t end up in the Spam section quite as often. I don’t have proof for that BUT I know that a lot of serious comments on my blog end up in Spam that don’t have a Gravatar. I’ve only ever noticed ONE comment that had an avatar to end up in the Spam section.
  
• A picture often says more than 1000 words and even though the picture is small it’s still an opportunity to show off your company logo, your face, product.. whatever it may be. You can even use funny pictures. Just something that makes you different to the others. Think about it from a promotion stand point of view.
  
• If you are serious about building and maintaining an online identity, a Gravatar can’t be avoided. Think “personal branding”. (BTW, I think that expression is way too overrated and often misunderstood, but in this instance it’s fitting!)

Still not convinced? Think brand recognition, building awareness, building relationships.. All of which are way easier to do if there’s a face to your name.

How do I get a Gravatar?

Now, that’s the easy part. In other words, it’s easy-peezy. You go to Gravatar.com, sign up, upload a picture and GO.

Some tips for using your Gravatar:

• Try to remember what Email address you registered. If you like to comment but use different Email addresses on different sites, register more than one Email address. (Yes, that’s possible! You don’t need more than one account for it!)
• Remember, that your Gravatar will only appear if you used your Email address correctly!
• If you are an individual, I recommend to use a nice picture of yourself.
• If you represent a brand/company use the logo.
• Don’t change your Gravatar too often. It’s irritating for people if you change it up too often.

Have I convinced you? Are you going to get yourself a Gravatar or are you going to remain faceless? What are your general thoughts on Gravatars and the ability to be recognised on multiple platforms? The comment section is yours!

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