Increase Your Online Trust Factor With A Gravatar!
ByA few days ago, I was having a conversation with a friend about Blog comments and I mentioned Gravatars. His reply: “What the heck is a Gravitar!”
Well I’m glad he asked, because it reminded me that a few months ago I didn’t know what one was either. I mean like what a strange word for a start. When you break it down, it actually does make sense though.
Globally Recognized Avatar = G-R-Avatar.
Ok so now we’re done with the jargon, lets talk about how it can benefit your efforts online.
Why Do You Need One?
By having an Avatar (that’s the nice photo of you that shows up next to your name on blog posts) that is globally recognized, you’ll essentially be increasing your visibility every time you post a comment.
As many blogs will allow you to include your website URL when you post, you will vastly increase your chances of someone clicking on your name if you have an Avatar with a real photo.
Many Word Press blogs have native support for Gravatars so that when you post a comment, you are required to enter your email address. The software then checks your email address to see if you have a Gravatar associated with it.
If you do, your comment will automatically include your photo. If you don’t, you’ll need to go through the cumbersome chore of creating one every time you post.
Posting as a guest on someone’s Blog without a Gravatar is equivalent to turning up at a party with a pair of dark sunglasses on!
Whilst this might create curiosity if you’re the coolest looking dude at a party, online it’s a whole different ball game.
As many blogs allow you to include your website URL when you post, you will vastly increase your chances of someone clicking on your name if you have a real photo there. Oh and a genuine, authentic comment goes without saying :)
How Do I Create One?
It’s soo incredibly simple. Watch the video below and then click here to get one for free right now!
As with any Social Networking site, use a great photo and make sure it’s actually YOU!
I love my 4 legged friends too but those pics are best saved for Facebook :)
Anyone else been showing up on the Social Networks with an ‘auto generated’ Disney Avatar like I was?
I would love to hear your comments.
A great post on a really cool topic. Visual is the way of attraction marketing. We are a dominantly visual species (when compared to text) and it takes visual representation to help a person feel connected to another. That’s where gravatars come in, essentially helping us get world-wide (web) recognition. That also gives us more continuity between various sites/etc at a glance. I’m loving my new gravatar!
Kimberly Castleberry
Thanks Kimberly. You are so right about us being a ‘visual species’. I’ve just found it interesting that even some really great marketers are posting in blogs with a ‘ghost’ avatar. Nice to see your Gravatar by the way!
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Hey Mark,
How nice of you to drop by!
I have two questions for you…
1. Did you read the post you have just commented on? Because from this end, your Gravatar looks like the Disney characters I describe in my post.
2. While you were here, did you happen to see this post:
http://www.michaele-harrington.com/network-marketing/how-not-to-lose-credibility-on-the-social-media-sites
M :)
This is great information. I know that I always prefer to see a real picture of someone rather than a cartoon or blank figure.
Now I’m not sure if my pics show up when I post everything, but they will after this one!
Thanks again,
Sandy Abrams
Sandy Abrams´s last blog ..Soy may reduce diabetes risk in overweight women
Hey Sandy,
Thanks for stopping by.
I do still have a few people showing up here with cartoon pics and yours is one of them :(
Hopefully thats changed now for you and you have gone off and created a Gravatar!
Michaelé
Aloha Michaele,
I love how you explained that it is important to use a Gravatar to increase your trust factor. I don’t think I have ever seen it explained like that. This is so true…a picture speaks a thousand words.
When you see a picture of the commentator, you feel connected, like you are talking to them.
Mahalo (thank you) for your explanation and for showing eveyone how to obtain a Gravatar.
Aloha,
Kellie
Kellie Hosaka´s last blog ..MY PRIVATE AND VERY PERSONAL ADDICTION TO FOOD
Kellie,
Likewise! I see your picture and I feel instantly connected.
Something that is a little less easy to do with a Disney character :)
Michaelé
Aloha Michaele,
Thank you for teaching me the jargon…I got it…I love learning this whole new language. LOL to the dude who shows up to the party with his sunglasses on. That is funny!
Great article and thank you for sharing :)
Make it a great day!
Shannon Tecson
Shannon,
Wonderful to see that you are not the ‘dudette’ stopping by with your sunglasses on!
Lovely Gravatar by the way.
Michaelé
Thank you Michaele! I’m learning step by step! ;-)
Hey Annette,
Glad you enjoyed the info. Do you have a Gravatar yet?
Let me know if I can help if you are just getting started.
Michaelé
Network Marketing is a very good way to promote your products in a short period of time.;’:
Michaele, Great post! I find the Gravatar welcome page a bit goofy. I couldn’t find enough feathers for a real headdress, had to resort to an illustration. Thanks for sharing.
Hey Chief,
I haven’t been to the Gravatar site in a while but I’ll be sure to check for goofiness next time lol.
Feathers or no feathers, great to see you have a picture anyway!
Michaelé
Thanks, Michaele. I’m in the process of publishing an eBook about taking the mystery out of setting the right size for Gravatars and images for Facebook and Twitter. I’ll let you know when it is hot off the press.
Hi Chief,
Since Facebook and other sites keep altering their image sizes, I’d say you have quite a chore ahead of you!
I would love to know when your ebook is done.
Michaelé
Hi Michaele,
Yes, a bit of a moving target but the general principles are the same. I’ll keep you in the loop when the book is ready. Sooner than later is the plan. BTW, I referenced this post in another blog and it eventually got retweeted on Twitter.
Hi Chief,
Thanks so much for referencing my post!
Definitely let me know when your e-book is ready to be released :)
Michaelé
This is insightful. I never thought of it being beneficial. I thought people would take your blog less seriously with gravatar. Thanks for sharing and I will have to look into getting one.
Hey Arabia,
Let me know when your gravatar is up and running and I will edit your comment here so that is shows your pic.
Michaelé