Why Do I Need To Create My Own Gravatar?

Today, we are bombarded with images on the internet. The more we see an image over and over on blogs and forums, the more likely we’ll become familiar with that image and also the more curious we’ll become as to what’s behind that image. A person is far more likely to recognize an image as opposed to a name, so that’s where using a gravatar for your business comes in.

What is a Gravatar?

Gravatar stands for Globally Recognized Avatar. It is globally recognized because millions of people and websites use them. Most popular applications like WordPress have built-in support for Gravatar. When a user leaves a comment (with email) on a site that supports Gravatar, it pulls their Globally Recognized Avatar from Gravatar servers. Then that picture is shown next to the comment. This allows each commenter to have their identity through out the world wide web.

What is an Avatar?

An icon or figure representing a particular person in computer games, Internet forums, blogs etc.

Why Should I add Gravatar?

If you want to be identified on the web, then you should be using a gravatar. If you are a blogger, non-profit, small business, or anyone who wants to build a brand, then you need to start using gravatar. Chances are you read and comment on blogs. At first your gravatar might not get much attention. But if the same person sees your comments (with your gravatar) on numerous sites, they are likely to visit your website or blog to find out more about what’s behind that gravatar.

How can I get a Gravatar?

It’s simple and it’s free. Go to Gravatar’s website. Signup with the email that you use the most often to comment. Once you set up your account, add all your email addresses to your account. Add an avatar to represent you (it has to be square so take that into consideration when creating your gravatar). This could be a picture of you, your company’s logo, or something unique. Because you want your gravatar to become recognizable, you don’t want to change it very often. So set it and forget it.

Unlike your profile picture, which I spoke about in Episode #2, it is wise to use your logo as your gravatar because it will never change. If you were to use a photo of yourself, you would need to update it as your looks change over the years, therefore, you would lose your recognizable identity when commenting on blogs and forums.

Here is what my gravatar looks like…..

It’s another tool in your brand-building belt, plus it’s quick and easy, so get yours today!

Tagged as: blogs, business identity