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Jan 02 2023

A Big Blogger Mistake: Make Sure You Have This

 

[Note: I am revising this previously posted post – this is still very valid and relevant – it is good advice to follow!]

 

One of the biggest mistakes that I see that Website Owners make is hurting their online credibility. Correcting this issue is easy enough and can be done quickly. Why do people make this mistake? I think it is just because they are not aware that it is a problem!

You might be asking yourself, “What is he talking about?” I am talking about having a Gravatar.

What is a Gravatar?

Every blogger needs to have an Avatar! An avatar is an image that gets placed whenever you leave a comment on someone else’s website and is also visible when you reply back to a comment left on your website. Simply put, it is your picture that gets plastered all over the web when you interact with others.

Why is this important? You want to be visible. If nothing else, you want to create a brand for yourself. You want people to start to identify with who you are whenever they see your picture.聽 Your avatar should be an important part of your online presence.

As an example, when I left a comment over on Ellen Brit’s Marketing Qi site, my comment appears like this:

What is a gravatar? This image shows an example of a gravatar.

You can see my smiling face appear when I comment. When someone leaves a comment and does NOT have an avatar set up, a default one is assigned:

ANother eaxample that answers the question, "what is a gravatar?"
Sorry, Alexandra, I don’t mean to pick on you for not having an avatar! To make it up to you, I will be happy to get you set up with one – I’ll do the work for you!

So back to the question, “what is a gravatar?” That little image that magically appears… THAT is a gravatar!

To have your avatar get displayed when you comment all you have you do is create a free account over at Gravatar.com. Here is the Big Secret to remember… When you add your email account, that is the email you will have to use when commenting on someone’s blog. When you comment on someone’s blog, you need to include your Name, your Email Address, and your Website. Make sure the Email Address you enter is the one that is associated with your Gravatar account.

The next time you are at a party, ask the person you are next to if they have a gravatar! When they ask you, “What is a gravatar?” you can now answer!

If you have a Gravatar already, please leave a comment so we can see your wonderful picture! If you don’t have one yet, leave a comment telling us when you will be getting one (or why you think you should not have one!)

Written by Paul · Categorized: Blogging Category

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tanya Smith says

    January 16, 2012 at 12:09 pm

    Great post Paul!
    It’s just like all the ‘eggs’ you see on twitter, and logos on facebook posts – always much nicer to see the person behind the comment / tweet / post.

    cheers!
    Tanya

    Reply
    • Paul says

      January 16, 2012 at 3:18 pm

      Absolutely, Tanya! It is easier to connect when you see the face along with the name! Thanks!

      Reply
  2. helen bogun says

    January 16, 2012 at 2:09 pm

    i love gravatar 馃檪
    as you see, paul, i have already an account with the guys. and it is easy.
    unfortunately not all blogs use the links to gravatar.com

    @tanya second your thoughts.
    even if somebody likes an avatar that does not show his/her real face, but you will soon get the connection to the person.

    Reply
    • Paul says

      January 16, 2012 at 3:35 pm

      I agree, Helen. However, a personal picture of oneself (like you have for you!) is always a better image than a sunrise or someone’s cat.

      Reply
      • helen bogun says

        January 16, 2012 at 4:32 pm

        you are right paul.
        being germany based i hear a lot of people expressing a little shyness which can also be called paranoia when it comes to internet.
        the internet won.t forget and the biggest enemy by the moment seems to be facebook.
        people haven.t completely understood the concept of social media.
        so what do they do?
        they try to be as anonymous as possible.
        and for those who know they can.t be completely anonymous, yes the mask behind neighbor.s cat!

        actually they wouldn.t attend the suermarket with a cat mask coz that.s regarded to be inappropriate!

        Reply
  3. Jenny says

    January 16, 2012 at 2:29 pm

    This was something that only recently learned of. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Paul says

      January 16, 2012 at 3:17 pm

      And your gravatar looks great, Jenny!

      Reply
  4. lar says

    January 19, 2012 at 12:53 pm

    well, mine is tad old, but still, I think it’s great shot of me!

    Reply
    • lar says

      January 19, 2012 at 12:56 pm

      oops – had a question too . . . so, the gravitars are email specific . . . so, if I register a different email with different pictures, then i can choose which picture I want to show . . . correct?

      Reply
      • Paul says

        January 19, 2012 at 1:53 pm

        Yes! When you create a free account over at gravatar.com you can add multiple email addresses and assign a different picture for each one.

        When you comment on a blog, just make sure that you use the email address for the image that you want folks to see.

        Most of the time, I use my current avatar (even for multiple email addresses). However, I have a different picture for an email that I use for other purposes (check out the email/avatar that I use on your site.)

        Hope that helps!

        Reply
    • Paul says

      January 19, 2012 at 1:54 pm

      It is… I am just wondering who is on your back! 馃檪

      Reply
  5. Jacqueline Bach says

    January 8, 2015 at 11:57 pm

    Ahhhh….I think mine is my dog.

    Reply
    • Jacqueline Bach says

      January 8, 2015 at 11:58 pm

      Yup! Mine is my late dog. Guess I have to get in that, though I much rather seeing her pretty little face.

      Reply
      • Paul says

        January 9, 2015 at 12:06 am

        Well… you know, Jacqueline, it is always a personal preference. What type of image are you wanting to convey??

        Reply
        • Jacqueline Bach says

          January 9, 2015 at 12:10 am

          I should go with one of my writer pictures, the UBC is the first time I’ve been really branching out and posting lots of comments, so I hadn’t been paying much attention. Thanks for the constant great tips!

          Reply
    • Paul says

      January 9, 2015 at 12:08 am

      Jacqueline the puppy? Hmmm. It is all about your brand! I have an friend who is a marketer and he has branded his dog! He refers to him all the time, “Buddy the Internet Dog.” In that case, it would be ok to have that as your image.

      Reply
  6. Benson Wong says

    January 9, 2015 at 12:19 am

    Just wanted to add that having a face attached to a comment also adds creditability and trust to that comment. It just makes you seem “warmer.”

    Reply
    • Paul says

      January 9, 2015 at 1:43 am

      Excellent point, Benson! Thanks.

      Reply
  7. Patricia says

    January 9, 2015 at 12:26 am

    I’ve had my avator for a looking time!

    Reply
    • Patricia says

      January 9, 2015 at 2:54 am

      Don’t you just love Auto Correct? “looking” should have been “long”.

      Reply
  8. Amy Bovaird says

    January 9, 2015 at 1:43 am

    Paul,

    I think I started a Gravatar account about a year ago but I never check into it and I don’t think I use it. I think my photo comes up, however. I’ll have to check into it.

    Thanks for the great reminder!

    Amy

    Reply
    • Paul says

      January 9, 2015 at 10:32 pm

      You have one here, Amy! Just remember to use an email account that is hooked up with the avatar!

      Reply
  9. Roelfina says

    January 9, 2015 at 3:45 am

    I absolutely agree. Everyone in the blogging community should have an avatar. In real life you want to look at someone when talking. Its a bit the same with commenting on blogging sites: see the person that goes with the comment.

    Reply
    • Paul says

      January 9, 2015 at 10:32 pm

      Who knows… maybe one day there will be ‘Skype’ avatar where you can actually leave a recorded message and see the person!

      Reply
  10. Holly Jahangiri says

    January 9, 2015 at 9:00 am

    Comments left without a Gravatar, on my blog, go straight to moderation. Comments by people who have one, provided they’ve made one previously approved comment, do not.

    I know many sites do not approve comments without Gravatars, period. That ought to be reason enough to get one, right there. I’m not quite that strict, but given what I see in spam, I can see the point. It’s not JUST “credibility” and having a nice face to associate with the name (though that’s a big factor for me), it’s that spambots using throwaway email accounts don’t generally take the time to bother.

    Reply
    • Paul says

      January 11, 2015 at 4:20 pm

      Just be careful… how many pictures have you seen of someone that was taken 10 years ago. Is that credible? Now, let’s take it a step further – what if the avatar is not even them?! And you know that people do that all the time! Plus… When I develop a new website for a client, to help them visualize what the site will look like, I include same blog posts that have same comments. I include comments from ‘people’ with avatars as well as some that do not (just so they get the true feel). Those sample commenters are actually email accounts that *I* have with avatars that I created from purchased head shots! They are DESIGNED to be someone else…

      Reply
      • Name (required) says

        January 11, 2015 at 5:45 pm

        What makes you assume that’s my ONLY anti-spam measure? I’m just giving folks a tip that a lot of bloggers automatically trash all comments without a Gravatar, because many spambots just use throwaway free email accounts and can’t figure out or won’t bother to set up one that even LOOKS human (that’s a whole ‘nother level of fraud). I usually at least glance through the trash quickly, but that’s no guarantee I’ll catch everything and fish it out manually.

        Reply
        • Paul says

          January 11, 2015 at 11:15 pm

          Sorry if it seemed that I was implying that is your ONLY anti-spam measure! Based on your saviness, I would be VERY surprised if that was all you did! LOL!

          Reply
          • Holly Jahangiri says

            January 12, 2015 at 12:28 am

            Indeed. Unfortunately, my “spam bouncer” is currently being such a hard-*** he’s throwing a whitelisted friend into spam daily. I cannot for the life of me figure out what’s got him so touchy. But so far, none of the hackers (and there are many who try) have logged in, and none of the spam’s gotten published.

  11. Roelfina says

    January 9, 2015 at 9:29 am

    I totally agree with you. It’s more like a conversation when you can see someones face with a comment.

    Reply
    • Paul says

      January 9, 2015 at 10:31 pm

      Yes it is, Roelfina!

      Reply
  12. Rachael says

    January 9, 2015 at 10:04 am

    Testing to see if I have one! Thanks for the tip.

    Reply
    • Paul says

      January 9, 2015 at 10:30 pm

      Excellent job, Rachael! You have one!

      Reply
  13. Anita Ojeda says

    January 9, 2015 at 10:38 am

    I have a Gravatar profile, but it doesn’t seem to work for blogger sites–any ideas about that?

    Reply
    • Paul says

      January 9, 2015 at 10:30 pm

      Looks like it is working here, Anita!

      Reply
  14. Doree Weller says

    January 9, 2015 at 10:54 am

    I think I set up my avatar. This will be the official test.

    Reply
    • Paul says

      January 9, 2015 at 10:30 pm

      You have SUCCESS, Doree! Well Done!

      Reply
  15. Bonnie Gean says

    January 9, 2015 at 7:08 pm

    Having an avatar (picture of your face) is a MUST if you wish to get known in a certain circle.

    I’m not talking about a butterfly or a picture of a cartoon — that is not a valid avatar!

    Your face is what matters most! So change the cartoons and the pretty images with an actual face photo and you’re on the right track.

    How can you communicate across the web without a face to attach to your “branding” messages? The answer is — you can’t. 馃檪

    Reply
  16. Heidi says

    January 9, 2015 at 8:01 pm

    I’m always a little suspicious of comments that don’t have an avatar.

    Reply
    • Paul says

      January 9, 2015 at 10:28 pm

      That does not make me suspicious, Heidi! You aren’t using one! I usually think that people do not know about it. Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  17. Heidi says

    January 9, 2015 at 8:03 pm

    And I used the non-avatar email. Wish I could say I was making a point.

    Reply
    • Paul says

      January 9, 2015 at 10:28 pm

      馃檪 Point well taken anyway!

      Reply
  18. Robert says

    March 14, 2015 at 3:04 am

    Paul, are you saying an Avatar has to be a pic of yourself in order to be considered an Avatar? I did not think an avatar had to be an Image of a person. I thought the idea of an Avatar was just to have an image of any type so as to represent you.

    BTW… Just found your blog via the NAMS Workshop Ad and love it.

    Reply
    • Paul says

      March 15, 2015 at 8:20 pm

      Robert – your avatar can be of anything that you want! It can be an image, it can be your pet, Text, anything! However, for the majority of folks, having an avatar with their headshot in it – that is going to bring more ‘legitimacy’ and credibility.

      Will you be at NAMS this week, Robert?

      Reply
  19. Nita says

    January 12, 2019 at 11:21 pm

    Looks like you’ve used this a couple of times, and it’s still great info. Question, when I post a comment, like here I often see my picture (I’ll have to wait until after I post to see for sure), does that mean I have one set up or am I the only one seeing it? Appreciated learning that the same email address needs to be used. So much to learn.

    Reply
    • Nita says

      January 12, 2019 at 11:23 pm

      Okay, my picture does show up. Question is still, just on my computer or always? Also, I hate that picture, can you do a post explaining how to change it?

      Reply
      • Paul says

        July 13, 2019 at 7:59 pm

        It is ‘univseral’ and shows up everywhere! You can change it by logging into Gravatar.com and you can change the picture there!

        Reply
    • Paul says

      July 13, 2019 at 8:00 pm

      Yes – you have one set up since we can all see it! And yes – I originally posted this a while ago and keep updating it! I feel it is THAT important!

      Reply
  20. Doug says

    January 13, 2019 at 12:19 am

    Good to know that the gravitar avitar is linked through my email address. I thought it was connected separately to facebook and wordpress separately. Now that I have several email addresses, How do I check or change my gravitar account? Like my passport, should I update it every ten years?

    Reply
    • Paul says

      July 13, 2019 at 7:56 pm

      You can log in at gravatar.com and you can see which email addresses you are using there as well as the images.

      Reply
  21. Daria says

    January 13, 2019 at 12:38 am

    I forgot all about Gravatar until about a week into the UBC when I realised that my peaceful little simple living blog was represented online by… the Imperial logo from Star Wars. Now, I love Star Wars immensely, but that was not a good look. I fixed it, obviously. It still made me laugh though.

    Reply
    • Paul says

      January 19, 2019 at 11:24 pm

      馃檪

      Reply
  22. Karen says

    January 13, 2019 at 1:02 am

    I learn a lot from these posts. Thanks Paul.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      January 13, 2019 at 1:04 am

      and obviously I do not have my own avatar 馃檨

      Reply
      • Paul says

        July 10, 2019 at 3:29 pm

        Glad to see you have one how!

        Reply
    • Paul says

      July 10, 2019 at 3:29 pm

      You are welcome, Karen.

      Reply
  23. Lesley Dewar says

    January 13, 2019 at 1:09 am

    I have had a Gravatar for years but in earlier times you had to be logged in to WordPress dot com for it to be triggered.
    For that reason I gave it up.
    I refuse to use Discus!

    Now Gravatar is stand alone and it’s a better option.

    Reply
    • Paul says

      January 19, 2019 at 11:24 pm

      That is correct! So what is stopping you from getting one now?

      Reply
  24. Eloise says

    January 13, 2019 at 12:42 pm

    Awesome post!
    Now I’ll get an avatar and everyone will HAVE to see my face… muah haha!
    (I know I should have gotten one before I commented on here, DOH!)

    Reply
    • Paul says

      January 19, 2019 at 11:23 pm

      There is still time to get one!

      Reply
  25. Roy A Ackerman, PhD, EA says

    June 27, 2019 at 7:46 am

    It doesn’t even have to be your smiling face (although that’s a great choice). Your logo, an image that depicts your point of view- whatever you think best represents you is what you need to choose. Not choosing means you get depicted as a blah choice the world makes for you instead.

    Reply
    • Paul says

      June 30, 2019 at 10:09 pm

      Great point, Roy! Choosing your image vs. your logo or some other image all depends on the type of branding you want to do. When people see your gravatar, do you want them to recognize you or your company? It is all about consistency and either answer is a good one.

      Reply
  26. Martha says

    June 27, 2019 at 7:46 am

    I just checked on a previous comment on a blogger and my face is there! My face and I are ready for the challenge to begin!

    Reply
  27. KAREN SAMMER says

    June 30, 2019 at 11:02 pm

    This is one of the lessons I learned from the last challenge. Thanks for the reminder, Paul.

    Reply
  28. Martha says

    May 16, 2021 at 5:06 pm

    I love when people use gravatars Paul. I’m not the greatest at remembering all the bloggers names but I can put a face to the person! I updated my gravatar when Lia started “blogging” with me and I get quite a few comments about her and I being on mine.

    Reply
    • Paul says

      May 29, 2021 at 12:39 pm

      It is a nice thing! How many times have I thought, “I don’t remember their name, but I remember their face!”

      Reply
  29. Brenda Fluharty says

    August 4, 2021 at 9:56 pm

    What a great post. I don’t think some bloggers even think about it. I remember when I first start, writing on WordPress, I had no idea what a gravatar was.

    Reply
    • Paul says

      June 22, 2022 at 11:35 pm

      It’s always nice to discover new stuff. I am glad you like our blog, Brenda!

      Reply
  30. Lydia Carrick says

    August 5, 2021 at 5:29 am

    Gravatar is always something I overlook, but it is a fantastic service. Great post!

    Reply
    • Paul says

      August 5, 2021 at 12:16 pm

      And, in my opinion, a critical component of being recognized online.

      Reply
  31. Pam says

    August 6, 2021 at 5:45 pm

    Great post. Having a gravatar is important to blogging; and practicing visibility too! Letting people see you is part of having a good conversation. Plus it really helps with the know like and trust factor.

    Reply
    • Paul says

      August 22, 2021 at 8:07 pm

      Bingo! You got it, Pam!

      Reply
  32. Kandas says

    January 2, 2023 at 10:29 pm

    Yes! Still good advice even all these years later! Also a good idea to use a current photo. 馃檪

    Reply
    • Paul says

      January 3, 2023 at 9:22 am

      A current photo is always a good idea!

      Reply
  33. Alice Gerard says

    January 2, 2023 at 11:25 pm

    Here you go! My face is now everywhere! That could be a bit frightening, lol.

    Reply
    • Alice Gerard says

      January 2, 2023 at 11:25 pm

      My gravatar didn’t work here. I don’t know why.

      Reply
      • Paul says

        January 3, 2023 at 9:22 am

        Did you register this email that you used?

        Reply
    • Paul says

      January 5, 2023 at 9:24 am

      Lol- nice one, Alice.

      Reply
  34. Doug says

    January 3, 2023 at 12:45 am

    I have a gravatar but it sometimes shows its face in place of mine. I think it depends on how the site verifies me through a login somewhere else.

    Reply
    • Paul says

      January 5, 2023 at 9:33 am

      Oh I hope it gets fixed. Also, it may be possible that it only needs some refreshing. Stay awesome, Doug!

      Reply
  35. Cheryl says

    January 3, 2023 at 7:10 am

    I think I added an avatar a while ago during another UBC based on this post, but it has my blog logo. I know it鈥檚 pretty impersonal. I hate my pictures! How do you get a nice picture that fits into the avatar well?

    I鈥檓 so glad that you reposted this post. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Paul says

      January 5, 2023 at 9:27 am

      No worries! It is okay to use your blog logo as a gravatar. It would be good branding as well. Usually, it would be nice to take a neat-looking picture.

      Reply
  36. Andrea Amador says

    January 3, 2023 at 10:32 am

    Love this blog post. I don’t know how I lost my gravatar image, but your blog post reminded me to do an important update. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Paul says

      January 4, 2023 at 7:14 am

      Glad you were reminded, Andrea! Thank you for your appreciative comment as well.

      Reply
  37. Andrea Amador says

    January 3, 2023 at 10:36 am

    Great tips. I appreciate this information. I didn’t even realize that somewhere along the way I lost the image on my gravatar. Did a quick update thanks to your blog post. Much appreciated.

    Reply
    • Paul says

      January 4, 2023 at 7:16 am

      Thank you for leaving a comment. It was nice to know that my blog reminded you of things. Stay awesome, Andrea!

      Reply
  38. vidya says

    January 4, 2023 at 6:17 pm

    OK! Now let me see if I did have it setup (which I think I have for a while now) and if it works!

    Reply
    • Paul says

      January 5, 2023 at 9:24 am

      It is not a harm to double-check things. Stay awesome, Vidya!

      Reply

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