Include a Picture with Your Blog Comment

People often post comments on my blog, Etiquette Tips & Quips. I love getting feedback and exchanging ideas with the public. That said, I can’t help but feel a twinge of disappointment when the comment is not accompanied by a photo or avatar. I think having a photo—or even your business logo—gives the comment more depth. It gives you a face and an identity, and reinforces the fact that you are a real, legit person or brand, not just some anonymous lurker.

Imagine you’re using Facebook. Would you accept a friend request from someone who did not have a photo, but rather used the stock image of a faceless silhouette? Unless it was a good friend, I seriously doubt it. It feels incomplete and even somewhat threatening. Do you really know who this person is? Are they trying to hide something by not revealing their face? It’s the same with blog comments. A lack of a photo just puts people off.

Having your photo or logo visible when you post a comment also gives you the opportunity to advertise yourself. I have connected with many people because they had nice headshots when they posted comments on my blog. It made it so much easier to start a dialogue with them, and made me want to check out their own blogs.

Gravatar.com is a great tool to use if you’re pressed for time and not as tech-advanced as you’d like. Simply visit their website, start an account, and upload a photo of you (I recommend a nice professional headshot) or your company logo. You can also select a photo from the Internet to be resized and cropped. You can then issue a G rating (certain sites won’t accept avatars that they feel may be adult in content). All you need to do is enter your picture once, and then every time you comment, it posts your picture as well. So easy!

It’s understandable to want a degree of anonymity on the Internet, but, provided your online interactions are civil, adding a photo or avatar can help you promote your business and direct traffic to your own blog. What are you waiting for?

©2012 Professional Image Management If you would like to use this article in your newsletter or blog, you may do so. Please include our credit information: Written by Juanita Ecker, Professional Image Management. © Copyright 2012. I would also appreciate it if you would send us a copy for our files.