Have you ever been reading a blog and seen a comment with someone’s smiling face beside it and thought,
“How the heck did they get their picture in there? They must be an internet wizard!”
At least I know I did. It turns out that picture is an online avatar called a Gravatar, and it’s a very simple thing to set up.
How to setup a Gravatar
Step 1: Go to https://en.gravatar.com/ Step 2: Sign up for an account (It’s free) Step 3: Fill out your gravatar profile and upload a picture. Make sure to include your website URL. Step 4: That’s it! Comment away
Who should setup a Gravatar?
If you don’t have a blog or have comments turned off on your blog, or never see yourself commenting on other people’s blogs or in forums, don’t worry about setting this up. There won’t be any use for this in your business. However, if you use blogging or commenting as a way to engage publicly and build your credibility, or focus on online services in your work, this is an important thing to have.
Benefits of setting up your own Gravatar
- It allows people to see your face when you comment so your words feel more personal
- It helps keep your branding consistent and professional
- It links to your website so if people like what you say and want to find out more about you and your services; it’s easy to drive traffic to your website.
So there you have it.
It’s not magic. It’s just Gravatar.
Happy Commenting!