Examples of gravatars

This blog is powered by a recent version of WordPress which now displays images alongside some people’s comments. I’ve seen these small custom graphics accompanying posts and comments on blogs for a while but now with my own blog making use of them it was time to investigate further. A right-click to check the properties on someone’s graphic pointed me to gravatar.com.

Gravatars are “globally recognized avatars”. When you post or comment at certain blogs with an email address you’ve registered with gravatar.com, your chosen avatar will automatically appear with your text.

With some help from the super-quick support team at wordpress.com (which is somehow connected with the gravatar user account process) I was able to setup my own account, assign a few of my most common email addresses, and now my comments around the blogosphere will display the avatar of my choice.

Use of gravatars helps to brand your online activities. Some people maintain consistent avatars across Flickr, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, etc. Being able to use the same avatar in blog posts provides additional visual queues to people already aware of you, or you can draw interest from strangers and stand out from the crowd based on your choice of avatar.

Brands that monitor and comment on blogs would do well to set up a gravatar that includes a logo or product image. Used appropriately it can create brand awareness and provide a level of authenticity to comments.

For more information, take a look at:

• Gravatar – sign up for your own gravatar
• Personalising website commenting with Gravatars – provides basic info, history, implementation, and speculation about the future
• Gravatars: Why Both Commentators and Publishers Should Use It – the title says it all
• Reasons Why You Should Use Gravatar – 5 reasons to use a gravatar
• Branding Yourself With Gravatars – tips on using a variety of gravatars to promote multiple sites