Sometimes a bit of mystery can contribute to the appeal of your brand, but more often than not, readers tend to feel more engaged and personally connected to a piece of writing when they can see an image of the person writing it. A new service called Gravatar offers a universally applicable avatar image that makes it easier to add an author’s picture to your company’s blog posts. If your business is looking for more effective corporate blogging strategies and a better response to your content, consider the following four ways Gravatar can enhance your blog posts.
1. Adding Personability to Your Blog
Not to discredit the written word, but there is something slightly more personable and intimate about being able to look at another person’s face when they are speaking to you. Although this can technically be accomplished with video blogging, a similar effect can occur by simply adding an avatar image somewhere around your blog post. Your blog is about presentation, and readers will often make assumptions about the blog by the avatar. Because of this phenomenon, it’s usually best to tailor your avatar picture according to the audience you are looking to attract.
2. Empowering Authors
It’s well-known that the anonymity of the Internet can lead people to do and say things that they may not otherwise do with more exposure. In keeping with this observation, giving blog authors the opportunity to share their own Gravatar images establishes a sense of empowerment and personality that encourages better writing and more engagement with the reader. Adding an image also gives the writer a unique ownership of the content, which compels them to put more personality into the post as well, thus making it more enjoyable to read.
3. Improving Brand Recognition
The Gravatars used in your company’s blog posts should be seen as representations of the company itself. As a result, if you and other contributing bloggers submit guest posts on other blog sites or if one of your blogs shows up on a random Google search, readers are more likely to recognize the image and associate it with your company. For example, let’s say Dave is a casual reader of your company’s blog, who recently read a very helpful article that discussed current trends in SEO. While reading the article, he made note of the smiling, professionally dressed gentleman pictured right next to the author’s name. A week or so later, Dave searches for tips on social media marketing and sees that same professional gentleman’s picture on the side of one of the results. He remembers the great post he read earlier and chooses this link over the others to answer his questions. Essentially, Gravatars offer more opportunities and image associations to help readers recognize your brand.
4. Generating Traffic
According to BloggingSetup.com, Gravatars have the very valuable potential to drive more traffic to your site. This is especially true if the particular image you choose is humorous, interesting, intriguing, unique or unorthodox in any way. Professional pictures can be advantageous in gaining credibility, but in a sea of other equally professional-looking pictures, sometimes the best way to gain a reader’s attention is by standing out from the crowd.
Applying Gravatar to your blogging strategy almost seems too simple to produce dramatic results. However, the psychological impression your posts have on the average reader truly does change when you simply add a face to the text. When the barriers of anonymity and mystery distance the reader from the writer, utilizing a simple avatar is an effective way to bridge the gap.