It is customary online when engaging in social media to upload a photo or image that accompanies your conversational pieces. These images are called avatars.

Forums use them. Blogs use them. Social networking sites use them. Social bookmarking sites use them. Microblogging sites use them. Just about everywhere you go you will encounter an avatar. Some people simply use a photo while others use a cartoon character or animated .gif. Some people use a cropped company logo or the entire logo itself. Does it really matter?

I think your avatar makes a big difference. You are communicating something very important about yourself and your business with your avatar. For instance, if your avatar is a picture of Cindarella, wouldn’t that say something, as opposed to a picture of Darth Vader? For some businesses, Darth Vader may be the appropriate avatar. But is it appropriate for you?

It will behoove you to think deeply about your avatar. It doesn’t necessarily need to be your own photo, although it can be. A photo says “I’m accessible.” It’s personal. But you also give up a little bit of a privacy if you use your own photo. That’s a decision you’ll have to weigh heavily.

On the other hand, a company logo says “I’m all business.” It can come off as off-putting if you manage personal relationships through your networking accounts. Then again, you are marketing your business and that’s the point, right?

What about cartoon characters or famous celebrities? I’ve seen people use images of Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. I’ve seen other celebrities too - James Dean, Marlon Brando, and Alf. What image do you conjure when you think of those celebrities? Is that the image you want people to think about when they see your avatar? Remember, whatever they think about your avatar is what they’ll think about you.

Your avatar is your brand. Just as you would put careful thought into your company logo and website header, you need to think about your avatar and what you want it to communicate to your prospects, business partners, and customers online.

Caroline Melberg
Melberg Marketing
Blue Chip Marketing Tips
Small Business Mavericks

Tags: avatar, Branding, online marketing, small business, social media marketing

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 19th, 2008 at 10:24 am and is filed under Branding, Small Business Internet Marketing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.