An easy way to impress people with your online Authority is to add a photo of yourself next to every online Comment post. You can easily do this using Gravatar. Posting useful online comments on other people’s websites and blogs is one of the best ways you can increase traffic to your website.  But you want the people who read your comments to think that you have what’s known as ‘authority’ in your topic area.

Add Authority to Your Online Comments with a Gravatar

Having Authority means you look and sound as if you know what you’re talking about. If you look as if you have authority, it’s more likely that readers will follow your Comment’s hyper-link, back to your own website, and increase your own site’s traffic – and that is what you want them to do.

Many casual users of the internet just rely on the default Grey Man silhouette avatar that is automatically added next to online Comments. That’s fine for casual users, but if you are setting up an online marketing empire (like us ), you need to organize your own Avatar to appear next to your comments. The good news is that it’s incredibly easy to do – once you know how.

Choosing Your Photo

First, you have to decide if you want to use a cartoon style avatar, or a real photo of yourself.  I recommend a personal photo because you want your readers to identify with you as a real person, not a design or a cartoon.  Online success is all about building up a relationship with your readers, and seeing your photo on your websites and comments will help to do this.

A word of warning: don’t use a photo that shows you being ‘funny’ – it won’t impress anyone. Pick a photo that makes you look friendly and approachable.  If you want to look Professional as well, maybe wear a proper shirt, not a T-shirt, but probably not a tie (if you’re a bloke ).

You Have to Know About Your Target Audience Before You Can Target Them

By the time you have decided on your website’s niche, and set up your website, and want to personalize it with your photo, you should already have a good idea of who your target audience is. Your choice of photo, and what you wear, depends on what sort of person you think your potential target audience might respect and follow online.

Think about what sort of a person this target audience is likely to identify with. Who would they listen to? Who would they trust?  What sort of person are they likely to rely on for information if they are interested in the niche you are targeting? Try to use a photo that this audience would like.  At the very least, don’t alienate your target audience by your choice of photo.

How To Make Your Photo Into Your Avatar

Don’t be confused about the terminology: an Avatar is what appears next to your online comments. A Gravatar is a photo or design that you have added to your main email address by using the free services of the online website, Gravatar.com.

All you have to do is sign up for a free Gravatar account using your main email address.  Follow the easy to follow steps, and upload a photo from your computer, and Voila!  All done.  Go to somewhere online where you’ve made a comment and your photo will have been added – by magic! It’s free, and it’s brilliant!

If you want to try to impress online readers with the actual Comments you make, as well as having a Gravatar next to them, see How To Write Brilliant Comments and Increase Traffic Flow.

At Gravatar.com, you can add more email addresses, more photos or other designs and/or Icons. Then you can select which email and photo you want to use, and change it, at any stage. You can also change your Gravatar whenever you want to.  It’s really fun to do!  It makes you feel really clever!

Have you started your own website yet?  Well, have you?  Live the dream, my friends, live the dream!

          ……Cue Motto! 

Plan Well. Start Small. Think BIG!

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