For agents, blogging is about developing name recognition and establishing yourself as an expert, as someone consumers would want to go to when they were ready to buy or sell a home.  One secret to building your name recognition on the Internet is to comment on other people’s blogs.

But when you leave comments on someone else’s blog, you’ll also want to be able to post a photo of yourself for instant brand and name recognition.  That’s where gravatars (and avatars) come in.

An avatar is a graphic representation of yourself that’s posted on the Internet.  Most social networking sites encourage you to upload a photo or some other image (i.e., an avatar) that will represent you on that site.  Avatars are useful because human beings spot and remember visual cues; we often recognize someone’s face, for example, when we can’t remember their name.  Therefore, when you leave a comment on another person’s blog, it’s better for your name recognition if there’s a photo along with that comment.  In fact, notice below how much more appealing it is when comment writers have an avatar rather than an empty box next to their name.

A gravatar is a “generally recognized avatar”.  Gravatars allow you to easily post the same photo as you comment on sites around the web.  Without gravatars, if you wanted an image with your comment, you’d have to upload a photo every time you posted a comment on someone’s blog.  But a gravatar is universal.  You create it one time and thereafter, each time you post a comment, the same picture is placed automatically.  And placing the same picture over and over again on the web is great for your name recognition.

Gravatars work on thousands of websites around the Internet.  It’s easy to create one—and it’s free. To get started, go to www.gravatar.com.  Watch the video and then create yours.

Human beings are visual creatures.  We remember what we see, which is why we’ve all had the experience of meeting someone we knew but being unable to recall their name.  Pictures and images stay with us even when words and information don’t

That’s why your social networking profiles should all include a good photo of yourself.

• A good photo jogs the memory of people who’ve met you before.
• A good photo gives your profile a human touch.
• A good photo makes it more likely that a stranger will want to know you or work with you.
• A good photo says, “I’m confident, I’m knowledgeable, and I’m good at what I do.”

You’ll need to decide if you want to use the same photo on all social networking sites.  Having the same photo creates consistency and helps you build your brand.  But a photo that is too stuffy on Facebook or too casual on LinkedIn may look out of place.  So if you’re using only one photo, create something that’s business casual but that clearly communicates who you are and what you’re about.

What Makes a Good Personal Photo

• Your photo should be relatively current, not something taken years ago
• Use a cropped, centered headshot
• Don’t include photos of your dog, your children, your home or anything else—save those for your Photo Album
• Face mostly forward in the shot so people can recognize you
• Make sure the photo is well-lit to give it a more professional look
• If you’re using a camera phone, it should be 3 megapixels or better
• Have someone take the photo for you and/or use cropping tools to get it just right
• Smile