How to Put Your Best Face Forward to People Who've Never Seen You Before
By: Bean Jones
Looks Matter. If you want to be taken seriously, don't use nutty-looking avatars like this one. It's crucial that you present an unforgettable image in the virtual world. Just make sure that it's memorable in the right way.
Does your avatar draw in people or does it drive them away?
This is probably one of the questions you have to answer before you take the big social media plunge.
The Social Media Marketing Action Cashmap emphasizes the importance of brand identity. While avatars may be a minor component of this, they are, nevertheless, part of the package.
Arguably, the avatars used by people who are affiliated with certain companies should look presentable. For instance, I can't just use an avatar that has me doing a funny face because it would be detrimental to the company's image.
In this light, I've compiled some of useful tips for choosing the right avatars:
1. Look professional. In her article, "6 Tips for Better Branding Using Avatars," Aliza Sherman stipulates: "Once you've established clear brand attributes, you need to go through the images you have or are considering using for your avatar and pick those that most clearly represent those attributes. Without question, using a photograph of yourself will always establish more trust than using any other image, particularly any non-human image. A cartoon image of yourself can be a good second choice if the nature of the illustration is in keeping with your brand attributes."2. Personalize it. Don't make the mistake of using an image from avatar-generating sites. You certainly don't want your avatar to look like anyone else's. Also, your target audience may be put off by the fact that you haven't made an effort to stand out with an avatar that's specially designed for you. In short, it makes you and your company look cheap.
3. Keep it clean and simple. Hivelogic author Dan Benjamin, in his article "Why Your Avatar Matters," cautions against distracting avatars that are either hard to make out or are too flashy. He writes, "Don't use those Flash-generated Japanimation style avatars." He goes on to state that the quality of the image should also be optimal. A blurry photo or illustration simply won't do.
Bottom line: Always remember that in a setting where people have never seen you before, your avatar could make or break you and the company you represent.
Learn all there is to know about managing brand identity in Social Media Marketing Action Cashmap.
