Gravatars.com How to Get Your Picture on Lots of Blogs
By Rick on May 26, 2008 in Internet Marketing, Marketing, Social Media, Videos
The blog is using the Gravatars.comh plugin, standard on the newer versions of Wordpress, and replacing that lame default icon is so easy it is laughable.
Gravatars stands for Globally Recognized Avatars (now you’re smarter, huh?) and is a very cool and free way to get your image inserted automatically on blogs upon which you comment – regardles of whether they require registration, etc.
Just go to http://en.gravatar.com/ and register – upload an image – and BOOM – all the blogs that you comment on that use it – like mine – will display your image on refresh.
If you scroll down my recent post about unsubscribing from email lists – you’ll see some that have images but most don’t – so get your butt over there and fix that!
Biggest Mistake People Make With Gravatars
If you have 1 gravatar account attached to 1 email address, then post to a blog using a different email address, your gravatar won’t show up.
It is tied to your email address and doesn’t know your name or URL.
If you do use multiple email addresses – say if you are in 2 or more different markets – just create a second gravatar account with that 2nd email address, then your Gravatar/image will show up when you use your alternate email.
Gravatar Marketing Tip
If you use a secondary email for a pen name or alternate market – consider creating a graphic that matches your market – and entices people to click through to the URL you post.
For instance, if you have a natural dog treats site – you may want to have an image of a natural dog treat – a free offer – or a smiling golden lab as your image.
Little things matter in marketing. Being consistent builds brand awareness for you (remember the old 5 ad impressions thing) and seeing your Gravatar on multiple related blogs can help elevate your credibility in the eyes of others who frequent those sites and see you are active and real – not just a sales letter.
Chris Pirillo talks about Gravatars and Avatars in his special little impish way…
Gravatar Buzz in the Blogosphere
Presenting Gravatars! Again!
- I dedicated a TechnoGeekery episode to this topic back in August last year, and then Gravatars went all crazy on me and everyone was like, “O. Em. Gee. Where is my stinkin’ Gravatar?! LAME!” But in the latest upgrade of Wordpress, …
Gravatars and WordPress 2.5
- Several commenters mentioned on yesterday’s post regarding Gravatars without a plugin that WordPress 2.5 would be having built-in Gravatar support. And indeed WordPress 2.5 will come with Gravatar (aka, Avatar) support. …
Reader Question – What are Gravatars?
- The images that you are noticing are called Gravatars – a shortened version of the full name Globally Recognised Avatars. An Avatar is a sanskrit word and in the online world it is the indentifying image that represents a person. …
Why you should add Gravatars to your Blog
- The recently released WordPress 2.5 was a major update and included many new features, most notably the inclusion of Gravatars. Gravatar stands for globally recognized avatar. It essentially provides an easy way for blog commentators to …
27 Comment(s)
By Tami on May 26, 2008 | Reply
Thanks Rick!
That’s great information. I was wondering how people got their pictures on blog comments. Thanks again.
Tami
Tamis last blog post..Preschool Age Dysfluency – Normal or Not?
By Tami on May 26, 2008 | Reply
Okay – let’s see if it worked. That was so easy. It just took a couple minutes to set up.
Thanks again Rick
Tamis last blog post..Preschool Age Dysfluency – Normal or Not?
By Hugh Fraser on May 26, 2008 | Reply
Very cool post Rick, I’m glad I read it.
Hugh
Hugh Frasers last blog post..What is a Newbies worst threat?
By Jeff on May 26, 2008 | Reply
Rick,
Thanks. Appreciate the tip. It was real easy to sign up and the service was great.
By Walt Goshert on May 27, 2008 | Reply
Humm…
I’m registered at Gravatar…
Butt…
No pic here?
This tech stuff sure is a mystery to me at times… like always.
Walt
By Jeff White on May 27, 2008 | Reply
Thanks! I’ve been meaning to set up a gravatar for a while.
Jeff Whites last blog post..E-Sword – Free Bible software beats most commercial programs
By Rick on May 27, 2008 | Reply
Okay it SEEMS to be working for Hugh Frasier and people names Jeff -
Tami and Walt – WASSUP?????????????
At first I thought maybe there was a delay for Gravatars to propigate – like a DNS change – but you guys still don’t display here.
I do know that it tracks the identical email you use – to match it to the email in Gravatars – to the email you use to comment.
Most of us have multiple emails – which is a good way to manage commenting in different niche markets.
Or to pretend you are a hot girl – when you are really a toothless hillbilly man.
Oh, I must have pulled a “Hillary” and “mis-spoken” – I mean rural agrarian with dental issues clearly caused by the failure of the federal government to provide flossing for everybody.
LOL
Let’s stay with this Gravatars thing until everyone has a face they can be proud to comment on.
“I clearly remember, we arrived under a hail of sniper fire.”
Rick Butts
By Jeff on May 27, 2008 | Reply
Rick,
Thanks for the heads up – it looks like a great tool.
Hoping to see my Gravatar show up next to this comment.
Jeff
By Walt Goshert on May 27, 2008 | Reply
Ok… guess I had my junk hotmail account “catch all those Stompernet promos” assigned to my Gravatar.
Let’s try this again…
So, if I pretend to be a toothless hillbilly online, will Hillary suck up to me and buy me a virtual shot and a beer?
“I did not have sex with that woman.”
(one of my fave Clinton “mis-speaks”…)
Walt Gosherts last blog post..Feed Your Brain
By Rick on May 27, 2008 | Reply
Hey Walt – glad to be tech support for your Gravatas issue!
On Hillary buying you a shot and a beer, no.
If you are a toothless hilbilly – she already HAS your vote…
Go back to clinging to your guns and religion but do get a ticket to the Democratic Convention in Denver.
It promises to be the Greatest Show on Earth 2008!
By Jonathan on May 27, 2008 | Reply
Trying to follow you on Twitter Rick .. how do I do that … I just set it up.
jonathan_gunson
By Rick on May 27, 2008 | Reply
Hey – my Twitter ID is @Rick_Butts
Or just go to http://twitter.com/Rick_Butts while you are logged in and BOOM!
TTYL and thanks- tell both your friends!
Rick
By Jonathan on May 27, 2008 | Reply
Re Twitter: I am following you OK now Rick.
(The ‘follow’ button under your picture failed to appear the first time.)
Have a perfect day!
Jonathan
By Tami on May 27, 2008 | Reply
Okay, I read your comment Rick and realized I had a different email address attached to the gravitar. This should work now.
Tamis last blog post..Preschool Age Dysfluency – Normal or Not?
By Rick on May 27, 2008 | Reply
Hey Tami – it worked!
As soon as I hit refresh on this site your picture showed up next to your post.
The cool thing is – now every single place you’ve ever posted that uses the wordpress default gravatar will show your picture when that page loads!
Time to start thinking about using our keywords in the Name field in concert with the images – to gently promote our sites.
Rick
By Dotty on May 27, 2008 | Reply
That is way cool Rick. I wondered how people got their images on the comments. I did a trackback to this post on my blog. Thanks for the branding idea!
Dottys last blog post..Gravitars: I did not even know I wanted one
By Jonathan on May 27, 2008 | Reply
Rick
Hmmm. I don’t think that once a Gravatar name is chosen it can then be changed to include a keyword. (Unless we use a different e-mail address?)
Correct me if I’m wrong.
Jonathan
By Gary Gray on May 27, 2008 | Reply
Hi Rick
Cool post…thanks! Getting lots of feedback too. Great!..
“Greatest Show on Earth 08″ eh
Is that if we make it through the Hillery predicted catastrophic event of June 08?
Could be a Chicken Little thingy… You gotta love US politics. Larger than life. (a drive in movie screen even)
Well “Yes We Can!!!” get the Gravitar to work.
Smiles
)
Gary
A Canadian who loves to cross-border shop (at $1.01 Cdn to the US greenback it’s a great deal)
Gary Grays last blog post..garydotgray: Posted comment on Ed’s Video on Product Launches http://snurl.com/2aze5 Nother great vid Ed cool heads an all eh.
By Rick on May 27, 2008 | Reply
HEY Look at all these cool Gravatars!
As usual, my readers are the smartest readers online…
Within 24 hours many of you have done the Gravatars thing and now when a new person scrolls the comments they see all these smart marketers are up to speed with the cool stuff.
Ahhh, I love hangin’ with the cool kids.
Rick
By Eneza on Aug 4, 2008 | Reply
Will my Gravatar appear here?
Enezas last blog post..A Different Me
By Rick on Aug 5, 2008 | Reply
The main reason that people’s gravatar fails to appear after they have completed uploading a picture to the gravatar website – is that they have used different emails on the Gravatars website – and in the comment on the blog.
If they match – then it will work – promise.
Please double check and make sure that you are using the same email as you setup your gravatar to make comments on this blog and we’ll see your dazzling image!
Rick
By Theo Baskind on Aug 6, 2008 | Reply
Gravatars.com How to Get Your Picture on Lots of Blogs is an excellent post! Thanks a ton for the quality tip Rick, ran over to Gravatars.com and did exactly what you suggested
By Internet Marketing on Aug 20, 2008 | Reply
Your blog is very informative. However it is pretty hard task but your post and experienced serve and teach me how to handle and make it more simple and manageable.
Thanks for the tips… Best regards.
By Rick on Aug 12, 2009 | Reply
Just updated this post on using Gravatars to include a great Chris Pirillo video on the subject – as well as a “biggest mistake people make using Gravatars” update – check it out!
http://budurl.com/gravatar
By DanLopez2012 on Aug 12, 2009 | Reply
Hmmm.. don’t even remember if I did a gravatar thingymabob,,
Rick! WASSAAAAAP!!!
Missed ya dearly bro–
Great topics as usual, glad yo see your in high gear and
being the maven you’ve always been,,
Peace to you my brother..
Dan–
DanLopez2012´s last blog ..Focus is painful and it sucks!?!
By sandrar on Sep 10, 2009 | Reply
Hi! I was surfing and found your blog post… nice! I love your blog.
Cheers! Sandra. R.
By Digitivity | Digital Productivity on Dec 24, 2009 | Reply
Great breakdown on Gravatar. I added a step-by-step how-to for adding multiple e-mails to a Gravatar account here:
http://digitivity.org/405/how-to-add-multiple-email-to-a-gravatar-account-use-more-than-one
Handy for walking newbies through the process without holding their hands.