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Online Avatars: Do people really pay attention to these and your Bio

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Your Avatar and how it can affect your bottom line

Writing and working online we are all faced with having to choose an Avatar to represent ourselves. Do we use our own photo of ourselves, or pick something cute, something funny, or in some cases something someone thinks is funny, but others don't. Our Avatars are often not just used to identify us, but others look at them and make a decision on the kind of person we are.

I always look at people's avatars, and notice when they are changed. Some people I don't even bother to read their stuff as the Avatar turned me off. It is after all the first impression to many people. So, what does your Avatar say about you?

Clickable links Index

  1. Want to create your own Avatar? Watch this Video
  2. Analyzing your Avatar
  3. What type of person would you think would use this for an Avatar
  4. What about this as an Avatar instead of a Mousepad
  5. One Example of how an Avatar worked better than a personal photo
  6. What about this one, would this instill Professional Confidence
  7. What do you think?
  8. What does your Avatar say about You?
  9. More writings by Kathy McGraw

Want to create your own Avatar? Watch this Video

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Analyzing your Avatar


In a face to face world we can see who people are. Are they young or old and a host of other characteristics that we either like or don't. But at least we have a chance to make our decisions. But what about online? There are so many anonymous people, some good and some bad, so how do we initially decide if we want anything to do with them? Avatars!

I always look at someones Avatar, especially on Twitter when someone follows me, or makes a comment I am interested in. Most of the time if the Avatar is interesting I click to learn more about them from their Bio. These are my two ways of deciding if I will follow someone or not. We don't have the luxury of initial gut reactions when we first see someone online, so I use the Avatar to help me with my initial decisions.

Michelle Willow 3 R

What type of person would you think would use this for an Avatar 

What about this as an Avatar instead of a Mousepad

Photo courtesy of Michelle Willow of Willow Designs

This mousepad is just one of many designs made by www.zazzle.com/willowdesign*

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Someone that is conscious of the Environment

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I don't read Green things, so would pass this by

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Professional, and Creative

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One Example of how an Avatar worked better than a personal photo


I belong to a network of Real Estate Professionals and most of us have our real pictures as our Avatar. It was a consensus that people wanted to see who was behind the name and the Blog Posts, so most of us put our real pictures up. But a few people didn't including someone I was following on another professional network. On that one he had his picture, smiling with a white shirt on. He looked "honest". But when he joined the new network he changed his Avatar to something else.

Several of us asked him why he did this, and he said that he got more phone calls when he didn't use his own picture. That surprised me until I actually met him several years later. The young man in the white shirt was an old picture of him and he didn't look anything like that anymore. With the animated avatar people identified that with him, and he used the Avatar with a tag line that was catchy. It worked for him. For me though, I always identify him by the young man with the smile and the white shirt.

If you plan to use your own photo and you're writing to prospective clients, you might want to keep your photo updated. I can't tell you how many people I have met from my online blogging that look nothing like their pictures.

What about this one, would this instill Professional Confidence 

What do you think?

Would an Avatar of a Pot Plant give you Professional confidence in the person if you hadn't read anything they wrote, but just saw the Avatar?

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What does your Avatar say about You?

So what does your Avatar say about you? How did you pick it? This is something that many of us didn't think about when we first started developing an online presence, but it can be important.



Leave your comments here :)

  • Morgannafay May 9, 2012 @ 2:58 am | delete
    Mine shows that I'm lovable, sweet, full of joy and that I have a hard head. LOL
    Truthfully though it shows the best of my work. :)

    Hai Kathy, roaming around the universe tonight. :) I had no idea you wrote a lens about this. hehehe. It was an interesting read. I do so adore your honesty, I admire that so much in you.
  • aj2008 Nov 1, 2011 @ 5:02 pm | delete
    I am on my third avatar since I joined Squidoo and I think the evolution of my avatar relates to how I have evolved online. The first was a Simpsonized character that I guess I hid behind, the second was a casual photo of the real me and then the third was done by a friend who is a professional photographer - I needed something that still looked like me and friendly but was a bit more professional, as that is how I would like to be regarded.
  • BigGirlBlue Jul 17, 2010 @ 2:00 pm | delete
    Personally, I prefer faces, not the celebrity ones either, but I have often gotten used to the caricature ones. I think it's important to not to constantly change the avatar as it is easy to spot familiar "friends" on sight easier, before reading the name.
  • WordCustard Jan 22, 2010 @ 3:06 pm | delete
    I love the awareness you have of many of the 'hidden' issues in our lives today, Kathy. This being just one of them, but a very interesting one. There are contexts in which I would not use a smiling pear as an avatar, but here on Squidoo it gives a friendly and approachable image. Some people have 'friended' me in Ning groups simply because they like the pear, and I think that's great.
  • KathyMcGraw Jan 22, 2010 @ 4:06 pm | delete
    Nicki...Yes, your Avatar is pretty "friendly" as a first impression-non threatening and "cute". Then once they actually start reading your stuff, and seeing you in the community they know that is exactly how you are online. A nice combination :) I remember my reactions when I saw your Avatar for the first time..."A pear" LOL ...and now I am happy when I see it as I know I will have something good to read.
  • Wednesday_Elf Dec 29, 2009 @ 2:43 pm | delete
    I've used different Avatars for different situations. In my Etsy Shop, my Avatar is one of my current crocheted 'critters' for sale in my shop and I change it out frequently. It keeps my product line in front of people, at least that's my theory. On Squidoo, I chose this Avatar because it was the closest thing I had of a picture that reminded me of an "Elf" to go with my Squidoo name -- AND I liked it! It makes me feel good to look at it. :). Eventually, I hope my daughter will draw an elf picture for me to use for my Avatar.

    Funny, two years ago when I first established an 'online presence' I didn't even know what an Avatar was! My artist daughter had to explain it to me! Fun lens.
  • dancerene Dec 29, 2009 @ 1:42 am | delete
    Hmm... frankly, I never thought of what my avatar tell others about me. I pick it because it's supposed to be a drawing of me... though I was told that it doesn't look like me at all. Haha!
  • luvmyludwig Dec 28, 2009 @ 10:26 pm | delete
    I think mine shows I'm electrifying lol
    no really, I hope it shows I am a happy person with a sense of humor. I chose my picture because it was my favorite that was recent, and I added the blue hair and lightbulb after playing around with the picture. I guess I just like it :)
  • Wednesday_Elf Dec 29, 2009 @ 2:45 pm | delete
    Ludwig, I've always liked your Avatar. It DOES make me think you are a happy person with a wonderful sense of humor - exactly what you wanted it to say :)
Show All

More writings by Kathy McGraw

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KathyMcGraw

Should your online Avatar be funny, cute, realistic, a photo of your dog, or the real you? What does your Avatar say?
Writing and Photography are my... more »

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