Online Avatars: Are Real Photos Better?

If you get involved in internet marketing and hang out at IM forums, you'll see that most people use not only their real names, but real photographs of themselves. The idea is that seeing a human face creates trust: You're putting yourself out there. You're staking your reputation on whatever you're selling.

You're instantly seen as a "real person." It's the human touch. After a while, people start recognizing you by face. Certain types of people are also quick to dismiss someone they see "hiding" behind a cartoon. It's worth thinking about if you're trying to build an online business.

Offline, you'll often see this tactic used by real estate agents and attornies. Attornies in particular make sure their faces are on billboards and in the Yellow Pages. There has to be something to that.

A photograph shows us what you look like in real life. But does it reveal your integrity? Your personality? The things most important to you? Your appearance has little to do with these things. You didn't get to choose the shape of your eyes, the size of your nose, or the color of your skin.

Unfortunately, there are people who will judge you based on how you look. They may subconsciously think, "This guy looks too young to have any real experience." Or maybe, "He looks old enough to be my grandfather. I bet he can't relate to my generation." Or maybe their reaction is even more superficial: "What a stupid haircut! And that smirk is so smarmy, like he's trying to sell me something."

Some people react negatively to ANY photograph. They think it's egotistical, or they even assume the person is a fake who's trying way too hard to seem personable and trustworthy. Honestly, that was always my gut reaction to seeing an author's face plastered all over the cover of a self-improvement book.

You might say, "Well, I don't want to do business with those kind of people anyway!" And maybe you're right. The point is, it's a mistake to think that there are only advantages to using your real picture. You're not going to win over everyone just because you post a real photograph of yourself. There are cases where it could backfire.

Then of course there's the whole stalking thing to worry about, which is a valid concern. It's not likely to come up, but I can tell you that it CAN and DOES happen from time to time. It comes down to how much of a risk you're willing to take. It's also a question of, "How much am I willing to let fear control my life?" It's a personal decision that you shouldn't let anyone else make for you.

Cartoons are colorful, memorable, and just plain fun. Cartoons and symbols reveal something more than what a person looks like: A facet of their personality, a glimmer of their beliefs, or a symbol of what's most important to them. Or it could be as simple as showing the world that they really like Kermit the Frog.

A toony avatar says, This person is fun and has a sense of humor.

A flower avatar says, This person must really appreciate beauty and nature.

A musical instrument avatar says, This person likes music. Maybe she even plays the guitar!

Businesses are perfectly aware of the appeal of symbols and made-up characters. That's why Disney is represented by Mickey Mouse. Pixar uses a hopping lamp. Geico uses an animated gecko as its spokesman. Apple uses an apple. Squidoo uses a freaky eyeball with orange tentacles.

Biggest disadvantage? People on internet marketing forums will harass you about not using a "real picture" and ask questions like, "How do you expect anyone to take you seriously if you hide behind a silly picture that isn't really you?" :)

The naysayers have a point, though. There may very well be more advantages to using a real photograph. When you use a real picture, you break down an invisible barrier. Initially, at least, you create more trust and rapport with certain types who want to be sure they're dealing with a real person before parting with their money. If you use a cartoon or a symbol to represent you, you'll have to work a little harder for their trust.

A lot of it probably depends on your business or product. A cartoony avatar would seem out of place in some niches. Would-be customers might think twice about buying a health product from someone who presents himself as a toon.

Quality is everything. You recognize names like Stephen King, J. K. Rowling, and John Grisham. You probably have several favorite authors that you keep up with. If you see one of their names on a book, you generally know what to expect. But do you know them by face? Do you think less of their writing if you can't find a picture of them anywhere?

An avatar helps people recognize you, but a good avatar doesn't make you great. It's what you do that counts in the end. If your products suck, or if you're a no-good lying cheat, a real photograph isn't going to do a dang thing for you.

Consistency matters. Whether you use a real photograph or a caricature is less important than whether you use it consistently. Using the same avatar on all online services and social networking sites helps people find you. It's all part of reinforcing your "brand."

thefluffanutta: Not only is he using a toony avatar, he goes by a silly nickname. I'm not even sure what his real name is. He broke all the rules! But you know what? If he has some Squidoo tip to share, I'm going to sit up and listen. The quality of his posts and tools (like SquidUtils) proves that he knows what he's talking about.

Captain Squid: It's probably safe to assume that "Loyalis" isn't a bearded squid captain in real life. But it would be a dark day indeed if he ever ditched that persona and replaced it with a real picture of himself on his blog. I'm sure there'd be some kind of protest.

SusanVLewis: One of her blog posts (Photo vs. Avatar - the battle continues) actually inspired this lens. She went against the tide of internet marketing naysayers when she decided to use a toony caricature of herself as her brand. According to Susan, "It's a logo for my personal 'brand' in a way that a photo can't be."

Joe Burns: You might remember him if you spent much time learning about HTML in the 1990s. Before he faded into obscurity, he posted some darn good HTML tutorials on a website called "HTML Goodies." He used a goofy ink caricature of himself as his "avatar" of sorts. It even appeared on the cover of his book. As far as I can tell, using a "fake" picture didn't hurt his credibility one jot.