How To Add Your Picture To Blog Comments
Posted by Organic SEO | Posted on 02-18-2010
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WHEN YOU HAVE FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTIONS EXPLAINED IN THIS BLOG POST, COME BACK TO COMMENT WITH YOUR GRAVATAR OR WORDPRESS EMAIL … I WILL APPROVE ALL REASONABLE COMMENTS WITH AN ACTIVE LINK TO YOUR WEBSITE.
READ THIS IMPORTANT MESSAGE ABOUT BLOG COMMENTING …
I have been browsing blog posts and noticed that your comments are often missing profile images. This blog post explains why and how to add your picture to blog comments for WordPress, Blogger (Blogspot), Yahoo and other services. This may seem insignificant depending on what stage you are at in your onilne marketing process , though I assure you that it is very easy and important for the following reasons:
Online Branding / Online Marketing
As the old saying goes, “it is you that sells your business”. When marketing online, it is important that people begin to associate your product(s) or service(s) with your face and / or logo. This means that you need to add an image to everything that you do as part of your online branding process. It builds rapport, loyalty and is distinguishes the novice from the seasoned /professional marketer.
Pictures Add To The Blog Aesthetics
What looks better? A blog with pictures or no pictures? How about a blog with comments or no comments? There is nothing more unattractive than blog comments with shaded silhouettes or template graphics. Look at this comment page and now look at the comment section on this page. Which looks better? The blog with the profile images not only looks better, but portrays that it is a professional blog that people take the time to register for and participate in as a viable resource.
Want to know to add a picture to your blog comments?
Use the same email address for your profiles.
When I am setting up branding solutions for clients, the first thing that I do is create a free email address at Gmail.com, Yahoo.com and Bing.com. – both with the exact same name. For example, if the client is a work at home mom and wants to brand this way, then I create email addresses that reflects how she wants to brand herself (i.e. workathomemom@gmail.com & workathomemom@yahoo.com). I do this for companies that have not already started online branding for themselves. If they have already been using a particular address with WordPress, we either keep it the same or replace the email on the existing account with a new one.
Register at www.wordpress.com using the email address from whichever email is going to be the “dominant” account.
This is typically the GMAIL address because we use a lot of Google services and Google Caffeine has started showing our profiles (with picture… important) directly in the search engine results. I would recommend that you choose the option that provides you with a free WordPress.com blog opposed to just the account. This will provide you with advantages when blogging in the future. Plus, you can secure that WordPress website address per the strategy for your online branding. For example, my work at home mom client would use her workathomemom@gmail.com to secure the workathomemom.wordpress.com website address. I will explain more about the entire purpose of securing this later. Just note that this is good for online branding. Consequently, the Bing.com and Yahoo.com email address will serve the same purpose when working with the Yahoo suite or services.
Always take the time to upload a picture and set up the profile section of your accounts.
After confirming the account(s) from your email address (if applicable), you need to login to your WordPress or Yahoo and take the time to set it up – right there and then. Add your online branding image. Complete every profile field that you can. In the case of WordPress, you need to clean the free blog of their template entries and personalize it with your own post, etc.
- How to add your picture to WordPress (called a Gravatar) –
Click the Account link on the top menu, click Edit Profile and you will see a big blue graphic on the right. Click the link below and it takes you to a page with 4 links to choose from. Most of us will choose the first link that helps you upload it from your computer. * NOTE – after you upload a pic, it looks like it was not added (maybe a little glitch in their code). All you have to do is go back to the Edit Profile area again, click the link to go to the upload a picture area and you can see it there … or post a comment on your own blog to test (you can always delete this test comment)
RECAP … WORDPRESS USERS CAN SAVE TIME BY CREATING THEIR GRAVATAR FROM W/IN THEIR WORDPRESS ACCOUNT OR INDIVIDUALS CAN ALSO SIGN UP FOR A GRAVATAR IMAGE DIRECTLY FROM THE GRAVATAR.COM WEBSITE…
Your picture will show on WordPress Comments. Create Yahoo & Blogger Comment Images if you do this …
Now, when you comment on other’s blogs, make sure to use the same email address that you use for that particular blog service. If you are making a WordPress comment, then use that email address. If you are making a Blogger Comment / Blogspot Comment, then login with the gmail address before you comment. If you are commenting on a Yahoo application, then use the Yahoo address. Each free blog service works the same and these account images integrate with any other services / program they offer.
* It’s better to create a new email address, so that your primary email is not filled with spam.
* Lately, Gmail email addresses are accepted more than Yahoo email addresses.
I agree that this is important to your online branding. Thanks for posting for everyone to see and learn.
Lea,
Thank you so much for all the help you have given me with my Branding! I am learning so much from you and all the training you do. I am forever in your debt.
Dinah
Yes other do look at the photo before they look at the name so you should use your favorite Photo on all your Profile’s and Blogs
Good stuff Lea. Thank you!
Hi Lea Thanks for the expert help, you make it look easy.
Robert
nice info … thx
Yvette & Radixal, you need to do what this blog post says in order to show your picture.
Never thought of getting 3 different email addresses, I think I’m gonna do just that when I get home. But as you can see I did get a gravatar a little while ago :-)
Thanks for the tip, Lea!
Very good, Xarah. Nice to see your smiling face :) Yes, one is your personal to filter for “real” business interactions, one for Google and one for Yahoo. The Google and Yahoo are for those applications, as well as building those friends lists within those email accounts (mailing lists that export from Yahoo specifically) as well as keeping up on networks and programs.
Thanks Lea, For All The Help, I hope I have Set Up The WordPress so That My Photo will now Display On Comments etc ?
Bob Vaughan
This is exactly what I have been telling people in my self branding site.
Agnes Kivuvani
it works!!!!!
it works!!!!!!
thanx a million …. am I the first kanga to appear on your blog?
Excellent job, Rocky Roo. Cute image :)
Well this is nice. This is something useful in anyone’s branding efforts.
Thanks, Jabber. Please follow the instructions and add your picture, so that others will do the same.
Thank you!
Very good, Xarah. Nice to see your smiling face :) Yes, one is your personal to filter for “real” business interactions, one for Google and one for Yahoo. The Google and Yahoo are for those applications, as well as building those friends lists within those email accounts (mailing lists that export from Yahoo specifically) as well as keeping up on networks and programs.
There are certainly a lot of details like this to take into consideration. Adding a blog picture is a great point to bring up. I offer the thoughts above as general inspiration but clearly there are questions like the one you bring up where the most important thing will be working in honest good faith. I don’t know if best practices have emerged around things like this, but I am sure that your job is clearly identified as a fair game. Thanks for explaining.
You’re welcome … Great job, Bernadine :)
You have done it again. Incredible article!
thanks !! very helpful post!
let’s see if it worked for me…
now?
cool thanks! i was worried it wouldn’t work but good stuff!
I don’t believe I’ve seen this described in such an informative way before. Thank you!
You got a really useful blog I have been here reading for about an hour. I am a newbie and your success is very much an inspiration for me.
Good journey and experience!
Great job, Kenzie :)
@Kenzie – BTW, your blog is just scrumptious – I’m going to try that Ginger hummus recipe – thanks for your info, too.
Thanks for posting! I really enjoyed.
Many thanks for the help in this question. I did not know it.
It is very much important to post a photo to your profile as it adds charisma to your product or whatever services offered.
Thanks lea great blog
Good stuff Lea. Thank you!
Helpful. Thanks for the post – keep up the nice work.
Right — someone called me the other day and said, “I just posted a reply on someone’s blog and my picture showed up. What happened?” I said, “That thar’s the power of Gravatar.” A little unnerving if you don’t realize who had the power to pull your face up before you — especially if you joined Gravatar long ago and forgot.
LOL, I hear you. Now, we have the convenience of WordPress to connect the two without much effort. Best to you in the 2011 year, Steve.
Aha! Steve thanks for directing me to this page. I’m a big fan of pretty much Automattic does (like WordPress) but I hadn’t heard of this one. I just signed up using the same pic I have on Facebook. Now I’m going to be pretty curious to see where the Gravatar shows up and where it doesn’t. I’m expecting it to show up on this post. We will see in a moment!
great stuff. Do you have an RSS feed? And will it be cool if I added in your feed to a website of mine? I have a website which draws content out of RSS feeds by a few websites and I’d like to include yours, the majority of people don’t mind considering I link back and everything but I like to get authorization first. Anyway let me know if you can, thanks.
Testing image using gravatar site.
Great job, Francisco.
about to see if it works as we speak…and yep!!! thanks neat trick
Thank you for posting this! I was trying to figure out how to change this, and how the photo was even associated when I post comments! Big help! Thanks again.
There are many things to consider when designing your site, including your audience, what the site is going to be about, how it looks and feels, and the overall aesthetics.
Thank you for the very good instructions. Your opinion about including a photo with your comments is very correct. No body wants to do business with a blank square!
I do not want to be nasty, but do not forget that some people look at the editor’s picture first, and then read the article. Let’s not forget another aspect, if the picture does not look good, better not post it because otherwise the readers will not like.
Hey great post! I was looking just for this! Now to go get it done. Thanks for the help…
Hi Lea – thanks for this post. I am doing this Gravatar thing-ie tonight. Great to be working with you …
Hi Donna :) I’m glad to see that you are working on it. Come back and make another blog post once you have figured it out and I will activate your web link on here, too. Thank you so much :) I enjoy working with you, too. Chat with you soon.
Trying again Lea…
Oh – WOW !!!
Awesome job, Donna :) Congrats!!!
So, now I have a picture?
Oh, wow! Thanks!
Thank you for this info! I always wondered how to do this.
This guide on How To Add Your Picture To Blog Comments is very informative. I’ll try once I have my free time.
Thank You for sharing this post. Nice job!
Great job, Sandra :)
Thanks Lea for reminding me that I need to get a picture up. I think people connect better if they see who is behind the name.
You’re welcome. Come back when you have it all set up :)