How to Set up a Gravatar

Posted May 18, 2009 | Laura Christianson

A-Z social media tips from BloggingBistro.com - G is for GravatarThis week’s question for the Blogging Barista:

  • What is a gravatar and why do I need one?

A gravatar is a Globally Recognized Avatar – your avatar is the thumbnail image that appears when you comment on someone’s blog.

If you have a Blogger profile, the image that accompanies your profile is posted whenever you comment on blogspot.com blogs. But that avatar works only for blogs hosted by Blogger. To make your avatar show up on WordPress (and other) systems, you’ll need to create a gravatar… a universal avatar.

Why do you need a gravatar?

To develop brand identity.

A custom gravatar – I recommend using a professional-looking photo of your smiling face or your company logo – establishes a consistent look for your brand. Wherever you go on the Web, your gravatar subtly promotes your brand. Eventually, people will begin to associate your face with your brand.

If you don’t use a gravatar, you’re stuck with a default avatar. WordPress, for example, gives me the following default options:

Wordpress avatars

A “Monster ID” to brand my company? I don’t think so!

I ran into one glitch after creating my own gravatar; I noticed it wasn’t appearing on many of the comments I was publishing on other people’s blogs.

My problem?

I was commenting via an e-mail address that didn’t correspond with the gravatar I had created. (Depending on what type of blog I’m commenting on, I may use my business address or my personal address).

The solution?

I added additional e-mail addresses to my gravatar account. Here’s how to do it:

Go to:

  • My Account
  • Add an e-mail address
  • Type in the address
  • You will receive an activation e-mail
  • Click the link, which takes you back to gravatar.com
  • Select an e-mail address to modify
  • Click an image you’ve already uploaded (or add a new one), click “Confirm”

lauragravatar

Within minutes, my gravatar on comments I had already posted was updated to include my gravatar.

Your turn! Create your own gravatar right now and post a comment here, so we can see who you are!

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60 responses to “How to Set up a Gravatar”

  1. Appreciate your comment, Pamela. I like making life online easier for people.

  2. Appreciate your comment, Pamela. I like making life online easier for people.

  3. Hans says:

    Well, it worked. But do you have any idea how to get my gravatar onto my links, when i post my wordpress onto my facebook? Cause everythime it just turns up blank,

  4. Hans says:

    Well, it worked. But do you have any idea how to get my gravatar onto my links, when i post my wordpress onto my facebook? Cause everythime it just turns up blank,

  5. Hans. Glad the instructions worked. As for posting into Facebook, your Facebook updates will be populated with the profile image you’ve uploaded to Facebook, not your gravatar. Facebook uses its own proprietary profile picture, as do most social networks. Gravatars are primarily used when posting comments to a blog.

  6. Hans. Glad the instructions worked. As for posting into Facebook, your Facebook updates will be populated with the profile image you’ve uploaded to Facebook, not your gravatar. Facebook uses its own proprietary profile picture, as do most social networks. Gravatars are primarily used when posting comments to a blog.

  7. Vatsala says:

    Hi Laura. I’m testing this one right now!

  8. Vatsala says:

    It worked!

  9. Vatsala says:

    Hi Laura. I’m testing this one right now!

  10. Vatsala says:

    It worked!

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