What Kind of Avatar Should Represent You?
When becoming a part of the Twitter collective, it’s important if you’re a budding small business owner or freelancer to stand out from the crowd. Since there are millions of Twitter users, this can be a tall order. One of the tools at your disposal is the right choice of photo, or avatar, to display in your Twitter stream.
An avatar is not mandatory; if you choose not to upload a photo or avatar, one is automatically assigned – a generic Twitter avatar sported by all who don’t choose to upload a personalized avatar. This can really hurt your chances of connecting with those on Twitter by reducing the recognition factor, and wastes a golden opportunity for branding.
Image Credit Cinematropolis
Most Twitter people agree, they like to match an actual face to a name. Some people may be uncomfortable with displaying their photo in such a public space, so there are ways to work around this to make everyone happy. An odd camera angle may work, or a picture with you in trademark sunglasses that tend to cut down on the recognizable features of your face. A cartoon caricature might be an option, or even a pencil sketch. Consider a photo of you when you were a child, in a costume, or any other photo that gives an idea of the person behind the account without giving everything away, unless you’re comfortable with being recognized offline as well as online.
You may choose to display a company logo or graphic, and that’s fine, but there are some considerations. Because the space allowed is so small, make sure to choose colors that are bright or contrast nicely. It’s difficult to pull out the Tweets of a logo that looks like all the rest – and since many Twitter users monitor their account with third party applications, some of which have dark tones, a brightly colored or contrasted image stands a better chance of being noticed.
Choose your avatar or photo carefully, because until you establish your presence on Twitter, changing the avatar frequently will confuse your followers and they may not recognize who you are on your next visit. Once you are a regular contributor, it’s acceptable to switch out your photo as you wish, however, be prepared to lose a follower or two who may not realize who you are right away.
For branding purposes, it is recommended that you use the same image on all your social networking sites for maximum recognition, so the choice of your avatar is an important one, indeed. Before you make your final choice for Twitter, solicit the opinions of trusted friends, partners, or co-workers to get some feedback on what your avatar portrays. By choosing the perfect Twitter avatar for your profile you take advantage of an opportunity to brand yourself, your service, or your business for instant recognition.
11 Responses to “What Kind of Avatar Should Represent You?”
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Great advice. In hindsight maybe I should have put a little more thought into my choice for Twitter (a cartoon-type). It’s not that I don’t like it, but I do feel a little stuck with it. My solution was to add a Twitter background that includes both the cartoon avatar and the same photo that I use on my blog. Maybe one day I’ll get around to making everything consistent. Thanks for the post!
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This is an interesting topic, I prefer to use a stock that closely represents who I am.
I love your blog, you always have the greatest posts. Thank you for your insight and continued efforts!
Thank you Tim!!
Enjoyed the post, I like the fact that you pointed out how important it is to share your avatar among social communities.
Thank you, Mark your feedback is always appreciated.
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