Bloggers, are you using a Gravatar in your blog? For those of you who don’t know about it, Gravatar is a globally recognized avatar. Simply put, it is the personalized image that follows you around the web when you leave comments, write blog posts or contribute in forums. It is very easy to set up your own Gravatar so if you don’t already have one then watch the video below and keep reading to find out how exactly you can set one up.
Why a Gravatar?
As I mentioned above, Gravatar is a personalized image that represents you as it sits alongside your contents. To upload your picture manually in every blogs or forums you comment on is nearly impossible or is a total waste of time even if possible. This is when this free service comes to play. Using this service, you upload the image once and connect it to whichever email addresses you use. And wherever you go and use the designated email addresses, your avatar follows you and shows up (in sites where this feature is available).
From a branding perspective, Gravatar is a must, as it helps you identify yourself and your brand. If you are a blogger, then it plays an important role in distinguishing you from the rest of crowd in the ever crowded blogosphere. Building relations with your blog readers is the key in being a successful blogger and Gravatars help you build that relationship. A different kind of trust develops between you and your audience if your picture is present along with your posts. It helps your audience relate to you easily. And of course, it adds personality to your blog as well as what you say in the web.
An advice for bloggers, if you are thinking about building a brand, it is best to use the same picture in the avatar as well as social media outlets like Twitter, Diggit, Stumble Upon, Facebook and so on. This is because, it helps get exposure for your brand or your business and helps you get recognized in your web community.
How to get a Gravatar?
Even though there are several gravatar plug-ins available for leading blogging softwares like WordPress and Blogger, I recommend signing up to Gravatar site to set up your own avatar.
To set up a gravatar, simply, just follow these simple steps:
Choose your image: The first step in getting a Gravatar is to get the image ready. You will be asked for an image so better get one ready first. I use my own picture just like many bloggers out there. You can use the picture that you think best represents you or a company brand or a logo if you represent a company or a brand. The image can be in your computer, somewhere in the web or it can be taken directly form your webcam. Keep in mind that the images has to be in JPEG, GIF or PNG format.
Sign up with Gravatar site: In this step go visit Gravatar site and sign up. While signing up, use the primary email address you use around the web. This is important as the gravatar is set up correspondingly to the email address you use to sign up. If you want to use more than one email addresses, you can add it in you account after the account has been set up. After signing up, the site sends you the conformation email along with the link where you can click to confirm your setup.
Confirm by clicking on the link: After you receive the confirmation email, click on the confirmation link to confirm your setup. Then enter an unique nick name and a password to access your account with the Gravatar site. Then, you are asked to enter your password twice. After entering the password click on ‘Sign up’ button.
Upload your image: This step is where you upload the image you choose. You can upload the image anywhere from the web, from your computer or directly from your webcam. If you want to upload from the computer, make sure you know where the image is located at. If you choose an image from the web, you need to provide the URL of the image.
Crop the image: After uploading your image, you can click and drag the provided square to get the best part of the picture you have uploaded. If you want the whole picture as a Gravatar then, your image must be 80 X 80 pixels square or else gravatar will automatically shrink whatever part of an image you choose to 80 by 80 pixels. Preview the image on the right and when you are satisfied, press ‘Crop and Finish!’ button.
Lastly, rate your image: The last part of this process asks you to rate the Gravatar you just provided. If your avatar is offensive to some age group then, rate it accordingly. If it is just your picture and nothing offensive or obscene, then it is best to go with the rating G. The rating G displays your image in all the blogs and forums that support this feature. Some sites do not display offensive avatars with nudity and violence. And if you are thinking about having a serious online presence or building a brand or a business, then it is always best to go with something simple that can be rated as G.
So, that’s how you get your own custom Gravatar that is ready to be put to use. It may take a while for the Gravatars to appear so be patient. Please feel free to leave comments if you have any questions or if you simply want to test the Gravatar you just created.
Here’s to your successful Endeavor Online.
-Adam Paudyal
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Before you go...
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I created this blog to chronicle the success and failures of my various online endeavors and to share with you the knowledge I gain along the way... 
hey Adam,
I was wondering how to add a picture to the comments I make on sites. Now I know thanks to the detailed information you provided about Gravatars in your post above.
Thanks and keep up the good work.
You are very welcome Misty.
Thank you for your comments.