Should You Use a Photo as your Twitter Picture?
Everyone seems to be on Twitter these days. Or on Plurk. Or Gravatar. Or MyBlogLog. Or Digg. Or Votetime. Or one of the million other social sites out there.
And all of those sites use an image on your profile. But what sort of image works best?
A photo of yourself? Or your logo? Or just a cool design?
Why Use A Photo?
- Much more personal. The idea behind sites like Twitter and Gravatar is to get closer to your readers; to form bonds and have a regular conversation with them. Using your photo is the easiest step towards making things more friendly, and simply put, more human.
- Anyone can do it. Not everyone is a designer, or has the money to hire one. But anyone can pull out a camera, snap a photo and upload it. If you don't think your logo is really up for it, then don't worry, you're in the same boat as most people! Use your photo instead.
- Stand out as an individual in a team of bloggers. A lot of blogs now have multiple authors, or don't highlight their writers very well. If you work as part of a team, it could be good to get a little individualism with your own photo, not the company logo.
Alternatively, Adelle Charles from Fuel Your Creativity has a great solution. She uses her photo as the main image, but still has a tiny logo in the bottom right.
If you do use a photo, it's probably a good idea to have the same photo on your site (Well, a slightly larger version!). It highlights the link between your blog and your social profiles. You want people to know who you are.
Why Use a Logo or a Unique Design?
- More room to be creative. Photos of yourself don't usually stand out from the crowd much. It's hard to be ground breakingly creative with a mugshot. A few million MySpace users have tried, but the results weren't always the best.
A design can be whatever you want. And a great design is going to catch a lot more eyes and be more easily remembered the next time its seen.
- Branding for you and your site. If someone visits your site and sees your logo, and then winds up on your Digg profile a few days later and sees the same logo, they're going to make the connection. Or vice verse! And if they liked your blog, they'll probably add you as a friend then.
- Photos can be hard to recognize. Twitter images are small! I've seen some photos so many times now that I'd know them instantly, but if I've only seen an image once or twice, it takes a little longer to stick for me. And the poses in some photos can make it even harder.
- Appearance changes over time. Imagine you use the same photo everywhere for a year. It's going to be pretty well known in your circle after that year. But do you still look that way? No? Well, when you update your photo, are people going to get confused? Will the ones that just about know you get lost altogether?
- Can be very easy to do! I said above that taking a photo was easy, and it is. But if your blog already has a nice logo, it's even easier than having to get the camera out!
My Conclusion
My conclusion is that, like most things blogging, it comes down to your own opinion. Personally, I just don't like seeing my own photo very much! I don't have one on the site anymore, and I can't think of any I'd like to see on other sites, so I'm sticking to my logo.
Photos don't make things any more interesting to me. I'm just as happy to see a bunny-eared anime girl, as a real person. The important bit is that I see the same bunny-eared anime girl each time, so I know who the person is.
A creative image might get a few more people to view your profile, but a friendly face might add some character to your words.
Which do you use, and why do you do it that way?
PS - As a last note, check out the just-launched Just Tweet It. It's a directory for finding other Twitterers (And adding yourself to!).
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About the Author - Michael Martin is the founder of Pro Blog Design. He works as a freelance web designer, loves WordPress, and has an unhealthy addiction to smilies. Written on 7th October 2008.
Other posts tagged with Avatars, Gravatars, Photography, Social Media, Twitter.
7th October, 8:40 pm GMT
I never really thought of that before, but to me twitter seems like it's often fairly personal and I somehow feel more connected when I see an image of the person. But if you are really trying to push your brand, then logo is the way to go. They both work.
7th October, 8:44 pm GMT
I use a picture of me, because it's more personal, and I'm involved in a ton of different things where the only thing they all have in common is ME. So it's all about ME ME ME.
But I also consistently use the same avatar everywhere I need it.
7th October, 9:19 pm GMT
Thanks for including my twitter pic in your post
I used the "F" as an image for about 4-5 months on twitter and felt I wanted to be a little more personable > thus adding the "F" in the corner still reminds people who I am but giving a sense that I'm actually real. I could go either way on the subject really and I think it's just personal preference.
7th October, 9:30 pm GMT
<<< Do you like my photo!? Seriously, this is what I look like in real life!
7th October, 9:37 pm GMT
OMG I see my robot head
Nice article and good points for both sides. I tend to lean more towards branding as much as you can, and yeah, Adelle does awesome with both
7th October, 9:38 pm GMT
when i first started i had a styletime logo but changed as i wanted the me on twitter or comments to represent who I am, nothing to do with branding, what I do is all for fun and sharing so that's why the lovely grav you see beside
personally i think the manga's should be gone! sorry James
7th October, 9:39 pm GMT
My comment above is just gonna look stupid when I change my avatar to my real photo - which I will probably do in the near future!
7th October, 9:53 pm GMT
I use my photo, because I'm sexy.
You're right that the important thing is making yourself easy to spot in the stream. Nice post
7th October, 10:15 pm GMT
Interesting post. You might remember I had such a hard time trying to create a logo for my site when I redesigned, I just couldn't produce something I wanted to keep. So I went with the photo and use the same one everywhere.
It'll take a while tracking them all down if I ever change it!
7th October, 11:17 pm GMT
You have to decide if you are branding a person, product or company. If it's a person, you have to use your own photo to make a connection with the viewer. In the same way, your corporate logo should be used and a picture of the product should be used. On the web, most of a brand is visual and to not use your own picture is a waste of an opportunity. It's like telling the Boston Globe to not include a picture of you in their article.
8th October, 12:52 am GMT
Interesting post -- you made excellent points for both kinds of avatars. I personally use my logo instead of my image. As a thirty-something, brown haired, white woman I don't think my image really sticks in your mind like my lovely red and white logo. I have clients all over the US, so it's not as important to me to give people a "preview" of me. Many of my clients don't even know what I look like, but they know what kind of work I produce.
That said, I do use a photo on my Facebook page. I figure the people there already know me, and in some cases are wondering what I look like 15-20 years later.
8th October, 12:59 am GMT
I started out using my logo, which is also my gravatar. But I kinda like the little anime-style picture of myself that I created quite a while ago. And it does look like me. So that's what I'm using, at least for now. Who knows, I may decide on something else tomorrow.
8th October, 2:12 am GMT
Woohoo! My photo made your article image.
Anywho, I like using my photo on my site as well as things like Twitter, but you bring up some very good points to the contrary. Using my logo mark might be better for building my brand online. I think it may be more recognizable than my small headshot image. On top of that, it could get to be a real hassle to update my photo on all social sites (and my site) every six months to a year because I'll continue to get older and likely change in appearance as you pointed out.
I think I'll change to my logo mark once I find the time. Hopefully I don't get a wild hair and redesign my logo now.
8th October, 2:24 am GMT
Hope you're not aging that quickly!
Heh, it's a valid point, though I think you could probably go at least 2 years without having to change your photo. Unless you change weight dramatically or change your hair colour completely.
8th October, 2:41 am GMT
@kristarella: hahah! OK, you're right, I won't age that quickly but it sounded good, right?
I actually don't think I've changed in appearance since high school. I just know it though, one of these days it'll hit me!
8th October, 3:21 am GMT
Well first, I saw my logo in your images which drew my attention into this post.
To tell the truth, while I do think some people have nice images of themselves, most do not. We're not all professional photographers, so this is understandable; however, I get embarrassed for online entrepreneurs who are trying to make a living, who have a picture of themselves in poor lighting, poor angles, and can't accurately portray any level of professionalism.
If you are just a blogger doing things for fun, then go for a picture of yourself - make it personal. However, I feel that any business trying to make money online should stick with a logo - it is brandable, identifiable, and professional. People hiring you or paying you money often don't even care what you look like, they just want to see what work you can produce.
This is a fantastic post that really made me think about why I use my logo for my avatar - well done and I look forward to seeing more great discussion!
8th October, 3:50 am GMT
I use an image which I created for myself on Photoshop - what I call the floating blue head. Because I'm an illustrator, it makes sense for me to use a picture which I have drawn. I do think there are good reasons for using a photo, though, and I may change my gravatar in future ... once someone takes a decent shot of me!
I like Adelle's new photo, although the previous one with the margarita was fun too.
8th October, 10:00 am GMT
How about cartoon characters?
I think they're cool too. It's an in-between of a photo and a design.
8th October, 12:24 pm GMT
I found a middle way between a logo and my photo. I have cartoonized my face and transformed into a sort of pin, and I use it on almost all social websites.
8th October, 12:38 pm GMT
It's high-time I updated my avatar image, but I wonder if I'll be losing a little recognition that goes with that black and white photo. I'm about three years younger in that shot, not that I've changed much.
I'm with you, Michael. Personal opinion matters most, as long as you're consistent and don't go changing every week.
8th October, 12:47 pm GMT
David, you could maintain recognition using the new B&W photo you have on your site? It's still B&W, and like you said, you haven't changed that much.
I like that it's a photo and not your DA logo — even though that's recognisable
8th October, 1:17 pm GMT
I think you're right, Kris. The one off my site is also a little friendlier (plus less posey).
8th October, 6:13 pm GMT
Alek,
I know what you mean. I've heard a lot of people say that, and I can see the sense in it. If the photo makes it feel more human to you, then it's doing a great job.
Andrea,
Haha, well said, but very true! I do recognize your photo any time I see it, so I guess its working!
Adelle,
Thanks for sharing. It's a really great best of both worlds solution! If I ever use a photo, I think I'll follow your lead.
James,
You look pretty awesome! Black streaks on your cheeks are warrior markings??
Mike Smith,
Great branding never hurt anyone!
Styletime,
How come you don't use your real name with it though?
That makes sense. Twitter etc. are a lot more personal, and your display picture is pretty damn memorable still, so you've no issues there!
Mike Robinson,
Haha - Maybe you like photos of you a little *too* much?
Kristarella,
)
I do remember that, and in your case, the photo was definitely the right option then. There was no point in forcing up a logo you weren't fully happy with. Especially not for a photo you're going to see so often! (But yeah, good luck when it comes to changeover time!
Dan,
But with blogging, how do you draw the line between the blog and the person? As far as their online presence goes, the blogger is the blog, in a manner of speaking. That's becoming less true for Pro Blog Design, because I've started taking on other writers as well, but before then, when someone say my name, I wanted them to instantly think of my blog as well. The 2 were to be inseparable.
Leslie,
Yeah, I don't meet any of my clients either, and they don't need to know what I look like. I agree wholeheartedly that a person need only be judged by their work. What can you tell about someone from a photo?
Infmom,
I'm still seeing the logo here. Anime pictures can be a fun novelty. Either would work!
Deron,
)
Haha, that would be just the luck! To spread the brand everywhere and then suddenly find the time to redo the whole look.
(Agreed with Kristarella though. Appearance won't change too often, at least not to most people! It's more a danger of disliking old photos of you. At least, that's what would bug me
Brian,
Well put! Some people manage to take great photos, but not everyone does. And the style of the photo does say something to me about the person. Like would a poor photo indicate poor art skills? Or do some photos look a little too much like the "hero" images from old business websites? It's far riskier to try getting a photo right, than making a nice logo.
Tracey,
Haha, is there a neck there? I've always wondered a bit! You make a great point though. If I was an illustrator, I'd definitely use some of my work anywhere I could!
Goldfries,
(But at the same time, they're rarely quite as memorable as a regular logo, or as personal as a real photo).
True! I was wondering about making a separate point for them in the post, but it got a little confusing to word. They sort of take the fun/unique side of a logo/image, and mix it with the easiness and personality of a photo, which is great.
Gianluca,
That's pretty cool. Good idea.
David,
I think Kristarella's idea is great! Changing both the photo and to color in one go would be a big jump. But moving to a new black&white photo would be a much smaller jump. Could work!
9th October, 2:50 am GMT
Awesome, my fabulously amazing twitter pic made it to your article!
Seriously though, I'm obviously no big-shot blogger and I'm also not a huge twitter user, but I decided to use my real picture in order to maintain consistency in all of my social profiles. Once I update my Facebook profile pic, all of my accounts follow suit: Twitter, flickr, Blogger.com, MySpace [yeah, I still have an account there], Multiply, Friendster [don't ask!], etc.
I'm not promoting anything nor am I promoting myself, but well, I just like to use it.
Perhaps the only ones that don't follow suit are forum profiles, deviantArt, and this gravatar email because I respect the [traditional] Anonymity that these type of sites provide--and I'd love to keep it that way. Twitter on the other hand could be taken in two ways. You could choose to be Anonymous, or you could choose to just... reveal Yourself.
PS: Ooh... You're using Windows Live writer to blog?
9th October, 2:56 am GMT
i use my mascot as my photo instead of real photo for a change:)also another way to promote myself.LOL=)
9th October, 9:27 am GMT
I use my photo on gravatar, but my logo on twitter, I'm not sure whether that's for branding or what.
9th October, 5:36 pm GMT
Pam,
I think you're doing things the way they were meant to be done. It's a place to have fun and catch up with people online, and a personal pic is ideal for that! 
Haha, yup, well spotted!
I hadn't thought of forums and dA etc. That's a great point! I suppose in communities like that, you really spend a lot of time in a relatively small place (As opposed to random comments across entirely different blogs/sites), so people get to know you a lot better and don't need an image to recognize you by. Changing the picture around is more fun and keeps things fresh then.
But lol - Yup! I love Windows Live Writer! It's ideal for playing with the formatting of the post, and for adding images! Only downside is that it can't do post excerpts very well. How did you know?? The image names??
Naldz,
Haha - Your mascot is awesome though! I'd use it too.
Danny,
(I suppose it depends on the way you use the 2 things though)
If it works for ya, that's cool! If I was going to do it like that, I'd probably do it the other way around to be honest. Logo on Gravatar and photo on Twitter. Twitter is usually more personal.
10th October, 2:48 am GMT
Over here in Malaysia, some bloggers (including me) don't reveal our identities because we sometimes make comments critical of our government. When the government finds our views too extreme to their liking, they will make use of certain draconian laws which include detention without trial. This is the fate of our of our most popular socio-political blogger. He revealed his full identity and is currently suffering for that.
10th October, 12:53 pm GMT
I use a photo on just about everything I use/own. I find it helps project me as a person rather than a cyber-guy-whatever.
I'm not exactly fond of guys using avatars everywhere (I'm pointing a fat finger at you, Michael !).
10th October, 12:57 pm GMT
Pablopabla,
That's dreadful! I hadn't even considered that! It really shows the huge differences between the countries we live in. I sometimes forget just how good we have things here. I hope that someday it will be the same for you!
In the meantime, I'll keep knowing you as pablopabla! Don't need a photo.
11th October, 9:11 am GMT
I agree, no matter what's on Your avatar, main thing is that people know who You are, when they see Your picture. Adelle has great solution with personal look wih image and also logotype..:)
11th October, 1:49 pm GMT
That's me! That's me on the 7th from left!
You were so so right, I use my photo because it's personal, and because I can't design
12th October, 2:41 am GMT
Michael, another thing about what pablopabla mentioned, the cultural difference purdy much an influence.
Not just political matters, but some times there are just people who like to abuse your photo.
So I'd say, strike a pose instead of a mugshot where people could copy and paste on another photo.
In my case, I manage a high-traffic forum and sometimes people do get nasty. There were people who threaten to beat me too, whether those threats were real - I don't know!
12th October, 4:33 pm GMT
Michael, here's what I'd like to add to what pablopabla mentioned - it's not just politics. it the general nonsensical mentality we have.
Look, that's me. That's about 17 pages in 2 hours. I guess people just aren't happy with my moderation. ........ oh well.
http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/815517
13th October, 10:05 am GMT
Funnily, my avatar does not show here. Hmm.....
13th October, 5:48 pm GMT
Funnyily my latest comments didn't appear!
pablopabla cautious of ISA too huh? I still write on my personal blog but hopefully I don't get ISA visitation.
13th October, 7:23 pm GMT
Dainis,
Agreed. Your own is very good
Pelf,
Hehe - Well spotted!
Goldfries,
Sorry your comments got caught in the spam queue! Found all 3 of them in there. Akismet has something against you! :p
That's a shame about the forum. People do have a tendancy to be nastier online than they would in real life, so I can imagine what that must be like sometimes. It's a shame there are people like that out there, but at least you don't seem to be bothered by their stupidity! Guess ya just learn to ignore it.
Pablopabla,
Sorry about that. Not sure why it isn't working! Same with Deron's. Gravatar just isn't loading them.
13th October, 7:50 pm GMT
Hehe, akismet is doing its job!
Well, as you can see I have to deal with emo / childish people.......... and I'm not even paid! 40 pages in less than 36 hours. If i had participated, the I'm sure it'll be more. I didn't, I refuse to stoop to that level. That's just having to deal with kids and occasional threads (via PM or SMS, whichever......... I had plenty).
Just to fill you in on what pablopabla mentioned, Malaysia had in the past month or 2, 3 bloggers (according to my memory) arrested by.
Raja Petra Kamaruddin - author of Malaysia Today ( http://mt.m2day.org/2008/ , the new URL since the previous URL http://www.malaysia-today.net was ordered to be blocked and it's still blocked. )
Sheih - author of http://kickdefella.wordpress.com/ (he's from the same hometown as I am)
Haris Ibrahim - author of http://harismibrahim.wordpress.com/
3 politic related blog. 3 arrests. That also we've not looked into the ridiculous arrests done by the ISA (Malaysia's Internal Security Act).
You can read more about it here. http://www.cpj.org/news/2008/a.....p08na.html
It was so bad, there's now even mass request of the ISA to be abolished.
13th October, 7:50 pm GMT
ok. i posted a reply with a bunch of links. it should be in the SPAM collection by now.
14th October, 12:11 am GMT
Goldfries,
Lmao - I think I'm going to rename my spam bin to goldfries' corner!
Staying out of the thread can't have been easy. Hard to resist that! But I guess that's why you're on the staff and they aren't!
Thanks for sharing the links. That's really shocking to read. And they didn't just arrest those people; they sent 10 police officers to apprehend them?? What were they expecting a blogger to do? That's really quite scary.
14th October, 12:18 am GMT
I also find that a good way to balance using a profile pic and building your brand is to customize your background image in Twitter. Remember that the Twitter bg is fixed to the top left of your page, so by creating a custom image and ensuring your graphical content is positioned at the left to account for different resolutions, you can offer any other type of message you want to all of your loyal Twitter followers. A great way to remain personal and even more open by (for example) offering your other social media sites, or a link to your Lifestream. You can see an example on my Twitter page: Twitter.com/Aizlewood
Just another idea!
14th October, 3:31 am GMT
Ha ha I was able to pick out my twitter avatar in your header image. Good post by the way =)
~ Jeremy Newton
16th October, 5:20 pm GMT
I really don't fancy the idea of having a photo of my fizzog all over the place, but I do think it helps to build a degree of trust between blogger and reader - take that photo of Darren Rowse as an example, I am sure any serious blogger knows the one I mean, it has been used everywhere and has no doubt helped to build up Darren's (well deserved) reputation.
I am currently using a photograph I have taken and I'm quite happy with it at the moment, mostly because I really like the blue colour and the simplicity of the image.
21st October, 4:12 pm GMT
The scope of the account also will effect the type of avatar used.
For example, the twitter account we have for our whole office (http://www.twitter.com/KGBAdvertising) is set up with part of our logo, as we want that account to be a part of our overall brand. Since it represents the whole office, it does not make sense for us to use a picture of any one individual.
On the other hand, the accounts help be individuals in the office mainly use pictures of themselves, since the scope of that account lends itself to a more person feel.
22nd October, 12:11 am GMT
Hey, Look at the pictures of my new emo hairstyle
in http://tinyurl.com/59ps64
23rd October, 3:20 am GMT
I use my pic, but will most likely move to graphic when I design something I love to represent myself
23rd October, 2:13 pm GMT
I'm using Twitter primarily for business marketing purposes, rather than as a personal social tool. For that reason I use my highly recognizable business identity as my avatar. In one month it has resulted in several new clients coming my way and a couple great media contacts as well. It is part of my ongoing business branding.
23rd October, 3:47 pm GMT
I think a photo is fine, so long as you use that photo elsewhere. - It just helps you recognise peoples faces rather than remembering a huge amount of names. I'm going to have to get my Photo about a bit, think this post has kicked me into gear.
23rd October, 9:07 pm GMT
I use my website logo for Gravatar and twitter avatar. And that's because I often experiment with my looks
. And I have always seen others staring at my ID card(s) wondering if it is fake ! 
But now I am thinking of using my photo as my avatar. May be 'Adelle Charles' style..
Photo with the logo.. 
24th October, 2:14 am GMT
I think it also comes down to your brand... personally I use my photo as it is also very evident everywhere else... on my business card (full on one side) and also on my website. I do however, like Adelle's double deal... I may try that out for myself.
30th October, 5:27 pm GMT
Honestly, does it really matter?!
Isn't the beauty of social networking, well, networking? If someone wants to use a photo of him/her self, kids, dog, cat, a logo, icon or symbol -- then let them.
I started out using my logo as an avatar and after being a voyeur and minimalist, I decided to jump in. Changed by avatar to a photo (recently done professionally by my hubby the photog in a studio setting) would better suit my reasons for participating -- so I could network MYSELF / MY COMPANY / MY WORK.
I do like Adell Charles avatar and believe it to be a great solution and presentation.
3rd November, 12:30 am GMT
I agree that a photo is more personal, I use a photo of myself for twitter, but a site logo for places like socialspark or forums.
3rd November, 12:33 am GMT
I do follow well designed logos as an avatars. I am still working on a good logo for my social movement : http://twitter.com/cureworlddream. For my personal account http://twitter.com/dreamreaper I will prefer something with character. One will a great smile does helps I guess.
18th November, 10:40 pm GMT
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