In yesterday's post - Putting A Face On Your Blog - Don't Be A Mystery Blogger, we talked about how important it can be to the blog branding process to personalize your blog. Using a profile picture on your blog gives your blog a face. I've said before that building connections with your readers is important to creating an audience that are more likely to become regualr visitors to your blog. If you remember we've recently talked about the power of images in blog posts and most of you seem to agree that "an image is worth a thousand words". Your blog picture is no different. The picture you choose and the placement of that picture on your site can greatly enhance your blog's appeal and say volumes about who you are.

Follow up:

Today I want to set down some guidelines for selecting a picture to use, what size it should be and where exactly to place your image for maximum impact. But before we start, let's look at some actual author blog profile images. Below is a small collection of blog author pictures I snagged off some actual blogs:

From left to right they are: Cathy Stuker from Kathy Stuker.com, Larry Brauner from Online Social Networking.com, Barbara Swafford from Blogging Without A Blog.com, and Denise Wakeman from Build A Better Blog.com. You might find it useful to visit these blogs and see exactly how they have chosen to use their faces on their blogs.

Choosing your blog profile image shouldn't be too difficult. You just need a little common sense. In most instances a head shot works best. It is probable that your image will be fairly small in size and full body shots will not show the details of your face to full advantage. I would also strongly suggest that you use a full or three-quarters image that shows your full face. Profiles aren't as easy for a viewer to connect with. I mean really, when you meet someone you look them in the eye, right? It would be an insult if your turned your head to give them your best side. A full face shot, with a pleasant smiling expression, suggests a person is open, approachable and trustworthy.

Make sure you choose an picture of with you showing your best genuine smile. The image shouldn't be too dark or over-exposed, go for an image that is fairly clear and sharp. Remember first impressions matter. If I stop by your blog and there is a picture of you with a pair of underwear on your head you better be the author of a comedy themed blog or some kind of funny images photoblog. In other words, make sure your image is in line with the tone of your blog theme.

If you are not sure what image to use ask your friends and/or family to help you decide. Show them a selection of images you are considering then let them tell you what they like and why. After all, you are near and dear to their hearts, and they will choose an image that shows you in the best possible light.

The size of your blog profile picture should be relatively small. It doesn't have to be a big picture to be effective. Most blogs aren't plastered with a large selection of faces and the eye will be drawn to your face, that's just human nature. Another reason to keep the image small, is so that it will not interfere with your blog page load time. Large images make for large files and large files take a long time to load. So make sure to actually crop and resize your picture in an image editor, don't use HTML code to reduce the display size. This only makes it smaller on the screen, the full-sized file still loads and it takes just as long to display the full-sized image would.

You can resize images online, for free, at the following sites:

• Resize Images Online
• Resize Your Image Online
• Quick Thumbnail

Where to place your blog profile image on your blog is a matter of impact. You want people to see you as soon as the page loads. The best thing to do is to make sure your smiling face is above the crease, generally speaking, above the 850 pixel mark on your blog page. Many blog owners display their picture at the top of the page, some right in the header. You can see some examples of actual blogs, by clicking on the image examples I used above. Where you actually place your image will depend on your template design and your own personal preference. Just make sure it's up there, where it will be seen.

It is a very common practice for a blog author to display an abbreviated profile or an about description that links to a full profile or about page. Often this is in the blog sidebar above the crease. This is an excellent place to have your blog profile image, it can even be directly linked to your full about page so users can click on it and learn more about you. You do have an about page, right? Sigh, I can see we'll be talking about that subject in the near future too.

So this should be easy right? Find a nice friendly smiling image of yourself, crop and resize to suit and place it above the crease on your blog. If possible link it to an awesome about page and voila! Your blog now has some real personality, well at the very least it's now more personalized and you are on your way to being a recognizable presence on the web. This is an important part promoting yourself and your blog, as well as a good blog branding practice. I can't wait to see all your friendly smiling faces on your blogs, go on now, get to it. Leave a comment and let me know how you make out. And make sure to stop by tomorrow for the next installment in our series on putting a face on your blog:

Your Blog Profile Page - Blog Authors Should Be Knowable

(Bet you saw that one coming!)

If you missed part one of this series, check it out:
1. Putting A Face On Your Blog - Don't Be A Mystery Blogger