Put A Face On The Comments You Leave Around The Web

We've been discussing the importance of personalizing your blog. We've explored doing this with the use of a profile picture, adding an about page and some offsite options for creating and linking to a profile page offline that helps increase your social reach.

If you missed the first 4 post in the series, here's the list:
1. Putting A Face On Your Blog - Don't Be A Mystery Blogger
2. Choosing & Using A Blog Profile Picture - Putting Your Best Blog Face Forward
3. Your Blog Profile Page - Blog Authors Should Be Knowable
4. Online Hosted Profile Pages - Alternatives For A Blog About Page

Today we're going to extend the topic to not only putting a face on your blog, but getting your face out there for more people to see. Maybe this seems like self-promotion to you and that's because it is. Your blog is an extension of you. So putting your face on your blog, getting your face along with your blog's name and location out there for all to see, all go together. One of the easiest ways to do this is to leave comments on other people's blogs and take steps to ensure that your profile image is posted along with your blog url.

Follow up:

You may have noticed that more and more blog comments are showing peoples avatars or profile pictures. If you're one of those you've been wondering why your picture doesn't show up and what you can can do to change that, let me point you in the right direction.

The first thing you need to do is to sign up for a free Gravatar. You are probably wondering just what a Gravatar is and why you need one, right? Simple, a Gravatar is a globally recognized avatar. It is a picture that will automatically be displayed on Gravatar enabled commenting system when you leave a comment. Systems that use the plugin such as Wordpress and Intense Debate are both very common online. It's a simple process, you sign up, upload your image and forget it. Once you do, your smiling face will now appear on any Gravatar enabled system where you leave a comment.

As a quick side-note, if you've never heard of IntenseDebate, it is a comment plugin available for use on almost all blog platforms. It is highly social and adds many interactive features to the blog commenting function.

Another comment plugin, that is gaining popularity on the web is Disqus. It is also feature rich and invites more social interaction between commentors. However, it is not Gravatar enabled. The good news is that you can sign up for an account and upload a picture to their site as well. Don't worry, you won't have to use their comment plugin on their site to upload a picture. Instead you can sign up for their Disqus Profile option which is for users who don't have a blog or website, or who are not interested in using the plugin. The profile account is free and gives you some other options, such as being able to track any comments you leave on Disqus enabled sites from their website.

Signing up for the two above mentioned services, will go a long way to getting your face out there with your blog whenever you leave comments. A face gives your words a soul. It makes you more real, it makes your blog more memorable and recognizable. If you leave comments on certain blogs on a regular basis, if they are interesting enough and you have put face on them you will be more accessible and inviting. People will find it easier to relate to you and are more likely to visit your blog and leave comments of their own.

Branding your blog and your internet presence consistently wherever you go online is important. So be consistent and use the same image for your profile picture on your blog, on your profile or about page, on any sites that your allow you to upload a profile picture and on the comments you leave around the web. It will make you instantly recognizable and connect you to your blog(s), no matter where you are seen.

That being said, there is just one last post in this series and it's really just an extension of what we've discussed here. In our next installment we will talk briefly about other ways to get yourself and your blog out there - where you can be seen, both by potential readers and search engines. So don't miss:

Other Ways For You & Your Blog To Be Seen Online

Again, if you missed the first 4 post in the series, here's the list:
1. Putting A Face On Your Blog - Don't Be A Mystery Blogger
2. Choosing & Using A Blog Profile Picture - Putting Your Best Blog Face Forward
3. Your Blog Profile Page - Blog Authors Should Be Knowable
4. Online Hosted Profile Pages - Alternatives For A Blog About Page