What is Gravatar
If you’ve seen image icons next to people’s comments on social media, then you already know what an Avatar is. A Gravatar is similar, except that it’s a Globally Recognized Avatar, meaning you can have the same picture show up across all websites (as long as they support Gravatar--a popular service provided by WordPress.com as a universal web solution used by most websites).
All you have to do is assign an image to an email address so that anytime you comment or post online using that same email address, It’ll pull the image associated with it from the Gravatar server.
Gravatars are especially helpful for people and businesses who want to represent their online identity consistently across multiple platforms.
Benefits of using a Gravatar
- Adds a face to your brand. It builds your business identity with the people you interact with online, which helps add credibility to the content you share online and create trust, all while giving you a professional look.
- Quick & simple to change. Want to update your picture or profile information? Instead of manually going through every website and making the same update multiple times, simply upload your new image or profile information to Gravatar and it’ll automatically reuse it across all your content platforms.
- Easily recognizable. A Gravatar makes you stand out online and help users identify your posts and comments across the Internet. This can lead to users visiting your company website, increasing traffic and creating exposure for your brand.
Set up your Gravatar in 8 simple steps
1. Go to the Gravatar website.
2. Click on Create Your Own Gravatar.
3. Enter the email address you want to use, and create a username and password.
Note: This WordPress.com account is not the same as your website’s account.
4. A confirmation email will be sent to your inbox where you will be asked to confirm and login to Gravatar. Your confirmation email should look something like this:
5. Click Activate Account to access the login page.
6. After logging in, you’ll notice a message stating that you do not have any uploaded images. Click on Add one by clicking here! and follow the on-screen instructions.
Note: If you plan on commenting or posting on behalf of your company or are using your company’s general email address such as @info, @support, etc. we recommend using the company’s logo for your Gravatar photo.
7. After uploading and cropping your image, select a rating for your Gravatar. We recommend using a G rating—it’s better for you in terms of reach, since it will enable your Gravatar to be shown on websites and forums without any restrictions. Once you’ve selected your rating, click Set Rating.
8. Go to My Profile and complete your Gravatar profile by choosing a Display Name and filling out the About Me section. Providing relevant details, such as links to your company website, blog and social media accounts make it easier for you to engage with other people and grow your business’s online presence.