Creating Great Avatar or Profile Images: 7 Tips

Avatars are very interesting and say a lot about you. A little mini snapshot of yourself; who you are and what you do. Personal photos say a lot about a person. I have been using photos of my clients to place in their brochures, bios, websites etc. for years and the rules for avatars are the same, just a different platform. 

Here are few tips to make better avatar to increase your business. (If you a looking to increase your love life you will have to visit another blog or have separate accounts...)

1. Use a current photo. Believe it or not people are more interesting once they have been around more, done more. Who seeks advise or is racing to do business from someone right out of college? Plus, when you finally get really successful where someone wants to interview you or meet with you all your creditability that you have built up for years is shot. Admit it... we all feel differently about people who use ten-year-old photos of themselves.

2. Be comfortable. Your feelings show in a photo, so if you are uncomfortable with getting your picture taken make your photographer take lots of photos. I don't mean 2o; I mean until you are tired and don't care anymore. That is at the point you will look like yourself.

3. Dress the part. If you have a serious job like an attorney you need to look like an attorney. If you are in a creative industry then wear something interesting and unique. Who would trust an attorney that shows up in shorts and flip flops? 

4.  Don't look too provocative for business. Mom is still right.  You will waste so much time meeting people who want to "get to know you better" under the pretense of work. 

5. Make your avatar standout. Break out of the square! Do something to make your avatar different than the sea of photos out there. Add some type, a symbol, different shape – anything that says something specifically about you.

6. Know your brand. Stay consistent with who you are and what you are selling. (more on this later...)

7. Be kind to yourself. What you hate about your features nobody else sees until you point it out. So stop already! You are the only one that can be you. So be true to yourself and you will look great!

When I look at avatars I can't help thinking about the old four frame black and white photo strips we all use to love to take in a photo booth behind a pulled curtain. I think it is because when you get a lot of tweets the photos are repeated in a vertical a row.  So have some fun and let me know if you need help...

Nancy Martini

twitter/EcoArtist