Build Your Online Brand by Paying Attention to Your Avatar

27 Jan Build Your Online Brand by Paying Attention to Your Avatar

Every Tuesday the CV Escrow blog will be posting Technology Tips designed to help you, the Realtor, grow your business, keep up to date on the latest technologies, and move you forward into the new era of Real Estate.

Build your online brand with your avatar?  Your what?  Wondering what an avatar even is?  Here is a hint:

Avatar is a fancy word for the small image used to depict your online presence or identity.  It is a very important part of any Realtor’s online presence and branding.  When you create a profile on a social media website, they often ask you to upload a photo of yourself.  This photo is your avatar – most Realtors would think of it as their headshot.  But should your avatar be your headshot?  Maybe, but maybe not.

Here are some things to consider when choosing your avatar:

• Your avatar sets the tone for who you are.  What do you want it to say?  It should be a reflection of you.  It is the first visual that people generally see of you.  Put some thought behind it.  Keep in mind that it does play a part in defining your personal brand online.  What do you want your personal brand to say?
• Keep in mind that the digital world is generally more casual than the print world in marketing yourself.  I suggest portraying a professional, yet approachable image of yourself.  It does not need to be of you in business formal attire (of course, it can be).
• The image will most often be presented very small, and cropped to a square.  Very frequently the image will be only a ½ inch square.  It will often appear as part of a list like this example from Facebook.

• Your avatar should be close up to your face.  Because of the small size that most Avatar’s are presented, it is generally best to have the photo be cropped tight.
• It is ok to get creative!  Your avatar doesn’t have to be your face (but most Realtors will likely choose this option).  Also, think about getting creative with your cropping.  You’d be surprised how well you can communicate you with just part of your face.  For some additional options check out this Guide To Using Avatars for Online Marketing by Justin Smith of the Real Estate Tomato.

Take a look at the sample avatars at the beginning of this post and a few more below.  These are all appropriate guides for Realtors who want to brand themselves online and participate in the social media game.  Give your avatar some thought – make sure your photo fits the medium, communicates what you want it to say, and is a reflection of you.  It will be good for your brand and your business!

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