Blogging | Forum « Do you really NEED to show up your face on your blog?

Do you really NEED to show up your face on your blog? (15 posts)

Topic tags: affect, avatar, face, important, pic, profile, reasons

Crazzy Kylex said
7 months, 3 weeks ago:
Sorry, if I sound stupid. But, is it really mandatory to show yourself on your blog? And, does this anyhow affect your blogging journey? If so, exactly how much?
Examples will be highly appreciated. Thanks!
@crazzykylex | # | Top
Kristi Hines said
7 months, 3 weeks ago:
@crazzykylex I’ve known some bloggers who have become really popular before revealing who they are, and some that have stayed anonymous. Usually the anonymous ones will have some kind of character / symbol to represent themselves with vs. a picture of themselves. It really just depends on your blogging goals – if you’re planning to make money or run a business, people might be more comfortable working with someone they can “see” vs. an unknown person. If you’re just blogging to blog, it shouldn’t be a big deal.
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Crazzy Kylex said
7 months, 3 weeks ago:
@kristi-hines can you please mention the name of those bloggers?
@crazzykylex | # | Top
Geoffrey Gordon said
7 months, 3 weeks ago:
@crazzykylex if you don’t want to show your pic you can always go for a graphic vector of yourself. check out my website. I have mine and my partner in the business in vector format. Although i don’t mind showing my photo.
@geoffrey-gordon | # | Top
Crazzy Kylex said
7 months, 3 weeks ago:
@geoffrey-gordon Yes, just saw it on the About page. But you still use your real photo. By the way, who is Aruna Gordon? Sounds like your wife
And… one more thing man. I love your website design. Great!
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Geoffrey Gordon said
7 months, 3 weeks ago:
Yip she is my wife. We are a team Thanks for the feedback.
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Kate – Trip Logic said
7 months, 3 weeks ago:
It depends a lot on what type of blog you are running. Brain Pickings is an amazingly popular blog, and the focus is more on interesting content than on the creator of it. Blogs that are based on a personal relationship with the viewer like healthy living blogs and mommy blogging usually use a lot of personal photography.
What kind of blog are you thinking about?
@triplogic | # | Top
Kristi Hines said
7 months, 3 weeks ago:
@crazzykylex There are a few that come to mind…
- http://www.blogtyrant.com/ started out anonymous and eventually decided to reveal himself. You can see what he accomplished anonymously (http://www.blogtyrant.com/about/) and how he “unmasked” himself (http://www.viperchill.com/unmasked/).
- As far as I know, http://www.skelliewag.org/ has never revealed who she really is. Or at least I’ve never seen a real photo and last name. Not sure if Skellie is her first name or just a pen name.
There’s also this post (http://www.problogger.net/archives/2011/06/28/5-reasons-to-blog-anonymously-and-5-reasons-not-to/) about the pros and cons of blogging anonymously. Hope this helps!
@kristi-hines | # | Top
Judith Gotwald said
7 months, 3 weeks ago:
Once I contributed to a book and the editor asked for a photo of myself. I gave thm a photo of my hands playing a musical instrument. The editor was delighted and ran that photo with the author bio. Point, be creative. No, you don’t have to show your face, but people like it when you show them something that helps them know you better.
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Denise Rubright said
7 months, 2 weeks ago:
Nice website Geoffrey! I like your images too.@geoffrey-gordon
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Crazzy Kylex said
7 months, 2 weeks ago:
@triplogic mine is about blogging and affiliate marketing
@kristi-hines Thanks a million, Kristy! Those are the greatest examples I could need at the moment.
@judithgotwald I thought that you need to show your face upfront; with a close up shot (as I can see all of the members here follow the same tactic) So, going for a creative shot is a really different idea. Thanks
@crazzykylex | # | Top
Judith Gotwald said
7 months, 2 weeks ago:
@crazzykylex
Also, I noticed that my readership picked up when I started writing more personally. Blogging is a revealing medium. Dare to be yourself!
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Kenneth Golden said
7 months ago:
By not doing this you let a valuable opportunity get by. The photo does not have to be great but it should be a person and not a object!
@klg007 | # | Top
Sam Scholfield said
7 months ago:
I have found that the traffic to my website and interaction with posts have increased since I put my picture on the website. Most of the comments will contain something like “Hi Sam” or “Thanks Sam” which makes it more personable and can lead to better relationships with readers.
I also believe that people are more likely to comment if they see that someone has put the time into creating the content for them – but that’s just my opinion.
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Kim Steadman said
7 months ago:
I’ve been taught that if you are going to have a blog that trying to reach people on a personal basis (with articles that say “I”, “Me”, etc, ) then yes, your picture on your blog is important. It gives your readership a chance to connect with you on a personal level therefore applying the old lesson of “know me, trust me, like me”. I like the animated picture though..much easier to hide the wrinkles and gray hair =)
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