This is an interesting question, Barbara, and I think it relates to online branding.

Whether bloggers consciously set out to ‘brand’ themselves or their blogs, or whether any branding is accidental, it is a great benefit to gain instant recognition in the blogosphere.

I immediately recognized Eric, Alex, Vered, and Urban Panther from their avatars. I could name them from seeing their avatars.

So, I guess this means that the name linked to an avatar is useful. I intend to get an avatar quite soon.

However, avatars aren’t in place on all blogs nor do all bloggers want to have an avatar (either their face or a graphic)- so using one isn’t essential.

In my opinion, the ideal scenario is when all three of the elements you suggest are equally recognizable, either together or separate.

To have awareness of your name AND your blog AND your online image is pure gold- branding wise

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A game, how fun, Barbara!!

I went down the avatar column and could name 8 out of 14 with no sweat. The rest I had to use the other columns to match up with.

I believe all of them are important. Some people learn better through words, and some by photos/graphics — that’s why it’s important to have all of it on your blog IMO.

Coincidentally, I’m running a contest at 99Designs.com this week to get an icon designed to add to my blog title.

Linda Abbit´s last blog post..Funny Fridays: Because It’s Better to Laugh than to Cry!

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Well, this was really fun Barbara - I recognized “most” of them by the avatar - I don’t know - does that I spend way too much time here!!! (no, I didn’t think so…).

I think Cath makes a point that I agree with - it’s easier to recognize the ones that are either real photos or anime pictures. And I really do find the pictures make people more recognizable in the comments. If I’m in a hurry, and scanning through comments, a picture can pull me in because it’s a person I recognize.

What I’m also getting from this is that maybe it’s important to use the same picture anyplace you might have a picture on the web - like Stumbleupon, Twitter, Digg, etc. You will become more “recognizable” in more spots. I think I’m doing this - but now I’m going to check…

I like Linda’s point as well - about how different people recognize/remember things differently. A great reason for both having an avatar, and for having them enable on your site.

Lance´s last blog post..Believe In Yourself

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Well, I guess in the blogosphere, the author names don’t have much significance as only 10-20% of your readers are regular and know you very well… Rest of the people are referral and search visitors.

I prefer to pick an avatar that matches with my domain name, which I think, is the case now

If you have your name as the domain name, may be, you can pick your face as avatar But such domain names may not hold much value, but their contents would.

cheers,
Ajith

Ajith Edassery´s last blog post..Understand your blog posts’ visibility via Google Webmaster Tools (and take corrective measures, if necessary)

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I recognize a blogger by their avatar, but when I see the avatar, I recognize I always know their “name” real or fake and most times their blog address.

Maybe the name they use holds the most weight though.

i matched up 7, only because I know their avatars and I see their names here.

hey, this is a hard question
Natura´s last blog post..Oh, Sense Less One

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Great idea for a post, Barbara.

I was all over the place. I matched some by name and some by nickname. I think I managed to match 6 or 7 of you guys. I did the best by matching the name to the face, however.

John Hoff - eVentureBiz´s last blog post..Open Discussion: What Would Make For A Great WordPress Hosting Company?

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I’m thinking there is a lot more to consider here than meets the eye. I believe the ‘most’ important contributor would be different for different types of blogs.

Your online name is THE most important factor, as it is what ALL blogs use … not every blog allows avatars in the comments section, so your name value is very high. One that arouses curiosity or one that is descriptive is better than your real name, because it makes readers more likely to click over to check out your blog.

If you have a relationship oriented blog, like a ministry, or some sort of counseling or encouragement blog, your face will instill much more confidence in your visitors … a carefully chosen digital avatar may be equal to that, as long as it doesn’t project ‘too’ techie or futuristic an image that might give a less ‘warm’ feeling to people looking for help. The down side of using your face is that it changes over time. I have a couple older blogs that use my face as an avatar, but since that pic I have gained a little weight, changed my hair style, and started wearing glasses. I really need to change those avatars, but people ‘know’ me by THAT face.

If your blog is focused toward marketing, then an image that brings your product to mind will probably be better suited. It’s the perfect ‘branding’ opportunity, and the image can be used for online as well as offline recognition … and it will never need to be updated.

Unquestionably, offline marketing is VERY dependent on our domain name. A long or overly hyphenated name is a major obstacle to offline marketing. If people can’t easily recall your URL, they will never make it to your blog.

ru4real´s last blog post..Do You Have A Word of Comfort?

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Hi there.. I have to admit I didn’t do so well when I just went on Author’s name! Certainly I did much better linking up avatar faces, and I also think blog name is important. There’s something about being able to link a face to a blog, I guess it’s because we do this so often in the ‘real world’!

So I would rank highly: avatar of author, followed closely by blog name / author name…

Cheers

Ross´s last blog post..How to stay inspired in tough times

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I matched all of them, the last couple by process of elimination. I think all are important, but if I had to choose one, I would say I recognize author name first.

Writer Dad´s last blog post..Bright Ideas

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I’ve been thinking a lot about how a domain name can affect the blog traffic, and therefore, the success of the blog business, so this post is very timely.

It drives me crazy to think I didn’t SEO my domain name to Yes to Me. Yes, it’s a good easy name to remember, but no one would google “yes to me” when they are thinking of spiritual development.

While my Akashic Record Reading site gets 75% of traffic by google search! Part of the reason is the great domain name: akashicrecordreading.com

Still I don’t want to move my domain (again). . .

Akemi - “Spiritual Entrepreneur” @ Yes to Me´s last blog post..What Is Spiritual Healing?

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Interesting comments, maybe I have a few things to change, as my avatar.

Sorry not to be too witty, I’m a bit sick today,
Miguel de Luis´s last blog post..Eldietario is 3 months old (and got a new name)

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Hi Kevin - Thanks for participating. I’ve read all of the comments and the results are interesting.

Hi Scott - Absolutely. Online branding is very important, and I agree, if all three aspects are equally recognized, a blogger will be well branded.

Hi Catherine - I see Kevin answered your question with regard to renaming blogs in our readers. I had the same problem as you and now have the author’s name listed first.

Hi Linda Abbit - That’s right. Some people are more visual, whereas others remember words. We need to find a way to appeal to as many as possible.

Hi J.D. - Your comment reminded me of how in real life we do the same thing; enter a room and scan for those whom we recognize.

Hi Lance - Yes, it is very important to brand ourselves with the same avatar on all sites (blogs and social media).

Hi Davina - Like you, I notice the avatars first. If I don’t recognize the avatar, than I will look at the name, and if their comment is interesting I’ll click through to their blog.

Hi Ajith - That’s a good idea. If your blog name is your name than your avatar could be your photo or an avatar that reflects our personality. Just like Catherine and her purple hair.

Hi Betsy - You’ve brought up a good point. Should we change our avatars when we have them registered all over blogosphere? If we did, would we lose some of our branding power?

Hi Natural - I see you have a new avatar. I like it! Since you’ve recently changed yours, do you think it has affected your branding power?

Hi John - Thank you! I’m finding it interesting how guys and girls are answering this question. Most of the girls are voting high for avatars, whereas with the guys, the answers are more mixed.

Hi Ru4real - You’ve brought up many great points. I agree, when we use our own face we have to remember our “look” will change over time. Do we change our avatar or leave it the same as that is how we’re KNOWN? In addition to that, if we expand on our blog and turn it into a business, should be change our avatar to reflect that? You’ve left be wondering and made me realize this is a topic that needs additional exploring.

Hi Kim - Good question. If people are searching for you or your blog, what name would they use to search?

Hi Ross - Welcome to the BWAB community. Blogosphere is very much like real life, isn’t it?

Hi Tom - I’ve noticed how when you comment you add the name of your blog. Do you think it helps to gain better branding in blogosphere?

Hi Writer Dad - Good job!

Hi Akemi - You’re right. A good domain can make a big difference in search engine traffic, however, with proper branding, marketing and the use of SEO in blog posts, we can overcome that.

Hi Bamboo - Yes. Easy to remember domain names can make a big difference in branding.

Hi Miguel - I hope you’re feeling better soon. Now I’m curious. Will you be changing your avatar?

Hi Vered - One thing about using your name, blog name AND avatar, all three elements are connected.

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I think in this age of stumble upon, facebook, RSS and feed readers the domain doesn’t really matter for promoting a blog. No one types the URL its all linked from somewhere.

Conversely, in the case of a major business trying to attract customers with broadcast or direct mail I’d make the URL short and memorable. No one is ever going to remember how to spell paunchiness from a TV ad or billboard. But here on the internet it works well enough.

Paunchiness´s last blog post..Fish Oil - Weight Loss & Depression Benefits

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If you’re running a business blog, I can see wanting to advertise yourself.

I recognize Avatars, but it’s mostly the name that I focus on (Avatars can change).

But for personal blogs like mine, I actually don’t WANT people to know my real name. (Some of my closer blog friends do, when we talk off-line).

But in general, I like to keep my anonymity. (Especially when living in a small town…where my rantings could get me into trouble).

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What a fun game today, Barbara! I think maybe the avatars are the most recognizable (a picture being worth 1,000 words), but in some cases I recognized the avatar but couldn’t remember who it was. I guess seeing the blogger name, domain name, and avatar together gives the most clues to someone’s identity.

Hunter Nuttall´s last blog post..Mirroring: Your Top Secret Psychological Weapon

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What a great point! I haven’t thought about it before. But, come to think about it, what I personally remember are the avatar images. Along with that though, if the avatar is a comic or a graphic, I really don’t remember it. Definitely something to ponder and hopefully leave a lasting impression!

AverageGal´s last blog post..Top 5 Blog Widgets

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What a great test!! I tend to remember the blogger names more than the domain name or the avatar. Seeing the blogger names also reminds me about their personalities, interests and pet peeves.

Evelyn Lim´s last blog post..The Lipstick Indicator To Great Wealth

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Very interesting test, Barbara!! I got 7 names and avatars matched, mostly by looking at the avatar first, then the name they go by in the comments.

I knew some from visiting their websites, but one thing I learned is Vered of MomGrind is a definitely memorable one!

(Oh and of course I got Pink Ink easily, too, he he he)

Thanks for the mention :-).

-Jewel

Pink Ink´s last blog post..Dress Up Or Not?

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Hi Barbara,
I knew quite a few of them as I am a regular reader of most of them.

But I have to say…this got me to thinking…I use my picture, and I am very happy that people know me from it and in fact a few months ago I made the choice to change all of the pictures of me out there to just one, because I had a few different ones and I thought it might be confusing. But as time goes by, we all change and age…do I keep that picture forever? Just because it is my Brand now?

I can just see me at age 65 with that same picture out there…lol…

” MY Wendi, you are looking GOOD!”

Wendi Kelly-Life’s Little Inspirations´s last blog post..Are you Planning for the Fog?

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Hi Wendi - I’m laughing at your comment. “MY Wendi, you are looking GOOD!”. This is an excellent point, and one we need to consider when we use our own photo. Knowing our avatars become part of our brand, it’s something we need to think about. Let me put a post together about this issue and see what everyone else has to say.

Hi Jennifer - You did good matching them. Like you, I’m not using my photo either. Was it a wise decision? I’m not sure, but after having used it for close to a year (I’m guessing), I would almost hate to change it. Then when we do change our avatar, we should change it on all accounts where they are used, such as StumbleUpon, and the other social media sites.

I’ll put up a post next week and we can discuss this further.

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I loved this game. A lot of other people liked this game too. 41 comments proves that. The creativity in showing us the importance of branding was wonderful.

I recently read a post from Leo over at Zen Habits and the importance of being consistent. To grow our blog to the level that we desire we must be consistent with our words, actions, and images.

I was using a comical image for my avatar. I now believe that I wasn’t showing myself for fear of judgment. It was easier to hide behind my blog and my comments by not showing my true self, but it wasn’t helping me in the long run. I needed to let go of the fear and let the real me shine through. It’s finally happening. Each day I become more comfortable and confident. Thanks to Barbara and other bloggers in the community who are so loving and encouraging, I’m coming into my own.

Karl Staib - Work Happy Now´s last blog post..So Your Boss Spits When He Yells

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How about IngOng????

hahaha, it no have meaning any time. but it nice to be spelled.

Nice post, Blogging without a Blog is also great domain and over rated. !!!!

Cheese! Good!

IngOng´s last blog post..Who Hosting This? Take-a-Look where your Competitor take Hosting

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