How Branding Works In Blogosphere

67 thoughts on “How Branding Works In Blogosphere”

1. I did a lot better the last time you did this! As the blogosphere grows and we meet or hear about new people, it gets harder to keep track of everyone.

   I heard about an ichthyologist who knows thousands and thousands of different fish species. He makes a point of not learning peoples’ names, because whenever he learns a name, he forgets a fish!

   I think an avatar is usually the fastest way to recognize someone. You recognize an image almost as soon as the light hits your eyes, faster than the fraction of a second (or longer) it takes to read and recognize the name of a person or blog.
   .-= Check out Hunter Nuttall´s awesome post: I’ll Get Around To It Someday =-.

   1. “He makes a point of not learning peoples’ names, because whenever he learns a name, he forgets a fish!”

      That’s funny. All for the love of his profession.
      .-= Check out jan geronimo´s awesome post: When Quitting is the Only Sane Option Left =-.

   2. Hi Hunter,

      That’s very true. With blogosphere growing, it’s more difficult to keep track of everyone. I’m so happy to see you’re still a part of it.

2. did poorly. I only recognize Walter and Carla from this list. I readily associate their names with the avatars. Now if I can only associate these avatars with their blogs, I’d feel like a genius.

   Darn. You should have warned us last time there’s a short quiz coming up, great teacher.

   Will students who do poorly on this be asked to report to the principal’s office? LOL
   .-= Check out jan geronimo´s awesome post: When Quitting is the Only Sane Option Left =-.

   1. LOL Jan,

      No, you won’t have to report to the principal’s office. 🙂 This was just a fun way of showing how consistency via the use of our avatars can help us to gain recognition.

      P.S. Next time I’ll try to warn you all when we have a quiz coming up.

3. The pictures are the fastest because they don’t require reading. As for blog author names and blog names, I tend to recognize the author names better. The reason is that I like to rename all my blog feeds to the blogger’s names instead of blog names. It feels more personal that way. For example, your feed is “Barbara Swafford” instead of “Blogging without a Blog”. So the speed of recognition/association goes like this:
   Avatar > Barbara Swafford > Blogging without a Blog > Barbara
   (Unless you have a really unique first name like Shaq or Kobe, I don’t think first names are very recognizable.)
   .-= Check out Kelvin Kao´s awesome post: The Origin of Slutty Halloween Costumes =-.

   1. Hi Kelvin,

      That’s a fabulous idea to associate the blog author’s name with their blog in your reader since it appears the name of the blog is the last thing we remember.

4. Hey Barbara,
   Youre such a naughty Pixie for jumbling us all like that 😉 I was confused at first…’why do i look like I author nother blog??’…and then i read the whole post and got what your smart funny and naughty mind was upto 🙂
   Thank you for adding me to this jumble..me feel honored just to be jumbled in such good company 🙂
   I knew 90% of these blogs-both by the authors name and their Avatars. But yes avatars are faster to associate with the eyes even before you start to actually read the name.
   There are a few new ones..I am heading over to now. But hey 90% is better than nothing at all 😉
   Lots of love
   .-= Check out Zeenat{Positive Provocations}´s awesome post: Possibilites&Individualities {Inspirational Quote} =-.

   1. You’re welcome Zeenat,

      I’m happy to hear you had fun with this and also found a few new blogs to visit. It was a fun post for me, too. I only wish I could have included everyone. But, there’s always next time. 🙂

5. Hmm. I recognized 12 by gravatar, 10 by name of the blog, and only 8 by the person’s name. Overall, I’d say the gravatar is the easiest and fastest way to recognize people.

   I think it’s human nature. We’re programmed to recognize and remember faces, but not names. That’s why we often run into people we know, but can’t remember their names. Faces form a pattern for us, and we are excellent creatures for remembering patterns – Not so much with facts 🙂

   Good lesson!
   .-= Check out Jay Schryer´s awesome post: The Perfectionism Myth =-.

   1. Hi Jay,

      That’s very true. We do seem to be programmed to recognize a face first, and then the name. It’s really not surprising our habits from the real world carry over to our online one, is it?

6. I’m for gravatars all the way… it always throws me off when people change their gravatar, like changing clothes. There are SO many bloggers out there now, and so many of the blog names are similar, that the picture is the best way to distinguish them all.

   I especially love a gravatar that helps me remember the name of the blog, like Nadia’s Happy Lotus.

   Oh, and Hunter’s fish story is priceless! 🙂
   .-= Check out Lisis´s awesome post: Posting at Porsidan: What Lies Beneath Perfectionism =-.

   1. Hi Lisis,

      I know what you mean. When someone changes their avatar it’s like we have to learn them all over again. I haven’t seen that too much in blogosphere, but have on Twitter.

7. OK, you got me on this one! Lots of new ones and I just had to go visit them! Great way to see new sites! Avatars are the most popular way to remember who’s who. 🙂

   1. Hi Linda,

      Yes. Using avatars is also a great way for bloggers to meet each other. It’s like we want to know more about who is behind the photo/graphic.

8. What a great experiment. I matched 3 bloggers with their photos, which was easy, since I follow them.

   The others, though, I will check out 🙂

   Karen
   .-= Check out PeacefulWmn9´s awesome post: Halloween — The Holiday Kick Off =-.

   1. Hi Karen,

      Have fun visiting the new blogs you found. I find them all to be great reads written by awesome authors.

9. Hi Barbara,

   This was fun. I noticed that I recognized people’s blogs via their avatars as opposed to the name of the blog. Many of the people you listed visit my blog and visit the blogs that I read. So it was interesting to see that their faces registered more in my mind than the name.

   Thank you for including me in the list too!
   .-= Check out Nadia – Happy Lotus´s awesome post: The Power of Redemption =-.

   1. You’re welcome Nadia,

      Isn’t that fascinating how that works? Avatars certainly have become an important part of gaining recognition in blogosphere, hasn’t it?

10. Hi Barbara .. one by their insect avatar .. stands out a mile. The ones I know by their picture avatars .. I also know some of their blog names, some I’ve seen .. but not had the opportunity to be in touch with them.

    Now is the time – I have some ‘extra’ time now – though lots to catch up on .. and should be able to schedule more work in ..

    I need the gravatar – so thanks for that link across .. I’ll get to do it this time .. all the best –
    Hilary Melton-Butcher
    Positive Letters Inspirational Stories
    .-= Check out Hilary´s awesome post: Picnic on "the Coat Hanger Bridge", a Living Wall and the 200th … =-.

    1. You’re welcome Hilary,

       If you need any help with setting up your avatar, please feel free to ask. The “gravatar” site can be a little confusing, but once you match your email address to your avatar, things should go smoothly.

11. Interesting! I recognize about 50% of the bloggers here, but the ones that I recognize, I recognize all over – avatar, name and URL. So I’m not sure if this is about branding or about relationships!
    .-= Check out vered | blogger for hire´s awesome post: Ten Stupid Fashion Trends =-.

    1. Hi Vered,

       I’m guessing it might be a little of both – branding and relationships. When we see our cyber-friend’s avatars on other blogs, we’re also more apt to read their comments and learn even more about them.

12. Interesting exercise, I always recognize avatars, I recognized twelve but not always the blog’s name. The avatars for me are very important as I usually in real life too recognize faces but struggle to remember the names.
    This post is a good reminder to be careful with what you put up out there.
    Seth Godin had a good post about this once.
    He said that a photo should be a good one and reflecting the image you want to portray and it seems that he was right on the button, as always.
    Thanks Barbara and please people do not forget if you make a mistake in your email address, your avatar won’t show up. Learned that from experience with the help of Barbara on this blog of course 🙂
    .-= Check out Wilma Ham´s awesome post: Intimacy and sponsorship happen through listening; how well do we listen? =-.

    1. You’re welcome Wilma,

       I agree. Seth’s advice to use a good photo is spot on. Not only can it portray our personality, but if we’re promoting a business, it can also portray professionalism.

       P.S. I’m happy we got our avatar problem solved. Now I get to see your smiling face. 🙂

13. I agree with Vared. I recognize all three and really it doesn’t surprise me when I think of how often I comment on their blogs. When I take a personal interest I remember. If I don’t I won’t. Interesting post.
    .-= Check out Tess The Bold Life´s awesome post: 89 Years of Love on Halloween =-.

    1. Hi Tess,

       Isn’t that the truth? When we take a personal interest, we do remember. That which we don’t care about gets left behind.

14. Barbara — There were seven that I knew the blog, name and picture. Others, I recognized the face or avatar and even sometimes matched them with their name, but did not remember which blog they wrote. Hey, I’m getting older and the memory not so great:~)

    There were also a few that I didn’t know at all and I thank you for introducing me to them through this challenge. I subscribed to them.

    Like Kelvin, I’ve started putting the name of the person with the blog in my reader. It doesn’t help me with the avatar, but I know whose blog it is. I just add the name like this: Amanda_Look Far.

    p.s. I loved Hunter’s comment about forgetting a fish!!!

    Also, I was pleased to part of the challenge…only it was a bit unfair in that I JUST changed my avatar…but perhaps this will help people remember my new “look.” This was a lot of fun:~)
    .-= Check out Sara B. Healy´s awesome post: My Halloween Scare =-.

    1. You’re welcome Sara,

       With that smashing new avatar of yours, how could I not include you? And you’re right, it does give others a chance to see your new “identity” and start associating it with you and your blog. Like Lisis said, that can be confusing – when a blog author changes their “look”.

15. I found a few new bloggers I hadn’t seen before. Thanks for the intro.

    It’s interesting to see how some of the names are stickier than others, especially plays on words (like writing to exhale.)
    .-= Check out J.D. Meier´s awesome post: Road Trip 2009 =-.

    1. Welcome back J.D.,

       I hope you enjoyed your break (which I see you’ve written about. I’ll be over to read your post and find out more about your adventures).

       That’s very true. Some blog names are stickier than others. They too, can leave a lasting impression on us.

16. Hi Barbara – This was fun! (And not just because you mentioned me – heartfelt thanks for that). I recognized about 12, and the gravatars made a big difference in helping me connect them. I find all this very interesting, because I recently changed my gravatar (which used to include one of my cats). I realized that was perhaps confusing to people, because although I have cats, I don’t actually write about them consistently. They’re not my main theme. So I feel better about this new one.
    .-= Check out Patty – Why Not Start Now?´s awesome post: How Do You Sustain Meaning In Your Life? =-.

    1. You’re welcome Patty,

       You’ve raised a good point. When we include something besides our own photo in our avatar, those that see it may assume that is what our blog is about. All the more reason to choose our avatars carefully.

17. I recognize:

    Zeenat
    Evita
    Jodi
    Walter
    Julie
    Nadia

    Now…I do have a question because I have a wordpress gravatar that doesn’t appear everywhere…what do I need to do?
    .-= Check out Peggy´s awesome post: Your Moment of Bliss =-.

    1. Hi Peggy,

       To get your avatar to show up, sign into “Gravatar.com” and enter your email address and then upload the photo you want to use. If you end up having any problems, just come back and ask me and I’ll walk you through it.

18. I didn’t recognize many of the blogs you included. Of those I recognized, I did better with the blog name and author name than with the photos. I think that might be because the photo is not always obvious on the blog’s home page (Men with Pens even recommend not showing it on the home page) and some blog themes don’t include the avatar with the comment.

    1. Hi Dot,

       That’s true. A lot of blogs do not have the avatar on the home page, thus unless we see them in the comment sections of blogs, they may not be familiar.

       I wonder why Men With Pens says NOT to show them on the home page…..

19. Barbara,

    What a fun exercise! I found that I knew some by name, others by avatar and others by site name. It goes to show that branding – and consistent branding – are important in the world of blogging.

    George
    .-= Check out George Angus´s awesome post: Heal Thyself – New Blog of the Week =-.

    1. Hi George,

       That’s true. Consistency can pay off. It’s just like real life marketing and getting our name out there, repeatedly in front of our clients.

20. I’ve never been good remembering faces or names! My husband, on the other hand, rarely forgets either. I’ve been wondering if I should change my avatar. Maybe I’ll keep it awhile longer.
    .-= Check out Lori Hoeck´s awesome post: What color code are you today? =-.

    1. Hi Lori,

       Your husband is fortunate to be able to remember both. For me, the name usually escapes me (at least temporarily).

       I think it’s fine if we change our avatar, but not too often. I’ll be curious to see what you change yours to, when you do.

21. I think I’ve only gotten a few of them correct. I am not good with names, but I am good with faces/pictures. There were only a few I didn’t recognize at all. For me, its also about relationships. There are a few people here that I’ve been in contact with since I started blogging.

    Fun exercise and thank you for including me in it! 😀
    .-= Check out Carla´s awesome post: Guest Post: 7 Reasons You Ought to Bike to Work =-.

    1. You’re welcome Carla,

       You’re right. When we develop relationships with other bloggers, we not only get to know their avatars, but can easily spot them in the comment sections of other blogs, as well.

22. Hi Barbara. I recognized all the avatars but 3 and knew about 50% of the names without “cheating” 🙂 I think it is a lot about the connection you feel to a blogger as the others have said. I recognized the avatars instantly for most of them, before the name popped into my mind.
    .-= Check out Davina´s awesome post: Changing Seasons in Gentle Stride =-.

    1. Hi Davina,

       You did great. And yes, it is about the connections we feel toward other bloggers. It’s like seeing them at our front door and welcoming them in. 🙂

23. Barbara, this was such a surprise, to be included and to experience unexpected results when I played match-up.

    I’m a visual learner, so didn’t have any trouble recognizing gravatars and immediately making the proper associations. I was gratified to see that I also recognized blog names without difficulty, properly associating gravatars and names. What was surprising to me was that recognizing blogs by just the authors’ names was sometimes a little trickier than I expected. What I found seems to indicate my “word association” depends upon the amount of personal connection I have with the blogger. The more personal my connection with the blogger, the more readily I associate “across the board.”

    This was fun, Barbara, and convinced me to keep all my things as they are. I don’t plan on changing my photo, blog, or name anytime soon. 😉
    .-= Check out julie´s awesome post: More in Love Than Usual: Celebrating Fall =-.

    1. Hi Julie,

       Your comment reminded me of how “mind games” are also great for exercising different parts of our brains. Like you said, we do have a tendency to pay closer attention to all aspects of a blog when we’ve developed a personal connection with them. Just like real life friends, we are interested in all they do/share.

24. The thing hit me first is the avatar..if I unable to recognize the avatar, I then check the name..if still I unable to recognize I go for the url..if the url and comment is legitimate then I found a new friend. It’s always great to touch with new people and read their aim..it’s really boost me much and give me fun..geeky writing is a passion but when someone get help from your article, it always give heavenly pleasure. What you say?
    .-= Check out Arafat Hossain Piyada´s awesome post: How to preset safe mode boot before rebooting in Windows OS? =-.

    1. Hi Arafat,

       I agree. When someone comments and says what we wrote was helpful, it makes blogging all worth while.

       I know what you mean about the URL and comment being legitimate. I don’t know about you, but I’m starting to see comments with an avatar, however, the wording and/or URL is definitely spam.

25. I got about half right. I’m so glad that you decided to use your real photo rather than the image. it helps with connection so much more. Avatars win out and facebook proves that.
    .-= Check out Tom Volkar / Big Link Rally´s awesome post: Recognize Your Power For Good =-.

    1. Hi Tom,

       I have to agree. A photo makes a big difference. And like you said, on Facebook, it’s very evident. ( I’m glad I’m using my photo instead of the amine, too :))

26. This was a ton of fun, and my gosh, the timing was awesome. Wouldn’t you know that I just added a thumbnail picture to my resume? I’m trying to secure a part-time job, and was told by someone long ago that adding a picture humanizes things. If people can relate to our face – what we look like versus just words on a page or screen – they’re more likely to connect with us.

    Thanks for taking time to do such a fun post, Barbara! (I felt like a kid taking a quiz!)
    .-= Check out Megan “JoyGirl!” Bord´s awesome post: Love Leaves Again =-.

    1. You’re welcome Megan,

       I’m happy to hear this was good timing and you had fun. You mentioned adding a photo to your resume. Years ago when I sold real estate, it was suggested we add a photo to our business cards, too. It really does add a personal touch.

27. I recognize people by their avatar and get confused when avatars are changed. Like Vered, though, I think I’m mostly recognizing people that I have an online relationship with.
    .-= Check out Kim Woodbridge´s awesome post: 12 Free WordPress Moon Themes =-.

    1. Hi Kim,

       Yes. It can get confusing when people change their avatar – which you did recently. I really like your new one and found I got used to it quickly.

28. WOW, it’s been a year already!? I was just getting to know all you guys back then.

    I knew only 12 of these bloggers by avatar, site name and first name, so I’ve got a few new potential buddies to get to know better.

    Since I use FB mostly for my real-life far away relatives I may not switch to my Big Eye for my main pic over there, but it is interesting to consider.
    .-= Check out Jannie Funster´s awesome post: Baby’s First Halloween =-.

    1. Hi Jannie,

       Can you believe it’s almost been a year since the last “test”?

       You raised a good point. If we use Facebook basically for personal use, it’s probably fine not to have our avatars matchy-matchy to our blogs, Twitter, etc…..

29. Hi Barbara!
    This is a fun experiment! (I didn’t expect to see my picture and blog on there…thank you!) Of the blogs I follow, I recognized all the gravatars and I know each person’s name…but when it came time to pick out blog titles, I didn’t score as well! I find gravatars tremendously helpful. It makes blogging even more personal to have a face to match with one’s words. I especially love scrolling through various blogs’ comment sections and reading what some of my friends wrote. Great post!
    .-= Check out Jodi at Joy Discovered´s awesome post: A Gardening Tale =-.

    1. You’re welcome Jodi,

       I think that’s pretty common to remember the name of the blog last as we see a blogger’s avatar and name more often. I like doing what you do, too. Going through the comment section of other blogs and reading what those I know have to say. It’s like we get to know them even better.

30. 2 folks I did not know until I read your comments section, but I definitely started with the image/picture and then to the name…I found it interesting to realize that I didn’t know the title of several of the blogs!

    Also I found 2 new blogs to discover and enjoy…
    This was a fun exercise and made for a good break before supper 🙂

    I am deep into EBook – talk about a great deal of very fun work…it is huge
    .-= Check out Patricia´s awesome post: Welcome! To The Harvest Potluck! =-.

    1. Hi Patricia,

       That’s great you found two new blogs to visit. All of them showcased have wonderful blogs so I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

       I’m so excited about your new Ebook recipe book project. And just think, you’re learning all about ebooking. I’m also happy to hear you’re having a good time with it. I know when you’re done it will be fabulous.

31. *laughs* I only knew one: Kathy from The Junk Drawer, because I happen to read her blog. I’m tend to have a really good memory for faces, but not names. I recognize several of the avatars from comments here, but couldn’t place them with the blogs. I think Kathy’s sticks out in my mind because I’m so jealous of her hair!
    .-= Check out Jodith´s awesome post: Managing Calendars Part 2: Scheduling More Than Meetings =-.

    1. Hi Jodith,

       I like that, “Kathy’s sticks out in my mind because I’m so jealous of her hair!”. You do raise a good point, even some avatars are more memorable than others.

32. I’ve been procrastinating with this because I know how important gravatars are. Even when folk change theirs, the impression made by their first ones lasts a long time. I still miss Davina’s red lady even though I enjoy seeing the real Davina now.

    I was thinking of having a Gravatar selection process on my blog like American Idol and getting folk to choose which one they think looks most like my writing sounds…

    Thanks for the nudge, Barbara.
    .-= Check out janice´s awesome post: A Patchwork Post: Writing Tips, Christmas Tips and Susan Boyle… =-.

    1. Hi Janice,

       I love your idea of having a gravatar selection on your blog. I know I had a hard time picking one before I started using my photo, but my blogging friend Catherine inspired me to use an anime (to begin with) like she does.

33. Hi Barbara!
    Wow, my eyes went directly to the Avatars! I’m amazed by this little experiment of yours, it was quite revealing!

    Thanks for the link! I’m honored to be with all these groovy bloggers – most of whom I know! By the way, your original Avatar is groovy – but I like your current one more! Have a great day, Barbara!
    ~xo
    .-= Check out Lori´s awesome post: The Webs We Weave =-.

    1. You’re welcome Lori,

       Isn’t that something; how those tiny avatars can be so influential?

       Thank you for your kind words.

       May you have a great day, too. 🙂

Comments are closed.