Internet Marketing: Why Is Your Picture Important?

Mar 12, 2009

Why is using a picture important?

Branding.

Simple.

YOU are your business. Unless you have gone to the trouble of having a company logo designed, what’s the face of your business? You are.

And online, which is more important?

YOU are.

People trust people. People don’t trust corporations. So, even if you had a fancy-schmancy logo designed, you should still use YOUR image to instill trust. Buyers want to know that a real person is behind the offer, and they want to trust that person before the buy from them.

You should put your picture everywhere you have a presence. Twitter, Facebook  — any social opportunity, really. Don’t use an avatar or leave the generic avatar. People might remember a cute avatar, but what does that matter? They won’t trust an avatar. They want to talk to, relate to, and trust YOU. So, it will take you a lot longer building that trust if you’re a cartoon. I mean, who takes them seriously, anyway, right?

But this doesn’t just apply to social networking situations. It applies to forums, to your website and your blog. You have to keep your face in front of people so that they remember you, and when they do, you’d better be on the up and up. You need to provide quality, to over-deliver on the information, and you need to show folks that you aren’t going to promise them something and then walk away.

People, in general,  are still skeptical of business online, and in this time of economic downturn offline, people are being very selective — more so than ever before online. They aren’t reaching for their credit cards every time a shiny new object comes along. And remember, this isn’t just in the U.S., the whole world is having economic issues and this is a global marketplace.

If you want to make money, you have to be a friend. You have to be someone that people can rely on for help. You have to provide the information or products they need to move ahead and to make more money. You have to help them succeed, and you’ll succeed in the process. If you think of it as a kind of “friendship” with your potential customers, the money will just come to you and you’ll feel really great about it in the process.

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Posted by Pat Marcello | Categories: Internet Marketing Information | Tagged: , |
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  • Thanks for sharing informative article. I will bookmark this article and recommend your blog to my friends.
  • RaiulBaztepo
    Hello!
    Very Interesting post! Thank you for such interesting resource!
    PS: Sorry for my bad english, I'v just started to learn this language ;)
    See you!
    Your, Raiul Baztepo
  • I agree that your image is your brand, but there's no reason it needs to be a picture of you. Companies choose images that can be recognized and remembered because that's what's important, not a picture of the founder.
  • That's true, but online we're generally dealing with a lot of "mom & pop" type stores, where one person is running the show. Using a logo won't make people trust you. If you're a giant corporation with CEO, balance sheet, and all the stuff that people have come to trust (though for what reason, I'm not sure), it's different.

    But if you're a small business entrepreneur with no history of doing business, people won't buy from you unless they trust you. They like to see that there's a real person and not a scamming parasite behind the biz.

    -- Pat
  • I agree a picture is very important because its the first contact you make to people out there. It helps gain trust because at least there is a face to be associated with
  • Carlos Rodriguez
    i agree with all of you people to the fact that not only the picture is important but hey all of that other things are basics in a relationship of any kind, even person to person.

    i'm personally not buying that "integrity of the corporation" idea, we know for sure thats only relevant when they decide it, or haven't you bought anything from big brand names and been left with no support at all? i prefer as the article says to put my trust on people weather they are part of a company or not... when i call to ANY company whatever the department i prefer to call the person i'm talking to by a NAME.

    Great article. thanks
  • MJ
    I think both of the factors: as in having a real picture as well as prompt responses(as suggested by Sandra) are equally important in gaining the trust of customers.Also, we should not forget a logo alongside so that when the trust gains ground, the logo can speak for itself, since many people are not particularly comfortable with the use of their own picture!

    Nonetheless, great post because such issues at most times just slips out of mind but can have considerable consequences in online businesses.
  • A really great post here. I assume there's a chance to post more about related theme here. Really great. Thank you.
  • mimpi
    With so many speculations and warnings, I was quite skeptical about uploading my photo. The idea of posting real photo is not only alluring but it makes sense when you say that trust factor is very important on internet. In this virtual world we need to give the proof of ourselves being real. that makes so much of a difference in all spheres of networking.

    I really appreciate the points you have highlighted. This only validates my belief.

    However, having said this, we need to be careful. But then, its true in both real and virtual world and in every step of our existence.

    Thanks Pat for this.
  • Shelly
    I don't think it is ever really a good idea to have your picture splattered everywhere on the Internet...Marketing is more about the product, or the integrity of the company behind the product, so either the product speaks for itself, or the company has built itself up by providing great service/products, and people will flock to them anyway. I don't really see how putting your own face would help with sales, any pic/logo/design would do, if the product was any good, it would still sell like hotcakes, right? I guess I'm just not a great big fan of posting personal info anywhere on the net if I don't have to, and I don't really see how branding your product with your pic would help sell your product, unless you are some kind of supermodel, or celebrity? I tend to shop a lot on the Internet, and it has never mattered to me if the seller's photo was displayed in any way on their sites. If their product does the job, and I like it, I will buy it again, and I will spread the word that this company can be trusted. But in any case, you look like a very nice lady, and I don't mean to say anything negative about you posting your picture on your blog, I am just commenting from an internet consumer's point of view, thanks!
  • I just have to say that business online is a big different from this side of the fence. If you have a big business and customers recognize your brand, you're all set. Plus, it's not as important for say... an online store. And e-commerce store.

    But for information marketers, it's critical, and many folks are in the information marketing business, and you're right. I probably should have specified.

    thanks for your comment, Shelly!

    -- Pat
  • Pat -

    I agree with strawrose, going online at all holds a lot of worries, especially when you have no way of knowing who you're talking to, buying from, or otherwise - and even if you have a photo up everywhere linked to your name, there's no way of knowing if anyone is who they say they are.

    I think aside from a photo, it is very important to respond to any and all questions or comments that your readers or customers leave. That way, they have a face, but you've also made a deeper connection by telling them that you value their time and input, and that you value them as customers, even if you never make a sale.

    ~ Sandra
  • Very good points, Sandra.

    thanks for your comment!

    Pat
  • strawrose
    That is a very good piece of advice. When people shop online, they become suspicious of the person hiding behind a profile. The pictures allows a face-to-face meeting in the consumer's mind, something that is traditionally only found in brick-and-mortar stores.
  • Sreekar
    Internet marketing tips are very much informative for people who wants to sell their products online and generate the profits.It is better add a video related file its really helpful to us.
  • Martin Velkovski
    I must agree with the article and if I may add something to it.You have to have picture of you on your corporate site,yes thats true.Its a big booster of confidence when a potential customer deals with a real person not an artificial organization.This will get the word-of-mouth communication going.Thats a very important part of marketing communications.It happens when people recommend you to their friend over dinner,squash,tennis,etc.Its all because they trust you for putting your face in public,and letting them know you are not an online fraud.
  • There is a fine line to walk here. On the internet, you find that most younger individuals have a cynical and detached world view. The only thing they trust less than corporations are people being overly friendly to them.
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