Photo Credits: jared

Avatars and favicons are two very important branding elements common on the web and social media. Used properly they will make your blogs and social media profiles more memorable and easier to recognize.

What is a favicon?

A favicon is a small graphic element that identifies your site or blog in a web browser’s address bar, favorites menu and tabs. A file called ‘favicon.ico’, uploaded in the root directory of a site, is invoked by using the following code in the site’s style sheet:

<link REL=”SHORTCUT ICON” href=”http://www.yourwebsite.com/favicon.ico”>

In Wordpress, that instruction is located in the header.php sheet.

To create a favicon you can use an online favicon generator. Simply, upload the picture you want to use and convert it to .ico format. Name the resulting file ‘favicon.ico’ and upload it to the root directory of your site or blog.

A favicon is only 16×16 pixels, so don’t use a large or elaborate image. Normally, you want to use a portion of your logo, so that a visual connection between your logo and your favicon is easily established.

For example, Yahoo!’s favicon is the letter Y followed by the exclamation point:

Google’s avatar is the letter G:

Our’s is a red shoestring:

What is an avatar?

An avatar is an image, usually square shaped, used to identify people and companies in social media profiles. Sites like Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, Stumbleupon, etc. all offer the option to upload an avatar.

Avatars can tell a lot about the people who use them. Some people use a cartoon or anime picture, others an animal or a symbol, and yet others opt for using the logo of their company. I, however, am of the opinion that it is better to use your actual picture.

Social media sites are all about people who want to connect to other people. If you’re serious about social media and you stand behind your brand and what you post online, using your picture will give you more credibility.

Pictures of actual people are also the force behind the success of services like MyBlogLog, where you can see who visits your site, and view their profiles just by clicking on their pictures.

For maximum branding effect, use the same image across all social media sites. That way, people will recognize you in different networks. Branding is all about repetition and consistency. McDonalds wouldn’t use a different logo for each different country where they do business, so why would you use different pictures in different social networks?

Summary:

Favicons and avatars are to the web what logos are to the offline world. To create a favicon, use a portion of your logo to maintain a visual connection. Create your favicon using an online favicon generator. If you are serious about the web and social media, use your own picture as your avatar, and use the same picture across all social networks.

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