Do You Really Need to Show Your FACE on your blog?

I don't think it's mandatory, but it does help to build trust and credibility with your readers, followers, etc.

When I started out, I didn't put my pic on anything and after studying this forum and getting advice (WSO's Coaching...etc)

I started putting pics (and videos) of myself on my sales pages blogs etc...

Dramatic jump in clicks and conversions...

I highly recommend putting your "Mug" out there...

~Griffin

If it's a personal blog / brand you are trying to build then yes.

Now if you want to build an authority blog for the niche then actually branding it personally would be a bad thing, how can you sell the blog to another person when your face is all over it?

Yeah it's not mandatory. lol But like others have said it would give you credibility.

Chad

I always show my face. I mean, i have a very pretty one. I want everyone to see it

It's not necessary. Only do it when you feel it will help you build and strengthen trust and credibility.

Hi everyone,
I think it is important to have an image on your blog or sale page.

With sites like pintres who are now more and more popular images it is a future.
I'm using my photos on my blogs and I will do it again and again.

Pictures are better than words so I hope I've answered your question.

All the best E.

Mandatory NO
Can it help build credibility LIKELY

I think is a good thing.
Even if it's not your face, you need to have something through which people will recognize you even before they read your name.
Warrior forum is a good example- many times I see the avatar while scrooling trough the topic and I stop to see what does that person say about it.

It helps building relationship, no doubt.

But if you're a 4 eyed geek with a huge beard, (like me) I could understand why you wouldn't want to.

But remember, if you're unique looking, this can have MAJOR benefits. Shy or not, people like rarities lol.

I believe it does. Now we are living in the world of publicity. Your own image prove that this is genuine.

I don't think so but instead of showing your real picture you can have your cartoon character on the wall as it is happening all over

People like to gain trust. People like to have a face of the individual they are purchasing from. You already know how important trust can be. People buy from people they trust.

It might help build trust and credibility, but I don't usually bother with it. I like to maintain a small air of mystery.

Frankly speaking it is not necessary. But the BIG question is "what are you hiding from?". If you and your product/services are legit then show your real face - yes real not others.

It will definitely builds trust.

I think, it's not MANDATORY. If you relate to the success of a sales page, it might happen. In some cases, prospective buyers a bit more confidence to buy when they see the face of the seller. - just own thought

It does help you gain trust.... Connecting your blog with your g+ it's also important

I think it is good to show face because it creates a positive impression among the reader of the blog. I have never came across such statement that this is mandatory but I think it is good.

It's not mandatory. But it gives your readers a way to "get" your personality, and engage with a real person - not just a body behind a computer screen.

You know when you go on Kijiji or Ebay or any similar site how it is always mentioned that adding a picture will dramatically increase your chance of a sale...same thing!

good luck!

I agree that as a rule-of-thumb it's better for building trust, etc. to include your photo on your blog. However, what it really comes down to is this: what are you (and your blog) trying to achieve?

If you're trying to sell something, then the only way to know for sure is to test the most important pages. I'm talking about basic A/B split testing where you show your photo to have the visitors to page X and don't show it to the other half. If you want to test in multiple locations, that's fine. It just takes longer before you get enough results to know whether it has made a difference.

I'm far more apt to read a post if there's a person's
image in it...

I just kind of checked my thoughts as I scrolled down
this page to post...

for the posts that have no image, my thoughts go from
"are they new?" "Maybe they don't have a camera"
to...."why are they hiding?"

I'm not attracted to images of animals or cartoons... those
bring up other thoughts... and end with "why are they
hiding"

so, I'd say.... get your photo on your blogs and fb, etc.

My brother has a great outline image of himself... so, play
around with image editing or get someone on fiverr to
do one for you... there are lots of artistic/creative ways
to show yourself.

Just my two cents worth

You don't need to show your face. But by showing, it does help in providing credibility, trust and personalization.

I would say absolutely, it shows that people are dealing with a real person. It's the same reason a phone call works so much better in most cases when closing a sale, if not meeting someone in person. I also agree with the credibility remarks. The legitimacy of a business is probably the biggest factor in a consumer deciding who they will work with.

Look at Pat Flynns website to see how he does it...Its not that big a deal I dont think.

Im just starting a site in the weight loss niche so I actually plan on losing about 5 more lbs before up even just a face pic.

Not at all. I do because I'm fairly good looking... errr, so my mum tells me.

Look I think so long as you are not being fraudulent it is perfectly fine.

There is a huge difference between a pen name and pretending to be someone else -always remember that.

I did it with a cartoon on my blog back in the day. People like to associate a face with an online persona.

Having your picture definitely boost trust for the visitors. I would recommend build up your linkedin acct or any professional social media acts with decent connections and link the profile directly on your blogs which would be more trustworthy than anything else.

Depends on the type of your blog. I see a lot of successful technology blogs that don't have faces. But if you want to build a following like in a beauty or IM blog, then having a face adds to credibility. But it is not mandatory.

if you are a popular guy with a renowned face then you can show it in your blog. But its not mandatory and I don't think its important.
thanks

I personally don't but some people think it makes you appear more trust worthy

So all in all you all mean It's NOT Mandatory. Great!

I think that is not necessary though it can build trust.

Like so many others have already said - it's definitely not mandatory. As long as your blog has great content and is easy enough on the eyes, you've still got a decent chance at making money.

I have my face everywhere just out of pure ego. That's all, really. Just to show off how much of a badass I am lol.

But realistically, yes it does build a bit of trust and credibility. But good content and value out-converts even the sexiest of the sexy faces (unless of course, your face IS the content) on any blog.

It's not even necessary to have your face in the sales letter, or any of your copy at all.

In fact, you can make money and add value to your market without anyone knowing your name, hearing your voice, seeing your face, or even knowing you exist.

Hi makemoneykid,

Yeah I have to say that if you are trying to create a name for yourself and hoping to brand yourself as a trustworthy and helpful marketer, you need to allow people to see that there is a face behind the business.

If you create a very good first impression with your visitors and give them what they are looking for and provide outsatnding value; they will remember you by that and by your name and picture you displayed at your blog, squeeze page etc.

When you make contact with them again further down the line; they will instantly remember you as the person who gave them outstanding valueable information, service etc and will more than likely listen to what it is you have to say the next time round.

Of course you have to create a good first impression though for this to work.

If you give a poor service or give away some poorly written ebook for example when they join your email list; then adding your face and name to it will only make them remember you for being an average Joe.

Hope this helps and all the best with your future efforts!!!

Great thread! I just wonder were I should put my mug shot. Most logical place would be about me/us page, but I am afraid most visitor don't bother checking it out and then it won't have much effect. :/

Would the best place to have your picture be in the side bar or in the footer with a short description of yourself so it can be seen on all pages/posts?

Do you use a picture of yourself on amazon affiliate review sites as well? Gaining thrust is vital for good conversion rates.

Thanks

Hi,

Personalization, trust and showing people that you are a real human being is vital in todays climate of mistrust.

Human beings are primed to look at faces so use this to your advantage

Mark

It really does help people feel that you are a real person, and not just a bot or a scam.

When creating an online presence your face pic not only gives credibility but also puts a face to the content you are giving...it allows your visitors to see who is talking and builds trust. Very important. Otherwise, you're just words on a screen.

Safelist is a waste of time. I try so many. Unless you go for the paid option

I think it will be good to include the photo as it will build credibility. But if the blog owner post good content consistently, the reader will naturally keep coming back to consume more content. I personally think good content is still the main key to building trust.

It depends on you if you're comfortable showing your face. If you are, then it has its advantages.

It builds credibility. It gives your visitors a reason to trust you.

Horses for courses - Showing your picture makes it more personal. No you do not have to but just look at advertising in general - the face of advertising is so often an image of a human being. You can identify with the image, or envy the image or be repulsed by it, You ask about your image fora Blog, ebook or social media - well there is no blanket answer, it depends on the subject matter. What's the problem use a different stock image if you are shy or have some other reason for not wanting your actual image to appear.

I would suggest you to show your face in your blog especially if you want to earn money from it. People usually trust the blog content if there's image an of the owner. It do creates an comfortable atmosphere.

I would if it is personal blog but it is not mandatory, don't use fake photos imo.

IF you look at some of the biggest names in IM, they used this technique. Why? It builds personal branding QUICKLY. I've been doing this from since 1999 taught from Corey Rudl (RIP). Not only your picture, also me personally I use my name on just about everything I do, and I get 100's of searches a month for my name, so it does work

Thanks for all your time and suggestions. I am highly delighted :p

Here is the blog post made out of your valuable suggestions:

Do You Really NEED to SHOW Your Face On Your Blog? | Make Money Kid - The Ultimate Guide to Blogging + Marketing and Make Money Online

Build your authority profile.

Is not necesary but at the same time it is so what you sould do is do what i do take yourself a proffesional picture with a suit and turn it or use a service to cartoon yourself so you are going to have a picture of you but not showing your face face hope i helped

Haha - Andrei Rotariu.

I think it all just depends - for example, are we talking about Facebook account here or forums. Generally, it does help to build trust to put your picture up there - like you've got nothing to hide, but also logo's can work too. But, again it's not necessary and if you're dedicated to branding yourself (for business or personal reasons), you're picture isn't going to matter that much - it's about what you're saying, posting, and how often you're doing it.

This is one of the best sites on the net, and he uses a cartoon of himself rather than photo. It brings a touch of humour and friendliness:

click: Yoast

Ya , I dont think it is a mandatory , but people will trust you more and can relate to you

If my memories serve me right, there was an experiment about how conversion will be affected by showing up your real photo on blogs / landing pages.

The result is rather surprising as those landing pages (the same content, same info) with the real photos have 50% more conversion than those that do not have the photos. Incredible, right?

So, i would suggest that you put your photo on the blog. And try to make yourself look bright or handsome because the report also indicated that a good looking face also yield more conversion.

Sorry, I don't think so that, it is mandatory to show up your face on your blog or in any site top be success.
But if you show up your face on your blog or sales page or eBook or social media it will be fine but it is not MANDATORY.
Your Industry, honesty, business policy can bring your success easily, I believe it.

I haven't done it yet, but I'll probably do it when I release my first product.

Maybe I should just use my avatar. :p

It depends on the purpose of your blog. If you want to create a relationship with your audience, then it's probably recommended you use a picture. But if your blog relies heavily on organic traffic, it usually means your visitors won't care about you having a picture or not.

It's not JUST credibility and trust as others have mentioned (although that's the #1 factor to me).

But it's also just how I remember people. Online, there are a gazillion names coming at me, but I'll know a picture better. And not some shot of a flower or a puppy. A human face.

Then I remember if I liked that person, thought they were a scumbag, etc.

It's not MANDATORY but sometimes its can help and show seriousness on the blog.