Thursday, January 1, 2009

Cast your vote for the best Twitter avatar

How did you choose the pic for your avatar? Did you struggle with your choice? Did you go with a straight head shot? A cartoon? Or, maybe a random graphic? 

Whatever the case, our avatars are a big part of our online persona on Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites. You make first impressions of people you meet face to face within a few minutes based largely on their physical appearance, right? Online, people base those same first impressions on your avatar--the only visual they may have at the time. 

So, I thought we'd have some fun with this and find out who really does have the best Twitter avatar--at least, according to the Tweeple. 

Here's the deal. Cast your vote by sending me a DM at www.twitter.com/arikhanson before midnight, CST, Saturday, Jan. 3.

As you consider your choices and cast your vote, there really are no hard-and-fast criteria. But, think about the creativity of the avatar. Does it make you laugh? Does it pique your interest? Is it mysterious? Does it make you want to follow that person and engage them in conversation?

That's it, really. Again, vote now by sending a DM to me at www.twitter.com/arikhanson. Deadline is midnight, Saturday, Jan. 3. I'll announce the winner on Sunday afternoon. 

To get you started, here's a few avatars that have piqued my interest over the last few weeks:

* @armano--Anyone who wears a yellow cowboy hat is OK in my book. 
* @darthvader--Classic. Vintage. Pure evil.
* @skydiver--How did he get that pic anyway?
* @chrisbrogan--Changed his avatar a few times lately. I like clean-shaven Chris a little better, myself.
* @mackcollier--Much debate lately about the hand on Mack's shoulder. Did we ever find out whose hand it was?
* @perfectporridge--Tip of the cap to one of the Twin Cities social media gurus. Creative execution.
* @prsarahevans--She just looks like the kind of person you want to be friends with, doesn't she?
* @tedmurphy--I'm both intrigued and a little frightened.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Mack Collier's 'hand' is that of Scott Monty. I'm working on getting rid of it. My avatar had one too (that of Geoff Livingston - but it's gone). Can you tell the types of discussions we have in Twitter? @Beth Harte agrees with me that Scott's hand should go.

S.R.P. said...

my favorite avatar is my @stevenpitts avatar. i quite like it... http://www.twitter.com/stevenpitts/

Unknown said...

I think Chris Brogan's new tweevatar makes him look 14. Not that that's a bad thing. :)

Arik C. Hanson, APR said...

Connie--Ah, mystery solved. That was keeping me up at night.
SRP--Thanks-haven't seen that one yet.
Greg--Funny about CB. I like the "tweevatar" reference, too. Might have to start using that one.

Anonymous said...

My pink-boa avatar started out as a bit of fun, then I became so identified with it that I don't dare change now! I've had people walk up to me at conferences and say, "Oh, you're the woman in the pink boa from Twitter."