Why Don't You Show Your Face-I Believe It Brings Trust?
Today, the title of my blog post is; why don't you show your face-I believe it brings trust! You don't have to agree with me, I would just like to see what other members think about showing a photograph on your website or forum that you post on.
I started researching how to make money online back in 2004, when I first saw and realize the power of the Internet and its massive potential. I remember signing up to quite a few email lists at the time, as I was eager to see how I could make money online. I was working totally blind, so I just wanted to find out as much as possible. One of the ways that I was able to do this was by signing up to Internet marketers newsletter's.
I don't know how many people I originally signed up to, but my guess would probably be to at least 100 people. Gradually I unsubscribed from many of the email lists as I could see that some of the people were not genuine. However, there are some email lists that I have been subscribed to for 18 years.
I think we have all seen those people who have the luxury villa and yacht on their profile and yet they don't actually show their face! And then there are other people who will make a YouTube video of what they are doing and how they are growing their business! They show their face and take you on a potential journey to success.
I have Internet marketers that I have followed for years and yet I have never met them. However, because they have been documenting and sharing their Internet journey it brings great trust! It actually feels like I really know them and want to do business with them. And then there are the Internet marketers that I subscribe of to and have actually met them in the flesh. It's always great to meet with successful people, we can learn so much.
I believe that if we don't show our face we could be losing out on vital revenue. If I am on a forum and someone shows a face, I am much more likely to reply to the question or believe their answer to my question. If I see fast cars, yachts and mansions, it does not seem like I'm dealing with a genuine person! To be fair, with me, if you don't show your face, I probably won't read your blog post. (I don't mean to be offensive.)
If we go to a store, it's always good to have banter with the owner or the staff. It helps to bring trust and once the store gets to know you, they will look after you. The Internet can be cold and impersonal, however, I believe that if we show a face it can help to bring trust. Or at least it's a step in the right direction!
What are your thoughts on the above? Do you show a face or maybe you prefer not to? Any thoughts are appreciated.
Thank you for reading.
Roy
Recent Comments
86
Interesting topic Roy.
I would say first off that everyone has the right to do as they wish.
I would agree not showing one's face will have a negative impact on their business, but they can still be successful nonetheless.
For those that think not showing their face actually protects them in some way, I am sorry to disappoint you.
With technology today, there is nothing sacred and nothing one can not learn about someone else.
There is no real privacy online or offline. It's as simple as that and that's a fact.
What I've seen behind the curtain would make a great book and even a movie, but that won't happen in my lifetime.
Mel
Good morning Mel,
Thank you for taking the time to comment, it's appreciated. I trust you are doing well and things are getting back to normal.
Yes, definitely, we all have the right to do as we wish and what we are comfortable with.
Indeed, you can still be successful without showing your face, however, as you mention, showing your face is a positive thing.
That's so true, Big G, Facebook knows a lot more about us than we could ever imagine! Very wise words indeed Mel!
Have a great weekend.
Roy
I believe that showing your face contributes to building trust. But, unless we know a person offline, how do we know that a photo online is actually that person. I remember a WA member some years ago whose profile photo was beautiful. Why would anyone doubt it was other than a true photo of that woman? One day, this person published a post advising that the photo was not of her. She had used a photo she found online. Clearly, that woman's consciousness got the better of her! I didn't think any less of her as she appeared to be a genuine person. However, that just shows that we cannot be sure whether or not a photo is genuine.
I have changed since my photo was taken by a professional photographer twelve years ago. However, I'm not changing it as a genuine photo I use for business including on social media. I'm not keen to show my face on video, which I have not yet created! But, if and when I take the plunge, well who knows what will appear. Maybe a small image in the bottom right-hand corner of my profile photo!
Cheers,
Valerie
Good morning Valerie,
How are you doing, it's good to hear from you?
I know where you are coming from, regarding knowing if a photograph is genuine. Maybe I put my trust too much in people, however, I do believe that most of us use a genuine photograph of ourselves.
It's interesting that a fellow member used someone else's picture, at least they admitted it. I wonder who the photograph belongs to, obviously someone! Maybe it was genuinely taken from a photobank?!
I understand where you are coming from if you have had a professional photo taken. I think many of us are using old photos. The photograph that I am currently using was taken a couple of years ago in Greece.
Regarding creating videos, most of my videos are sharing my screen, so I just have a small picture of myself in the right-hand corner of the screen. To be fair, I would find it much more difficult to actually be talking directly to the camera, I believe I need a bit more confidence and practice on that!
Wishing you a very happy Easter.
Roy
Whilst i do agree with you, there are legitimate reasons why people may be reluctant to show who they really are because of identity theft concerns. Also, for women mostly, there can be a very real threat of stalking and violence.
Just because you see a picture of someone, also doesn’t mean it is really them.
Cheers
Melissa
Good morning Melissa,
Thank you for taking the time to comment on my blog post, it's appreciated.
I hear you regarding identity theft and for women etc., I appreciate that it can cause problems. I just really like the idea of knowing who I am talking to, it makes a big difference for me and many other people, I believe.
I know that there are many fake accounts out there, however, in general, if you mean business, you have to be genuine.
Wishing you a great weekend.
Roy
It is completely up to the individual (to post a photo) , just as it is completely up to you to refrain from following, and rightly so!
My avatar is my brand and I use it across all platforms. My photo appears on my About Me page.
In a "I know you" environment like Face Book, people post photos and selfies all the time. Yet, people befriend other people they haven't met just because it is a friend of a friend.
I am completely against that, because some people have no limits. My rule of thumb, I do not follow anyone on Social Media that I haven't met in person, and even then, I still get to decide whether I do or don't accept the invitation. Some of my own family members are not even linked to my profile! Period.
No surprise, Level Four of the Training, posting to Face Book, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest may be reason enough to sink my boat. It's just a matter of principal. Sorry, that horse has bolted.
Having received a Follow Notification, I normally visit the person's Profile and see what other comments they have offered on the platform. With or without a photo, the drawback to communicating online will forever be the fact that despite our best efforts, online communication remains void of the elements that make up effective communication. (eye contact, tone of voice, demeaner, body language)
Be that as it may, I would like do believe when a person has invested in Premium Membership, that person's intentions are above board?!
Les Brown stated that one should develop your communication skills, but know one thing; the minute you open your mouth, you tell the world exactly who you are!
Whatever scenario you choose to apply, it's your (business) prerogative to decide who does or does not make the cut.
Johan
Good morning Johan,
I hope you're doing well. Thanks for taking the time to read my blog post and comment, it's appreciated.
Yes, I agree with you big time, it is up to the individual.
Using your avatar as your brand is a great idea.
I hear you, regarding Facebook, that's probably why I do not use it very much. Regarding social media, I do follow people I don't know, but they have to have similar interests. So for example, LinkedIn is probably the best social media for business networking, I follow people that can be useful for my niche.
I'm the same, in fact, I am not connected to many family members on social media.
I would like to think the same, Johan. When a member signs up for premium membership, they should be serious! And even more so if they sign up for premium plus!
Les Brown has a point, in some ways you could say that it's good to open our mouth and tell the world who we are, from a business point of view!
Thank you for your wise words.
Wishing you all the best and a great day.
Roy
PS: I try and avoid following people who wear a mask on their profile photograph!
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Personally Roy, I like to be able to put a face to an actual REAL person on the other side of a chat or email.
I understand those who might want to use their pets or a personal caricature in their avatar, or something else that reflects your personality. I understand why you would want to hide your identity.
However, most internet trolls also hide behind avatars when they leave nasty comments too. It's kind of difficult to identify with an avatar and will take some time to know and trust them. I'm not saying that everyone with an avatar is this way. Perhaps they feel it protects or shields them in some way.
I also understand the arguments claiming that just because you have a picture that it doesn't prove that it's the real you. Unless you're a scam artist, or someone who uses a dating site, I like to believe that most of us on this platform are innocent and genuine when it comes to uploading our real picture.
Isaiah 😊
Good morning Isaiah,
I hope you're doing well. I appreciate you taking the time to read my blog post and comment, thank you.
Yes, I like to be able to put a face to a real person, there is something about it!
I can also understand why some people like to hide their identity, however, I do think better results can be achieved if we show our identity!
That's very true regarding Internet trolls, they hide behind avatars and false pictures! I believe the same, Isaiah, that most of us are genuine and innocent when it comes to uploading a real picture on Wealthy Affiliate.
Wishing you a great weekend.
Roy
Agreed!