Social media sites are great places to contribute to the community both online and off, becoming recogized as a trusted advisor. By doing so both your community and your business prosper- it kind of works like karma. The more you add, the more you will eventually receive.

Easy enough to say- you have some great things to share. What's the first step?

The online world is richly visual. It is almost as if you have to hold up a stop sign to get people's attention initially, and this stop sign is your Avatar- that little picture that identifies you on your social media site.

This is a screenshot of my avatar on twitter. I have had a lot of avatars there, and have noted that when I have made any drastic avatar changes, people complain that they can't "find me." So I try to keep any changes minor- I like this avatar because it uses a photo familiar to my followers.

When I planned this one, I tried to think about the point I was trying to make right off the bat. First I wanted it to "pop"- jump off the page and be noticed. See the difference between the two images below:

The picture on the left is nicer, but the picture on the right makes a better avatar. Its imperfections go unnoticed in smaller scale. I also like it because it brands me as a member of TwitterQueens- the twitterbird and the crown act as pictograms, helping with branding.

So, first- decide what your purpose is. Are you trying to establish yourself as a waterfront property specialist? How would you say that? Do you specialize in city rentals or commercial property? How are you going to get your brand across to people in a non-sales way -  this is important in this medium.

Once you have figured out how to stop traffic with a great-looking avatar, you need to make sure the road you bring people down is attractive. Nothing will lose you followers faster than making your stream- the mini-blog posts that you make- into a series of advertisements. If people wanted Craigslist, they would go to Craigslist. Remember the three Es- entertainment, education, engagement- and focus your online posts around this.

For a step-by-step tutorial for making your own avatar, click here.

To link your avatar for use in many common sites, check out Gravatar.com

Have fun!