What Writer’s Block Taught Me About the Power of a Twitter Avatar
Posted in Social ME-dia on February 23rd, 2009 by Gina LaGuardiaI’m an editor, so it’s no surprise that I’m all about words. When it came time to write my wedding vows, I let my heart pour out from my fingertips. During my first pregnancy, I documented the changes in my body and the development of my firstborn on what became a Mommy blog. Just recently, I wrote a letter to my second daughter that I’ll give her when she’s older about how it felt to have my heart suddenly expand on the day she was born.Every day, I use words to convey what’s on my mind, both personally and professionally. So you can see how someone who so clearly needs a keyboard to express herself, not to mention who makes a living treating commas and contractions like a doctor doing brain surgery, would be convinced that writing about a cause is the best way to share that passion with others.
Until writer’s block hit (an occupational hazard, yes).
I had sat down to express my support of 12for12k, which combines social media and fundraising to change the lives of millions – just me and my WordPress “Write” screen. I already knew the “Content Pimp” route I’d take to deploy and broadcast it – how I’d write a few clever Tweets, ask others to “Please RT” it, post the link to my Facebook account, maybe call in a Stumble or two. But the words wouldn’t come.
As I wrestled with jumbled thoughts, I remembered something that had caught my eye in the past. That little One Day for Human Rights guy over so many of my Twitter friends’ faces and the pastel-pink wave of avatars during Pink for October were etched in my brain, so much so that I decided to put the words away for once.
Thanks to Danny Brown (@DannyBrown), the man behind 12for12k, I was hooked up with graphic designer Darin Berntson (@iGoByDoc), who helped create a Twitter avatar and background that put my 12for12k support front 
and center with my identity. A few quick clicks and an upload later, I sat and waited, hoping people would not only notice my new look, but that it would inspire some of them to explore how 12for12k empowers us to use our social networking powers for good. The 12for12k message is simple: With as little as $10 per month, we can make a world of difference in the lives of those less fortunate. Doing that, and then using our social networks to spread that message, is key to affecting change.
A Pebble in the Twitterstream
Though it may not seem like much at first, we all know that the picture we choose to accompany anything online, be it our Twitter pages, Facebook profiles, or blog/site “About Us” areas, can define so much, so quickly. I liken all of my Twitter friends’ avatars in my TweetDeck to friendly faces at one big party. There’s @CarynRN’s dog, @Jamesbedell’s dark eyes, @Carissa_MomIF’s profile, @MSchechter’s “Hey!” look, @BrianCarter’s sly smile, @SugarJones’ green-hatted grin, @BlogWellDone’s jalapeno pepper-rockin’ dude rag, @DanLopez2012’s shades, and so many others with images just as memorable. When there’s a diversion to that space – a blip in my visually indexing of friends – I take notice.
John Sheridan (@JohnSheridan), my Twitter friend and president of blindSpot Business Consulting Inc., which specializes in creating best practice solutions, and a long-time architect of social media environments, explains it best: “It’s the picture in a thousand words of who you are for others to mentally store away. Since all we have online is a little picture, it becomes even more powerful as a communication tool. And since web 2.0 is all about micro, the real estate on a tiny avatar is highly valuable, and therefore, important.”
When I put out my new 12for12k avatar, it was like throwing a pebble in the stream: Though it certainly didn’t make a big splash, I immediately noticed some ripples. What John said about that ID real estate being so important started to sink in.
Because my Twitter friend Anthony Curtis (@Anthony Curtis) focuses on Internet marketing in his business (he’s a seasoned Web Marketing veteran with a decade of Fortune 500 online business experience), I asked him to elaborate on his Tweet. “Your avatar caught my eye because you successfully blended the tried-and-true headshot with a written statement that was short and to the point. I wasn’t quite sure what 12for12K was all about, but your delivery piqued my interest enough to click.”
How amazing it felt to have affirmation that something to which I am fully dedicated was now on the minds of others! I had made an impact with not a noun, verb, metaphor, or alliteration anywhere — it was a new feeling for me, for sure. When I connected with Anca Foster (@Anca_Foster) creator of One Day for Human Rights, about it, she wasn’t surprised.
“The avatars of the One Day for Human Rights supporters had probably the most impact out of all the promotional elements of this campaign. People kept seeing more and more avatars with the little human rights guy logo, and kept asking what it stood for,” she explained. The action affected by the visual impact helped further the organization’s goals. “[Many followed] by signing the petition to print the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in passports, and a lot of them added it to their own avatars.”
Though I definitely wasn’t the first with a 12for12k pimp-out avatar, a few of my Twitter friends followed suit shortly after me. Brown, who recently had his own “Power of the Avatar” epiphany as well, notes that the ripple affect has been amazing. “There are more appearing every day, it’s humbling to see the support. People are asking what this 12for12k thing is, and that opens up a whole new level of discussion and awareness.”
“Every non-profit that intends to use social media to raise awareness should have a strong visual element that their supporters can use in their avatars, and make it very accessible to anyone who might want to use it,” Foster urges.
Sheridan conveyed that exact notion in a seminar just this past weekend at Podcamp Toronto. “It’s extremely simple to have people raise your awareness with very little effort, and virtually no financial cost,” he explains. “[With a branded avatar], it’s natural for human curiosity to take over and others to start asking what that “statement” is all about. Abracadabra and shazam – your message is spread for you by your new volunteer army.”
In this instance, even though my immediate “cure” initiated a non-written response, the end result was effective. I learned a fascinating lesson, and was inspired to share that with others through my writing. With this blog post as proof, I’d say my writer’s block has yet again triumphed. Who I hope also emerges victorious? The children of war-torn countries, sexually abused boys and girls, and others who stand to benefit from 12for12K.
I hope you’ll check it out, and – for whatever cause you feel convicted by — please let your smile speak for you, too! Happy Tweeting, and happy writing!
Hi, I'm Gina, the girl behind 
