Am I already popular?

Under the term personal brand falls personal branding. In short, it is about how you present yourself in the eyes of your customers. Your personal brand is the image you have created. It is through this prism that others perceive you. If you are a sole trader or head of a company, you should take care of how potential customers or colleagues see you. Elements of a personal brand include:

• Name and surname - it is always a good idea to introduce oneself clearly so that these details are engraved in the memory of the interviewees,
• Personal image, appearance - this is not a question of attractiveness, but of professionalism and an image which corresponds to the situation; for example appropriate dress is important,
• Symbol, sign - this could be, for example, a paraphrase or signature that will be associated with you,
• Skills and competencies - relevant knowledge of the field in which you operate,
• Activities using tools e.g. marketing.

Is it possible to check the progress of a personal brand? Absolutely. There are several ways to check where you stand. Most importantly, listen to your customers and what they say about you and, above all, whether they are saying it. The easiest way is to ask yourself three questions. Firstly, where do you get your customers from? Do you advertise your services in the newspaper, on advertising portals, or perhaps clients come by recommendation? If you are getting clients this way, it could mean you are on the right track. Secondly, think about how do clients recommend your services? Do they pass on your contact to other people who need a consultation in your industry? If so - it's unlikely to reflect well on your brand.

However, if satisfied contractors share your contact with other people and give it a strong recommendation, it means that they are satisfied with your services. Usually, such recommendations include compelling arguments, i.e. what sets you apart from others with similar offerings.

Customer arguments include unique features and values specific to your brand. This could include, for example, fast turnaround times, professionalism, a friendly approach to contractors. If customers mention these with conviction and are able to recommend your services to others, it means you are on the right track to creating a personal brand. Want to learn more? A learning platform could be the place for you. Explore courses from Webinar Universe and expand your knowledge on a wide range of topics.

Appropriate selection

Contrary to appearances, promoting oneself has little to do with being an influencer. Promoting a personal brand aims to create the image of an expert. It involves, firstly, increasing recognition among potential clients and, secondly, advertising professional services.

To achieve your goal, therefore, you need to choose the right product and match it with the promotion. The advertised product must match the nature of the brand, i.e. the type of business. For example, if you are or want to become an influencer, visually appealing and good quality videos/photos will work well. If you are professionally involved in marketing, bet on a blog or a profile on a professional portal. Create tips that show your audience that you are an expert in your field.

How do you match the type of product to the nature of your brand? Think about what you want to do, what objectives you want to achieve, and think about the value you can offer customers and audiences. The product you promote should also be of high quality. So opt for something that you feel good about, that you can make your trademark.

Also remember not to mislead the customer. So don't promote photography if you are in the business of copywriting and that is your service.

What and for how much?

Internet marketing is very effective, but it is necessary to know how to use the tools it offers. Of these, advertising stands out as highly effective. There are many types of advertising: from social media advertising to Google AdWords, banner advertising and sponsored articles.

Each ad has its own specificity. The most popular is banner advertising. It takes the form of a rectangle or square and appears on websites. Its disadvantages, however, include the fact that they can sometimes be annoying and many internet users turn them off straight away and do not even look at what services they are advertising.

A good choice is therefore social media advertising and Google Adwords. In each case, you will set your target audience precisely so that your ad will be displayed to those most interested in your services.

The cost of advertising depends on many factors, including your industry. The higher the budget, the larger the potential audience. If you set all the parameters accurately and define the correct target group, your ad will be effective. This means that the cost per click will be lower. With Google Ads, there is a CPC billing model, or Cost per Click. You pay when a user clicks on your ad, so the display itself is free. This model works well for campaigns aimed at generating website traffic. It is also easy to measure the effectiveness of the campaign.

CPM refers to the cost per ad viewed by 1,000 users. You can specify how much you want to pay at most per 1,000 impressions. In this case, however, you have to take into account the risk of overpaying, as the cost is independent of how many people actually click on the ad. It may therefore turn out to be ineffective and you will still have to bear the cost.

The CPV model, payment per view, is used by YouTube. In this case, you only pay for viewing the video or the user's interaction with the video, such as clicking an overlay with a call to action.

In addition to those mentioned above, you will also come across other billing models. CPA, cost per action, means that you choose the action for which you will incur a fee. This could be filling out a form or placing an order. With the CPL model, you pay when the recipient leaves their details, for example in a form. CPS - cost per sale, meaning you incur a cost when a user purchases a product or service. However, this model is quite expensive.

For advertising to be effective, the rate cannot be too low. If it is too high, the cost of advertising may be too high. The rate-setting strategy is important. It should match the objectives of the advertising campaign. For example, an outreach campaign aims to increase brand awareness and should therefore reach as many people as possible. A sales campaign, on the other hand, focuses on increasing product sales. You can learn more about advertising from online courses. Online learning is a great way to expand your knowledge at any time of the day. Check out Webinar Universe. User reviews suggest that it is an interesting way to develop your skills.

Advertising vs PR

Both PR and advertising are used by many companies, both large and small. Properly conducted, they increase popularity and bring in new customers. However, the terms are not the same.

PR is mainly about building a positive image. These are targeted activities, planned over a long time horizon. It is therefore about drawing the attention of customers to the products or services offered by the company. However, it is not advertising, but sincere action towards the recipient. Is it possible to combine these two action strategies? Many people think that advertising is more effective, but without an established, positive image, it is difficult to have returning customers or those who come by recommendation. What's more, if the recipient comes across an advertisement for a company they already know and which has good PR, there is a greater chance that they will decide to use its services.

However, a poorly designed advertisement can have a negative impact on brand image. This will happen if the service or product advertised is of poor quality or if the promises made in the advertisement are not reflected in reality. Building a personal brand is important. It helps to raise the profile of a company and its services, makes more customers come by recommendation and stay for longer. In order to maintain a positive image, it is advisable to use advertising to position oneself as an expert who provides the recipient with a specific benefit.