The Freelancer Visibility Problem: Why 90% Fail Before Day 100
Elwyn breaks down the critical visibility challenge that destroys most freelance careers before they begin. Drawing from his experience of building multiple YouTube channels and learning social media the hard way, he reveals why showing up consistently matters more than perfect content.
The Field of Dreams Myth That's Killing Freelance Careers
Most freelancers start their journey believing in a dangerous myth: "Build it and they will come." You've probably heard this phrase from the fantastic movie Field of Dreams, and while it worked for Kevin Costner's baseball field, it's absolute poison for freelance businesses. If no one sees you, no one hires you. It's that simple.
Yet here's what trips up most freelancers before they even get out of the gate: visibility. They spend weeks crafting the perfect website, designing the ideal logo, and writing flawless service descriptions, then wonder why their inbox stays empty. They're working in the dark, hoping someone will magically discover their hidden talents.
I've felt the same resistance for the majority of my career, especially with my personal life on social media. I've constantly rolled my eyes at posts on LinkedIn from thought leaders when I've met and worked with that person, and the picture they're portraying is far from reality. I'm not recommending that you go down that route either.
Why Social Media Isn't About Becoming a Narcissist
I know what some of you're thinking: "I hate social media." You're not alone. I've also cringed at TikTok videos, and in the early days, I had to drag myself to record YouTube content. But here's what changed everything for me: I found people I could help, and my focus became about them, not me.
"I have many faults, but thankfully being a narcissist isn't one of them," I remind myself constantly. Last year I made a conscious effort to stop treating social media with contempt. It's still early days with the new changed me, but I'm already feeling that was a considerable turning point.
Why? Because like it or not, posting consistently is the fastest and by far the cheapest way to start learning what your potential audience actually wants. I've been running multiple YouTube channels for three to four years now. I've tried scheduled posting, quick reels, long-form tutorials, AI-voiced walkthroughs - you name it. Many of them flopped. One or two surprised me.
But what really mattered wasn't perfection, even though the designer and perfectionist in me is constantly craving that. What really mattered was getting content out there, tracking what worked, and then constantly adapting. I was building a feedback loop, but this only kicks in when you start publishing. Until then, you're working in the dark.
The Flywheel Effect: Why It Feels Impossible at First
Consider social media as a flywheel. At first, we've got to put all of our weight into it. It's stiff, it doesn't move, and it feels like hard work for little return. "Why am I doing this when no one's seeing my posts?" you'll ask yourself.
But keep showing up and it eventually turns faster and easier, and starts pulling attention towards you without you needing to push so hard. Eventually, much of this momentum will be self-propelled where you just need to exert a little bit of pressure every now and again. That's what this first phase is all about: getting that flywheel moving.
You may feel silly if you're new to social media from a business perspective, but I can assure you that no one else really cares how many views your video gets, how many interactions or likes you receive. Only you care about that.
The Real Meaning of Branding for Freelancers
Let me clear this one up: branding isn't just your logo or a polished colour palette with brand guidelines. Instead, your brand, especially when you're starting out, is simply how people perceive you or your business - how people feel when they come across your content.
It's not about having a perfect website or hiring a designer right now, although if you do need a website, I know of a very good Squarespace studio. Instead, it's about being recognisable, relatable, and real.
If you take the biggest content creators on the web and jump back to find their early content, you'll find lots of dodgy thumbnails, bad lighting, and graphics that make you (and probably them) cringe. But it's those videos that connected with people and helped the content creator figure out what their audience was struggling with.
Your Content Strategy: Six Ways to Start Today
If you're not sure what to post, here's a practical checklist to get the wheels turning:
Option 1: What are you working on? If you're a designer creating mockups, share them. If you're a copywriter, show passages you're writing. This demonstrates your process and expertise.
Option 2: What you've learned. Share a mistake you made this week and how you fixed it. If you haven't made any mistakes this week and you're being fully honest, go back further and find one you haven't spoken about already. People return to social media because of stories, and overcoming obstacles is one of the oldest stories there is.
Option 3: Tips you've picked up. Maybe you found a handy shortcut in Canva or discovered a useful feature. Tell people about it.
Option 4: Behind the scenes. This could be a peek at your process, your setup, or even your morning routine, although the latter has been overdone in recent years. Make it real - we don't want to see those 4 AM starts with smoothies and swimming. It's got to be gritty and authentic.
Option 5: Questions. Ask your audience what they're struggling with. Remember, you can hijack an existing community or audience for this type of post. You don't need to position yourself as a content creator or influencer before you can start asking questions.
Option 6: Opinions (treat this one carefully). If you're brand new to an industry, you could look like a fool if you jump in with opinions first. When I'm employing staff, I always say it takes them six months before they justify having an opinion. I want ideas from them; I just don't want opinions until they've learned the basics of their role.
"In the UK, we have a saying from rugby: you earn the right to go wide. Basically, you've got to make the hard yards with your pack forwards first, doing all the ugly work, before you can pass the ball out to the pretty boys in the back line. If you pass it out too early, the defence is on you and you've got nowhere to go."
Networking Without the Schmoozing
The word "networking" puts a lot of people off because it sounds like stiff suits, stale coffee at events, listening to the same people drone on about how they've positioned themselves as thought leaders within their particular niche.
But for your first phase, networking should just mean reaching out. This could be messaging someone you used to work with, commenting on work that you really admire, asking a fellow creator to chat for just 15 minutes, or posting in a relevant community and offering to help.
"You're not pushing a product; you're joining a conversation and letting your name pop up enough times that when someone does need help, they think of you."
Think about it like brand exposure. When you see a delivery van for a supermarket driving by constantly, or signage for a new product you've never heard of, they're bedding in familiarity. So when you're in a position where you need services that brand provides, it's likely to be higher up the list of brands you think about.
The 100-Day Rule: Why Most People Quit Too Early
Here's one of my favourite concepts, and why most people quit before they see results: You won't see proper results until you've shown up online for around 100 days.
This doesn't need to be 100 days back to back. It could be five days a week, every week, until you hit the 100 days. If you go on holiday, you've got to find a way to keep that rhythm going. This is about removing excuses and making this part of your routine.
Once you've hit that three months of showing up without massive returns (or in some cases, any return), it sounds tough. That's because it is. That's why most people quit within a week or two.
"But the ones who stick it out will start seeing things shift. There's no guarantee that you will make it even after 100 days, but what will help is it will give you the discipline, consistency, and routine that most people crave."
This means you can see results within six months, 12 months, 18 months, or in worst cases, it could take two to three years. That's what it's taken me with YouTube to get any sort of real traction. But when it clicks, opportunities will land, direct messages will come in, you'll find your rhythm, and you'll work out what your audience actually cares about.
Building Your Audience Before Your Offer
Here's something that might sound strange: you don't need an offer yet. You don't need a service or product to start building an audience. In fact, one of the worst things you can do right now is sit back in a bubble trying to dream up the perfect offer.
Let your content and, more importantly, your new audience shape your offer for you. If you post often enough and listen to what people respond to, then keep your ear to the ground, your audience will tell you what they need if you listen hard enough.
"By then you've already warmed up an audience, you've built some trust, and now you're not pitching in the dark. You're responding to demand."
This approach transforms how you develop services. Instead of guessing what people want, you're creating solutions for problems you've actually identified through real conversations and engagement.
Your 100-Day Action Plan
Here's your practical action list for the next 100 days:
Commit to 15 minutes daily. Carve out 15 minutes every workday (and weekends if you can) solely focusing on social media. Spend 10 minutes looking at other posts, five minutes writing your own. You could write a blog in that time, which can be carved up to create multiple social media posts.
Pick one or two platforms where your audience might be and post something short and useful. Think of it like spinning plates - spin up one social media platform, get that one under control and manageable before looking at the next one.
Be human. Forget over-polished branding for now. Use your real name and a profile photo that doesn't look like it belongs on a passport. Be careful about overly perfected AI photos. Social media is real, and it needs to be the real you.
Start conversations. Comment, send direct messages, or email someone who might enjoy what you're working on.
Keep notes. Track posts and engagement. Keep a log of what people ask you. This will be gold dust for developing your services.
Don't ghost. If someone replies or engages with your posts, thank them or follow up. These are early audience members, so treat them well. One or two could become your greatest cheerleaders as your business grows.
The Hidden Audience You Don't See
Since I've been posting content on YouTube, I don't get a huge amount of engagement from people I know. But when I meet them in person, maybe just catching up with a friend I've not seen for three or four years, they'll casually drop into conversation that they've seen some of the videos I'm creating and it looks really impressive.
My instinctive reaction (that I suppress) is: "Well, why aren't you liking and sharing the posts?" The answer is because it's not their niche and they're not the target audience. Many people on social media aren't narcissists - they don't want it to be about them. They just like to follow content.
"Bear in mind, if they're not liking your posts, it may not be because of you. It could be because they only engage with certain types of content in that way. Even though you may not be getting the likes, shares, or comments that you crave, there's every chance that your posts are still hitting the mark and finding people."
Takeaway Notes
Most freelancers fail because they believe in the "build it and they will come" myth instead of focusing on visibility
Consistent social media posting is the fastest and cheapest way to learn what your potential audience wants
The 100-day rule: you won't see proper results until you've shown up online consistently for around 100 days
Branding for freelancers isn't about perfect logos - it's about how people perceive you and feel when they encounter your content
Start with 15 minutes daily on social media: 10 minutes consuming content, 5 minutes creating your own
Focus on one or two platforms initially rather than trying to be everywhere at once
Share your work process, lessons learned, tips, behind-the-scenes content, and ask questions to engage your audience
Build your audience before creating your offer - let real audience feedback shape your services
Track engagement and keep notes about what people ask for - this becomes valuable market research
Many people view your content without engaging, so don't be discouraged by low visible interaction
Wrap-Up
The freelancer visibility problem isn't about perfection or having the best content from day one. It's about showing up consistently, building that flywheel momentum, and understanding that most people quit right before the breakthrough happens. Your content will improve not because you bought a better camera, but because your understanding deepens and you become a student of the game.
Ready to start building your freelance visibility the right way?
Join our free Pixelhaze Academy membership for access to resources, tutorials, and our exclusive Skool DIY community where you can speak with our team directly and connect with other freelancers navigating the same visibility challenges. Remember, this is about laying foundations and building relationships - not chasing overnight success or viral hits.
