A while ago, I ran a five-day LinkedIn Visibility Challenge for more than 200 ELT freelancers, encouraging them to improve their profiles and start posting content that their ideal clients would actually be interested in seeing.

There were a lot of wins.

People finally managed to post on LinkedIn after years of lurking, and discovered that the sky didn’t fall in.

They saw their connections and views rise, even after such a short time.

And quite a few people actually found work or clients as a result of becoming more visible, with potential clients reaching out to them. That last one even took me by surprise, as I’d usually advise people to expect things to take rather longer.

But there was also an awful lot of resistance.

Much of it came down to beliefs people were holding about what getting visible on social media meant, and what might happen if they put themselves out there.

Here are five of the most common.

1. People won’t be interested in learning more about me

In fact, in the feedback from the challenge, many people mentioned how much they’d enjoyed finding out more about people they’d previously only known by name.

We even noticed quite a few people joining in with similar introduction posts who hadn’t actually been part of the challenge. And good for them!

Of course, potential clients don’t need to know every detail of your personal life. But they often do want to know something about the person they might be working with.

Your background, experience, interests and the reasons you approach your work as you do can all help people get a better sense of who you are and whether you’d be a good fit.

2. People will feel ‘bombarded’ by my posts

It’s true that social media can feel a bit much at times.

But following someone on LinkedIn doesn’t mean seeing every single thing they post. The platform decides what to show people based on a whole range of factors, including their interests and previous activity.

And people can always scroll past something they’re not interested in!

The important thing is to think about who you’re posting for and whether what you’re sharing is genuinely useful or interesting to them.

If you’re sharing relevant ideas, experiences and insights that help your potential clients, why assume that you’re imposing on them?

You’re giving them an opportunity to hear from you. They can decide whether they want to take it.

3. You need specialist equipment to create videos for social media

You really don’t.

A smartphone is perfectly adequate for getting started with video. You don’t need an expensive camera or professional lighting.

Facing a window can make a big difference to how you look on camera, and finding somewhere without too much background noise will help with the sound.

It’s worth keeping your phone steady, perhaps using a simple tripod, and adding captions so people can follow what you’re saying without sound.

I was really impressed by how many people on the challenge created and posted their first video on LinkedIn.

And many discovered that it wasn’t nearly as terrifying as they’d imagined!

Of course, video is only one way to get visible. Plenty of people build successful businesses on LinkedIn using written posts, articles and conversations.

But if video is something you’d like to try, don’t let a lack of fancy equipment hold you back.

4. I don’t feel comfortable selling myself

I hear this one a lot.

And I think it’s partly about how we think about marketing.

When you’re promoting your freelance language teaching business, you’re helping people understand who you work with, what you do and how you could help them.

That might involve talking about problems you’ve helped clients solve, explaining your approach or sharing something you’ve learned through your work.

You can also tell people about the services you offer and how to work with you.

Then they have the information they need to decide whether they’re interested.

If you never talk about what you do, how can potential clients know whether you might be exactly the person they’re looking for?

5. I don’t want to show off

One of the tasks I set during the challenge involved sharing a win, which could be a client testimonial.

Lots of people hate sharing testimonials. It feels like bragging.

But think about it. Don’t you read reviews before making an important purchase?

Would you rather the company didn’t share them in case it looked like showing off?

Thought not.

When someone is considering investing in your services, seeing what other people have achieved through working with you can be incredibly helpful.

You’re giving them some evidence that you know what you’re doing and that your approach can work.

Of course, you can share testimonials and client successes in a way that feels natural and comfortable to you. There’s no need to make grand claims or exaggerate anything.

I wrote more about this in my article on shameless self-promotion.

So, what’s really stopping you?

These five beliefs about getting visible on social media can hold your business back, but they can also make it harder for your potential clients to find the help they’re looking for.

Before you post something, ask yourself whether it will help a potential client understand something better, do something more effectively or get a clearer idea of how you might be able to help them.

If the answer is yes, that’s a pretty good reason to share it.

And remember, you don’t have to be everywhere, post every day or suddenly become someone who loves being in the spotlight.

You just need to give the right people opportunities to discover you and understand the value of what you offer.

Want to make LinkedIn work harder for your business?

Getting comfortable with visibility is a great start. But ultimately, you want your LinkedIn activity to help you build relationships and attract potential clients.

I’ve brought together some of my most useful LinkedIn videos, articles and practical resources for freelance language professionals, covering everything from improving your profile to finding clients without resorting to cold pitching.

Explore my LinkedIn resources

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