Feeling Invisible In the World of Business - How to Get Seen
If you're exhausted from putting yourself out there and getting crickets in return, I've got 5 tips for getting your business seen.
Do you ever have one of those days where everything seems to be going backward, no matter how much effort you put forth?
Despite the abundant experience, fantastic resources, and brilliant skills, your job applications get passed over, your emails go unread or unsubscribed, and your offers are ignored.
It’s hard to find an audience when there’s so much competition. I’ve been in the writing industry for 20 years, publishing novels, writing for ezines, and doing book reviews and author interviews.
Despite having the same blog since 2011 and hosting hundreds of books and authors, I’m still relatively undiscovered. But my few fans are awesome and love supporting the authors I feature. I've bounced around since the beginning, transitioning from novels to writing for the web.
At first, I immersed myself in HTML (who remembers customizing their MySpace profiles daily?). Later in my career, I discovered SEO and affiliate marketing. But back then, it was hard for a writer to make a living, and it didn’t pay the bills.
So, I moved on to more lucrative work-from-home jobs. Working a real job out in the wild world is impossible. I have more bad days than good due to my health issues.
Keep reading if you’d like to hear more about my personal journey. Or feel free to scroll past to see what type of freelance services I offer, learn about my business coaching program, and get 5 tips on starting your online business presence.
The Tormented Ramblings of a Freelancer Starts Here
On bad days, I succumb to extreme exhaustion from the slightest efforts. It’s horrifying when the simple act of pulling your hair up into a ponytail sends your muscles screaming like you just lifted a car.
When the house is quiet, and everyone is gone, I allow myself to be weak. I mourn for the days when sweeping the floor didn’t make me feel like I would pass out from a racing heart. Or when I could pour milk out of a gallon jug without spilling because my hand shakes under the minimal weight to the point that it feels like my bones will snap.
But no one knows.
Once the house gets active, I mask my pain and become Superwoman. I get a million things done at once.
I cook from scratch and teach the kids life lessons. I train the dogs and spoil them with homemade meals and treats. I go to my kids’ different sports, concerts, and competitions.
I don’t let them know how much it takes out of me. Or how exhausted it makes me to keep up with everything and everyone.
Being a stay-at-home parent is hard work if you've never done it. Twice as much if you work from home. Around here, people often forget that just because I’m here doesn’t mean I’m available to do something.
If I stop what I’m doing to do something else, the first something will never get done. I’ll forget about it and get distracted by fifty-leven things; especially when it’s creative related.
My brain goes a mile a minute, but I forget just as fast. I have to write things down. But because I jot down an idea in the spur of the moment, when I go back and look at it later, I have completely forgotten what I meant by the note.
The horrors of my ADHD craftaddiction mean I’ve got hundreds of projects left on varying levels of completion. It’s a nightmare for my OCD, especially when I get the urge to work on something.
I fall down the proverbial rabbit hole as I wonder at things I started and just as soon forget. I’ve been trying to purge my junkyard of unused inventory by turning my creative efforts again into having several sources of passive income.
While I’m still actively hunting for a few clients who need my diverse offerings, I’ll keep trying to grow my audience. They say 1,000 is the magical number you need if you want to make money from your followers.
The email list I host on Kit has 580 subscribers, but that number has dropped by 50 since I resumed writing to my audience after a messy-year hiatus. It’s funny how you can get so caught up in something that you don’t realize how much time has passed.
I spent most of last year devoting my efforts to an opportunity that turned into a depressing dead end.
But I think it will turn out to be a good thing. I was doing too much work for too little appreciation or income. Now I have time to focus on growing my business the way I started in 2023 when I dreamed up Sarandipity’s.
Introducing Sarandipity’s - The One Stop Shop for SBO
Because I spent so much time trying to help another brand grow, I abandoned my efforts to develop my own. I’ve been actively working on that in 2025 with the hopes of getting my full range of services launched for small business owners within the next three months.
I have big plans, from paid subscription services to DFY (and DIY) businesses, online courses, business coaching, and an online store. Check out my stock and grab some of the free stuff I’ve listed!
I’m excited to say I just reached my goal of stocking my store with 50 digital products for small business owners, both current and aspiring.
I’ve got several planners for brains like mine that can’t keep up with the many things to do as a stay-at-home parent and small business owner. Grab this free goal-setting planner and join my email list if you want a sample of what’s in store (pun intended).
Frugal Freelancer Services
Do you need help with your business? I offer a wide range of freelance services, like:
copywriting
email management
sales funnels
lead magnets
brochures
website design
VA services
website management
social media management
custom digital products for business use
store management (POD, Etsy, WooCommerce, TPT, Gumroad, and more)
video script writing
business coaching
consultation calls
brainstorming sessions
I’m also trying to grow my audience on Substack. I’m new to the platform and still figuring things out. I devoted time to publishing on Medium to generate passive income, which became a bust after Medium’s recent changes.
I hope to find better success with Stacks. I’ve already started making connections with similar entrepreneurs, writers, and business owners. I’m hoping to learn how to boost my exposure. I have plenty to offer once you get into the web of creativity.
I’m still fleshing out my paid Substack offer to entice readers to subscribe. With so many options, I want to offer enough for my readers to get their money’s worth without giving away too much.
Each paid post subscription will have actionable steps for business owners, whether you’ve been in business for years or your idea is just a twinkle in your eye.
My frugality stands out among other business coaches. I’ve had to grow my business with minimal upfront investment while juggling being a chronically ill single mom of four kids.
When I met my husband five years ago, my mind transitioned from survival roles that paid pennies to dreaming big and going for broke by starting a small business. Freelancing has been my life for twenty years, and I’ve had plenty of successes and failures.
I love sharing my experiences with others to help pave the way for success without the pitfalls of inexperience. There isn’t a school that teaches you the ins and outs of freelancing.
There are plenty of programs, but who has thousands of dollars to spend to hear someone talk about their success story, which included investing thousands of dollars into starting their business?
Most freelancers do so because they need the flexibility and convenience of working when and how much they want.
Why Choose the Freelance Small Business Life?
Maybe you have wanderlust and don’t want to be tied to a brick-and-mortar company. You could have commitment issues or you’re an introvert who doesn’t like to people. (I’m right there with you! NO thanks.)
Or perhaps you’re a mom at her wit’s end with all life is throwing at you, and you need a creative outlet to make money so you don’t feel guilty staying home with your family.
Then there are people like me who don’t have the luxury of being able to sustain an everyday job with set hours. Instead of a traditional job, you could need your business as your primary source of income.
Let’s Get Connected!
Whatever your reason, I’m here to help with tips, coaching, courses, workbooks, and lots of cool free stuff. And because I believe that starting a business shouldn’t break the bank, I offer budget-friendly solutions and products. Not to mention lots of sales!
The more places you connect with me, the more benefits you’ll receive. My ADHD keeps me scattered, so I tailor my offerings to different audiences. Each week, you can access hundreds of dollars in free resources for personal and professional growth.
I just celebrated the milestone of 500 posts on my book blog, Frugal Freelancer. I host several book events daily, including giveaways, author interviews, guest posts, and book reviews. I’m always open to hosting authors who want exposure for their books. I have a great list of blog tour hosts who offer premium promotional packages for interested authors.
Join my Facebook group for status updates on upcoming events such as summits, bundles, webinars, free goodie bags, book giveaways, and business opportunities like collaborations and job listings.
My Frugal Freelancer fan page has many humorous memes, business advice, and video tutorials for freelancers, crafters, and writers.
My Kit email list has five categories you can join, catering to your needs and interests. The best way to get the most out of your connection with me is to fill out this form and introduce yourself and your business. Not sure what your business is yet?
No worries, I’ll soon be offering brainstorming sessions and recruiting five people to join my beta program, giving access to all of my channels, courses, coaching, and activities in exchange for feedback.
Comment I wanna join if you’d like to be considered as a beta tester.
5 Tips for Growing Your Brand Presence
I mentioned earlier that I’ve had my blog since 2011. Like me, it’s gone through some thangs, like more than one appearance change and several service overhauls as my business model has changed and grown over the years.
I also briefly talked about my email list dropping in numbers now that I’ve started to re-engage my audience.
Why is any of this relevant? Because I’ve given you exact examples of how you should approach building your online persona to attract clients. If you limit yourself to only one method of putting yourself out there, you miss out on audiences who might not know where to find you.
5 Tips for Growing Your Brand Presence
Identify Your Audience
Establish a Game Plan
Know Where to Find Your Audience
Deliver the Right Message
Join Promotional Events
Upgrade to a paid membership for only $5 a month and get access to actionable steps for each of these tips that can help you grow your brand, plus free stuff!
Tip 1 - Identify Your Audience
Before creating an online persona that will bring an audience to you, it’s important to understand your target group. It’s impossible to attract everyone, and you can end up lost in the sea of competition, never to be seen again.
Having a clear understanding of who you want to work with lets you invest your time into getting your brand seen by people most likely to want what you offer.
When I started out, I screwed up by trying to appeal to anyone who wanted to work from home. But boy, that’s a large market, and there are some serious experts I’d have to compete against.
I don’t know much about every work-from-home opportunity. Most aren’t for freelancers or small business owners, so I narrowed my focus.
Many stay-at-home moms struggle to get by with the high living costs. Working outside the home can be more expensive than not working at all.
But working from home poses problems. These include juggling children’s schedules, chaos in household management, personal life, and a health routine—enough to drive anyone mad.
Grab this 2025 Yearly calendar to keep your life organized.
Tip 2 - Establish a Game Plan
Identifying your ideal customer isn’t enough in itself to build your audience. You have to market yourself and your services in a way that appeals to your audience’s liking.
The best way to attract a following is to know what your audience needs and give it to them. My audience needs advice on how to make money from home. I recommend a life of freelancing if you have the luxury of devoting years to establishing your brand.
But I also recommend starting a small business doing something you love and setting up several passive income avenues so you have multiple ways of making money.
Once I know my audience's problems, I create plans to solve them. These tips will help you build a bigger audience for your brand.
My game plan includes creating free and paid resources for my followers, outlining a publishing calendar of content across my online personas, writing promotional and educational copy, and marketing my offers to increase conversions.
Need help making a publishing calendar? Grab this 42-page Business Marketing Content Planner and organize your plans.
Tip 3 - Know Where Your Audience Likes to Be
It’s mind-blowing how many social media outlets are available for us to connect. Trying to be present on each one can be exhausting, and you can waste hours with zero results.
Instead of trying to be everywhere, limit your options to three to five, depending on your audience. Your client demographics will play a huge role in determining which platforms are worth your time.
Many moms love to hang out on social media like TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram, depending on age, location, and purpose of activity.
You may be on one side of the X/Twitter or Bluesky debate and prefer the platform that best aligns with your audience's message. I don’t do politics, so I use both.
Pinterest is a place for people looking to do something. It’s a great place to target if you have a website, YouTube, email list, or online store.
Other platforms include Reddit, Tumblr, Threads, and networking sites like LinkedIn, Skool, Medium, and SubStack. Did you know even BuzzFeed is getting in on the social media action with their own platform coming soon?
Tip 4 - Use the Right Messaging Format
The platforms you choose will also affect your content creation. Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok platforms are video-forward. They use snappy captions to hook readers and direct them into a sales funnel that leads to another location, usually through an incentive.
Not sure how to market your brand on social media? Ask about my social media management services.
To attract attention, Pinterest is a visual-first platform, so you should use bold colors, easy-to-read fonts, and catchy titles. The goal is to get the user to click on your image and follow a link to another site, usually your store or website.
Shop my store for Pinterest templates you can customize using your branding kit. If you need help defining your brand, message me for a consultation.
Your social platforms should navigate to a primary hub where you manage your services. Hosting a website is the best option to avoid losing your audience if a social media site goes down. There are free and affordable options.
You can monetize your website through various methods, like ads, sponsored posts, affiliate marketing, and setting up an online store.
Tip 5 - Get Your Brand Seen
Once you have your personas in place, you must get your brand seen. The best way to do that is by getting your followers to navigate to one location for easy organization. Enter your email list.
An email list is a crucial asset you should establish early in your business. As great as social media is, the TikTok ban showed how problematic it can become if you only use it for income.
For email, you’ll need to write content that gives something useful. Need help writing emails? Contact me about my freelance writing services. It should also sell your offers and entice the reader into action.
You can set up funnels to navigate clients to your email list. Strategically place opt-ins that attract customers with a freebie. The freebie should then direct the customer to an upsell—a paid product offer.
Another great way to grow your email list is by participating in bundles, summits, and masterclasses. I belong to several collaboration groups that accept contributors. Comment with collabs to get my list of places to find bundles to join.
By participating in several bundles in 2023, I grew my email list from zero to over 600. I’ll add a few offers this quarter to hopefully reach 1,000. I’d love to get my Substack subscriber list to 100 by the end of February.
Help me by subscribing and restack this post if you know someone it can help. I reward referrals with credits to my store. Make sure your friends tell me who sent them.