This Is Why Your Content Isn’t Converting

If you've been feeling invisible, I want you to know it's not because you're not good at what you do. It's not because you're not trying hard enough. It's because you're stuck in the cycle of performative visibility, and let's be real, that's not because you're naive or you're doing something wrong. It's because the online space has trained us to equate visibility with vanity.

This is the entrepreneur school podcast where we believe you can run a thriving business and still make your family a priority. This show is all about supporting you the emerging or early stage Entrepreneur on your journey from solopreneur to CEO, while wearing all of the other hats in your life. My name is Kelly Sinclair, and I'm a brand and marketing strategist who started a business with two kids under three. I'm a corporate PR girl turned entrepreneur after I learned the hard way that life is too short to waste doing things that burn you out on this show, you'll hear inspiring stories from other business owners on their journey and learn strategies to help you grow a profitable business while making it all fit into the life that you want. Welcome to entrepreneur School.

Hello. Welcome back, friends. I want to talk about something really frustrating today. Honestly, if you've ever felt yourself thinking like I'm trying really hard, but no one seems to know that I exist, maybe you are showing up online, or you even hired a social media manager and you've been posting or trying reels or maybe even running ads, and still it's not converting into clients for you. First of all, I want you to know you are not alone. And second of all, this episode is definitely for you. So let's talk about why you might still be feeling invisible in your business, even when you feel like you are doing all of the things. The truth is, it is not your fault. You have been taught that visibility means being active online, because there's where people can see you. There's this like perceived group of eyeballs that are always on you, even though they're just like eyeballs lurking in the shadows that aren't reaching out and sending you messages or asking to come and book your services or buy your programs or any of the things that you actually want them to do. Because this is only part of the story, and what I feel like nobody talks about is the emotional toll that it takes when you feel like you're doing everything you're supposed to do and still not being seen. This really breaks my heart, because I hear this all the time from incredible business owners who are experts in their craft, who are really passionate about what they do and the outcomes and transformations that it can provide to their clients. They sometimes have even invested in support, like $500 a month or more for a social media manager, and they have the frequency going right like that, so it feels like showing up consistently. There's effort being put in, but the results do not match the investment. And why? Because visibility, I've said this time and time again, is not just about being online, it's about being in the right rooms with the right message in front of the right people. It's about aligned visibility that actually builds your authority and your credibility and relationships with the right people. That's going to lead to clients coming your way.

So if you've been feeling invisible, I want you to know it's not because you're not good at what you do. It's not because you're not trying hard enough. It's because you're stuck in the cycle of performative visibility, and let's be real. That's not because you're naive or you're doing something wrong. It's because the online space has trained us to equate visibility with vanity. You've likely absorbed the idea that being visible means showing up, constantly posting daily, always being on because you have to be seen to be doing something. And for some reason, we all tend to believe that social media is the space where people can observe us doing those things. Expert entrepreneurs also fall into this trap, and it's not because they don't know better, but because this is the dominant narrative of the online business culture. That why this is the hill I die on. You guys, we're sold this idea that more visibility equals more success, and then without anyone helping us define what and that is without anyone helping us define what visibility actually is or how to make it meaningful, you're doing all the right moves on the surface, you're checking the boxes you're trying to stop. Consistent, but deep down, it feels like you're spinning your wheels, right? I think this is a lot to do with the fact, like, again, that we think there's people there on social media, right? And in truth, like there are people there.

But again, even think about your own behavior and how you interact with social media, often in a scrolling state, often in a very passive way. Often you're seeing things, but it's not actually leading you to take action. And the same goes for the people that you're trying to reach. They're also scrolling while trying to put their baby back to sleep in the middle of the night, or scrolling like while they have wait for their kids in the carpool pickup at school. Or, you know, they have five minutes between making dinner and a kid coming downstairs, like, these are all of the moments that I pick up my phone and find myself scrolling where I'm not intentionally, like receiving any of the information that's out there. So I might see you. I might be like, Oh, that was cool, but I won't do anything with that information, and that means that's a waste of your energy too. Or it certainly needs to be compacted with more strategic visibility so that you can get my attention at a time when I'm actually willing to pay attention and I can take an action from right. I want to play out a little metaphor as well to help illustrate this. So I have a peloton, and I just hit a 100 week streak using my peloton because it like gives you badges and it likes to reward you and celebrate you for using it right. Retention strategy, and so that means that I've done at least one workout every single week for nearly two years, and I'm super proud of that.

But the thing is, some of those weeks I did a five minute meditation or a quick stretch, and it's still counted, right? I checked the box, but there's a difference between checking the box and building real endurance and strength. Some weeks they went all in. I did the 30 minute hit rides. They did the, you know, strength training programs. I was lifting heavy weights. Other weeks, I was just keeping the streak alive. And visibility works the same way. You can check the box by posting on Instagram, but if it's not tied to your bigger message or getting you in front of the right audience, it's like doing a five minute stretch and expecting major fitness results. The truth is, visibility works, and it's not about volume, it's about strategy. So let me give you a few signs that your current visibility efforts might not be aligned. Number one, you're spending $500 a month on a social media manager or a VA to post for you, and you're still only getting 125 views on your reels. Your email list growth has stalled for the past three months. You don't have any new subscribers and no new traction, or you want to get on podcasts, but you haven't booked a single interview. You're posting regularly, but there's no engagement beyond a couple of likes. You feel like your audience still doesn't really get what you do. You're constantly second guessing what to say and where to show up. You're watching your competition, presumably showing up everywhere, and wondering how they're pulling it off, or you're secretly wondering if you missed the moment, or if something is wrong with your brand. Does that sound familiar?

Here's what I want you to know. It isn't about working harder. It's about working smarter. We all have limited energy, limited capacity, and so we just need to make sure that we're using it in the most effective way possible. Performative visibility gives you that feeling of being active, but it doesn't actually make you seen. It doesn't lend you collaborations or podcast spots or dream clients. So I had a discovery call the other day with a woman who's investing in a social media manager to post for her every day. She's just getting started. Her account has around 150 followers, but the engagement is very low, almost non existent. And what she said really hit me. She said social media feels like a job, because she's still spending time reviewing every post to make sure it sounds like her and that it actually accurately reflects her business. So not only is she paying for help, she's also now stuck managing it all. So when I asked her what it would feel like to build a visibility strategy that didn't rely so heavily on social media. She paused, and then she said, But won't it look like I've dropped the ball? To which I said, to who? Who are we worried about it looking like you dropped the ball?

Right? This is where it's all in our heads, the perception. Uh, perception it was. It wasn't about the fear of visibility. It was about the perceived lack of effort by someone, right? We're all judging ourself against a panel that doesn't exist where just because nobody can see you, well, this isn't even true. You feel like nobody sees you. If you go into a room with 30 people in it and make a couple of new connections, those 30 people saw you, which is probably more than saw your social media post, if I'm honest, in terms of actual quantity of eyeballs, and in that sort of situation, we can actually ensure that the quality of those eyeballs is more aligned for who you're actually looking to target and meet and create relationships, for collaborations with or referrals, or just directly to your clients, because, like I said before, you have limited energy, and when you're in a season of growth, spending it on low ROI tactics like social posting, just so that you look consistent. It's like waving your flag on a crowded hilltop hoping that somebody notices. Social media is like everybody's in their own little world trying to get your attention, versus strategic visibility, where you can actually go into a space where people are already interacting and open to you, coming in there and meeting them and getting your message across. So what you really need is the clarity and the alignment and the strategy. You need the visibility that is based on credibility, building actions that move your business forward and find people that you're looking for where they already are, meet them where they're at, right? You've heard that phrase before, and that's exactly what I help you build inside visible AF, the authority amplifier, which is my new container. But before I tell you a little bit more about that, I want to dig a little deeper into the mindset side of this, because feeling invisible isn't just a numbers thing. It's an emotional thing. It's that self doubt that creeps in when your posts don't land, the voice that says, why even bother when your calendar is still empty? And it's the shame of thinking that you should have figured this out by now, and that stuff is heavy, especially when it seems like everyone else is making it look effortless. But here's something that you might not be thinking about so much of what you see online is surface level, right? It's curated. It's not even necessarily real. You know that whole Instagram versus reality? Well, that's a thing for sure, and it's definitely not a reflection of someone's actual credibility or impact.

Last month, I published a four part series on the podcast called the vanity metrics detox. So I would encourage you to go back and binge those episodes if you haven't heard them yet, because the theme there really is all about helping you unhook your worth from the likes and the views and start focusing on stuff that actually matters. And this is just a step that we all need to take to essentially allow ourselves to enter into a space that is strategic and aligned and not worry that we feel like we're not being seen or we're not perceived to be doing things right. The stuff that actually matters is getting invited to speak on stages, the right stages, or building relationships that lead to partnerships being remembered for your message, or having people say, I keep seeing your name come up, I had to reach out that's real visibility, and that is what visible AF is all about. So let me officially invite you to this experience. It is a three month coaching container where we build your custom authority based visibility plan. We go through my brand calibrator process to train AI to sound just like you, so that you can show up with more ease, clarity and consistency, land high impact opportunities without spending all day online. Reach your visibility goals in less time, because your AI knows you inside out and feel really aligned and really good doing it, the clarity that you get from going through this process. Like, I always say, you know, it's it's fine to be like, Okay, I'm going to do networking events or whatever. But then you go to a networking event and someone says, Okay, you have one minute to introduce yourself, or you enter into a conversation, and somebody says, What do you do? And you draw a blank, right, like you can't explain it, that process is figuring out your brand, your brand positioning statement, and that's that's at the core of everything that I do.

So this is totally designed for solopreneurs. You don't need a VA. You don't need people to help you implement the plan, because that is what AI is for. And you don't need to feel like you're constantly on a content creation hamster wheel either. It's just smart, sustainable visibility, rooted in your voice, your values, your goals, your capacity, your bandwidth, the way that you want to do it, because I'm very much about everybody has a different, customized plan, and that's what I'm going to help you make. And I'm all about saving time, because your business should not consume you. It's supposed to fulfill you. So if you're ready to stop feeling invisible and finally be seen for the expert that you are, and be able to build the business that you know, that you can with the clients that you want, that you know, that you can support with the amazing skill set that you have. I would love to invite you to reach out again. We're not going to use social media. I'm just going to ask you. Send me an email. My email is kelly@ksco.ca and you can write visible AF in the subject line, and you can write anything you want, or write nothing at all. And I will send you back all of the details. There are four spots left currently at the time of recording. Another one is TBD, so we're down to 3.5 spots at the beta launch price. So if you're interested or curious, just let me know, and we'll just check talk about it and make sure it's a good fit for you. So I want to get you out of that performative loop into real momentum so you can enjoy your summer, so you can have opportunities lined up for the fall, so you can keep building that momentum, even in what might feel like a season that you want to slow down. All right, friend, that is it for today. If this resonated, send it to a business friend who might be feeling the same way, and then don't forget to email me if you want to snag one of the limited beta spots you deserve to be known. Let's make that happen. Bye for now.

Thanks for listening to entrepreneur school before you go. I have a small favor to ask. Our show has been nominated again for a women in podcasting award, and I'm so excited. This is a community voted awards program, and your vote could make all the difference. So if the show has inspired you or helped you feel seen or supported your business in any way, I would love for you to take 30 seconds to go and vote. You will find the link in the show notes or head to entrepreneur school.ca. Forward, slash podcast, and you'll see a big pink button where you can submit your vote. Please do it before May 31 thanks so much.