Why many freelancers are visible – but don’t make an impact
- Just Do Ad
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
Many freelancers start with a good idea.Or they realise that their skills are suddenly in demand and can be turned into a business.They go freelance, build a first website and create an initial offer.
Then comes the logo. Then social media. Then advertising.
And step by step, their marketing grows.But rarely from a clear plan.
It’s more about doing than building something structured –and as long as the first clients come in, it works.
It’s only when growth comes into play that the gaps become visible. Others show up more clearly. More precisely. More recognisable.
That’s when the real work begins.
Many believe that marketing means selling yourself.
And yes – some do that quite well.But often, it stays at self-presentation.
Who you are.
What you do.
What you offer.
What gets lost is the real question:
Why should anyone care?
A look at successful examples shows that this is exactly where the difference lies.
Take Happy Slice.
At first glance, it looks like two guys simply starting a pizzeria. A bit of chaos, a bit of fun – maybe a beer on the side. At second glance, it becomes clear: these are not accidental founders, but experienced influencers with millions of followers.
Both have been building their personal brands for years.They know their audience, their language and exactly the effect they create.
What emerges here is not a coincidence. It’s the result of years of clarity.
The message is simple and recognisable: Be Crazy. Be Happy. Eat Pizza.
It feels spontaneous.But it’s strategically built.
The starting point was the website – and of course, a viral Video.
The same principle can also be found outside the influencer world.
Roland Brack founded his company in 1994 in a garage.
By 1998, he launched his own online shop – at a time when e-commerce was still barely established in Switzerland. Success didn’t come overnight.And not primarily through campaigns.
But through something else:availability, reliability and a clear offering.
What is often underestimated: making this work requires more than just a good idea.
A broad product range.
Efficient logistics.
Strong supplier partnerships.
And the ability to meet demand reliably.
This is exactly what Brack built early on – positioning himself as a key player in a growing market.
But the market has changed.
Digitec and Galaxus belong to the same group (Migros) and are now the largest online retailer in Switzerland.
In 2025, their revenue was around 3,7 to 3,8 billion Swiss francs.
They continue to grow, gain market share and invest heavily in communication.
The difference is visible:
Brack grew through performance and timing.Galaxus grows through performance – and communication.
What all these examples have in common is not the product, but the clarity behind it.
Clarity about
who you are addressing
what you are offering
and why it matters
This foundation does not happen by chance. It is developed – and consistently executed.
What happens when this foundation is missing?
A quick look at social media is enough.
Within minutes, multiple ads appear.Similar visuals, similar messages, similar promises.
Many start the same way: “With AI, you can achieve anything. I’ll show you how.”
Video after video. Person after person.
It creates a dense field of messages that barely differ.
A jungle where everyone is trying to be heard at the same time.
But it’s not the loudest voice that gets noticed. It’s the one that expresses most clearly what it’s about – for the right people.
Many work with the same templates.
Website builders, design templates, AI-generated content.That’s useful and allows for a quick start.But it also leads to everything looking the same.
The massage studio, the consultant, the coach –all with similar structures, similar visuals, similar texts.Especially when only the images are changed and everything else stays the same.
What’s missing is a distinctive voice.
Not in the sense of being different at all costs,but in the sense of being
clear
recognisable
and relevant
The real problem doesn’t lie in the design, but before that.
What’s often missing are the fundamental questions:
What is my concrete value?
Who is my offer really for?
What sets me apart from others?
Without these answers, everything becomes content.But nothing becomes communication.
What consistently works – even in saturated markets:
Not because someone has better tools, ideas or products, or posts more.
Often, it’s even the same product, with no major differences.
The decisive factor lies elsewhere:in being different – and in the communication that comes from it.
Dollar Shave Club is a good example.Razors are everywhere – and yet someone managed to turn them into something distinctive.
Dollar Shave Club didn’t just sell razors. They sold a subscription:
delivered regularly
with no effort
The real difference was in the everyday experience of their customers. Anyone who has ever stood in front of a shelf full of razors knows the problem: too many options, unclear differences, high prices.
For many, buying became an unnecessary decision. And that’s exactly what they eliminated.
Instead of choice, there was a simple solution:pick a model – and have it delivered to your door regularly.
The one-dollar price was less about calculation and more about a message. A clear signal against overpriced products and unnecessary complexity. Here’s another SME example from Switzerland: Fischer Bettwaren.
They became known for the phrase:
„Feathers from dead animals” – a clear statement that their feathers do not come from live animals.
A simple message, but one that is immediately understood and sticks.
Personal branding doesn’t happen overnight.
Just like a character isn’t shaped in a single day but develops over time, the same applies to marketing and advertising.
You can’t expect to post something once or launch a campaignand have people suddenly come running.
It’s a continuous process and constant learning.
Comments