Published by James Hurst (with Claude’s help) | The Marketing Show
Hey, you know I just wanted to put together something to help freelancers out there who are struggling to get noticed on Facebook. I’ve been seeing the same patterns over and over, and I think there are some simple changes that could make a huge difference for a lot of people.
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Trust is everything online. Without it, your strategies don’t matter much. With it, even basic approaches work well. Let me share three things that can help you build that trust.
Your Profile Picture Really Matters
Your profile picture is your first impression online. It’s worth putting some thought into it because people make quick decisions about whether to engage with you or scroll past.
Show Your Face
Your profile picture should be your face. Not a logo, not your family, not an AI-generated version of yourself. Just you.
Think of it like this – you want people to recognize your face when they see your comments, posts, or messages. That recognition builds familiarity, and familiarity builds trust.
The Zoom Test
Here’s a way to check if your profile picture works: zoom out until it’s small, then ask yourself – can you still clearly see who this person is? If not, you might need a closer shot.
Head and shoulders usually works well. Full body shots make your face too small. Group photos make people guess which person you are. Head and shoulders hits a good middle ground.
Background and Contrast
Your background should help your face stand out, not compete with it. If you have darker skin, a lighter background can help. If you’re pale, maybe avoid that bright white wall. Some people use colored backgrounds – that works fine as long as it makes your face more visible, not less.
Things That Can Hurt Your Credibility
Using a Logo: Your personal brand needs a person behind it. Save company logos for company pages.
Family Photos: Your family is important, but this is about building your personal brand.
Waiting for the Perfect Photo: A decent phone photo is better than no real photo at all. You can always improve it later.
AI-Enhanced Photos: These often look artificial and can backfire when people notice.
Turn Your Cover Photo Into a Marketing Tool
Once you have a good profile picture, think about making your cover photo work for your business instead of just being decorative.
Three Key Elements
A good business cover photo has:
- Clear messaging about what you offer
- Something visually appealing
- A specific call-to-action
Right now, my cover photo promotes The Marketing Show Facebook group because that’s what I want new people to see when they check out my profile.
Include Direct Links
Don’t just put text in your cover image – add the actual link in your cover photo description. You can also pin a comment with the link. Make it easy for people to take action.
Start Simple, Improve Over Time
My early cover photos were pretty rough. Some might have been made in Microsoft Paint. But they worked because they had clear messages about what I offered. The design got better over time, but having a clear purpose was more important than perfect graphics.
Joshua’s Story: Why Hiding Doesn’t Help
Let me tell you about Joshua, a 16-year-old from Nigeria who reached out to me recently. When I first saw his profile – “Josh Digitals” with a High Level logo as his picture – I thought he might be a spammer.
That’s the challenge. When you hide behind a logo or fake profile, people can’t tell if you’re legitimate or not. You end up looking like the people who actually are trying to scam others.
The Fear Behind Hiding
Joshua eventually told me why he was hiding his identity. He was worried that clients wouldn’t take him seriously because of his age and where he lived. He thought a professional-looking logo would help.
But hiding his identity was actually making things worse. Instead of giving him credibility, the fake profile made him look suspicious.
What Changed
When Joshua finally used his real name and photo, everything shifted. He was worried his photo wasn’t professional enough, but showing his real face was much better than hiding behind a logo.
After making the change, he sent me a video message thanking me for helping him understand that hiding was hurting his chances. He realized that being honest about who he was – a young entrepreneur from Nigeria – was actually better than pretending to be something else.
This Happens a Lot
Joshua’s situation isn’t unique. Many talented people hide behind fake profiles because they think it gives them an advantage. But it usually does the opposite.
When you show your real face and use your real name, you might face some challenges. But you also give yourself the chance to build real relationships. People can’t trust someone they can’t see.
A Better Approach to Cold Messages
Most cold outreach fails because it focuses on the wrong things. Leading with “How are you?” or immediately pitching services doesn’t work well.
What Doesn’t Work
These approaches usually fail:
- Generic greetings like “How are you sir/madam?”
- Leading with “Hi, I do [insert service here]”
- Copy-paste messages sent to lots of people
A Different Approach
Instead, try focusing on specific people you genuinely want to connect with. Pick 50-100 people whose work you actually respect, not random targets.
Spend time engaging with their content first. Like their posts, comment thoughtfully, subscribe to their channels. Actually learn about what they do.
After engaging for a while, send a simple message: “Hey [Name], I wanted to say I really appreciate what you’re doing online. That video about [specific topic] was helpful. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.”
That’s it. No pitch, no ask. Just genuine appreciation.
The Free Work Offer
If you want to go further, consider this: “I’d be interested in working 10 hours for you completely free just to show you what I can do. I’m not looking for anything except the chance to prove myself. If you’re happy with the work, maybe you could provide a testimonial I could share.”
This approach removes risk from their side and shows you’re confident in your abilities.
Why This Works Better
This approach tends to work because:
- You’re already familiar to them from your engagement
- Your message is about them, not you
- You’re not asking for anything immediately
- It comes across as genuine
Building Real Relationships
The difference between successful networking and spam is intention. Are you trying to build real relationships, or just looking for quick sales?
Long-Term Thinking
Good Facebook marketing is more like farming than hunting. You plant seeds by sharing helpful content. You show up consistently. You build relationships before asking for anything. Then opportunities develop naturally.
Quick-pitch approaches might work occasionally, but they’re not sustainable long-term.
Leading With Value
Before asking anyone for anything, think about what you can offer. This might be:
- Thoughtful comments on their posts
- Sharing their content with your audience
- Offering free work to demonstrate your skills
- Creating content that shows your expertise
The goal is to become someone people recognize and appreciate before you make any requests.
Opportunities Across Borders
Some of the most talented people I’ve met were initially hiding behind fake profiles because they thought their location or background was a disadvantage. But this creates opportunities for everyone.
Many freelancers from different countries offer great value. They just need someone to give them a chance to prove what they can do. When you focus on evaluating people’s actual work instead of making assumptions based on profiles, you often find incredible collaborators.
Steps You Can Take This Week
If you want to improve your Facebook presence, here’s where to start:
This Week
- Take a new profile picture that clearly shows your face
- Update your cover photo to include information about what you do
- Look at your current posts and comments – do they show your real personality?
Next Week
- Make a list of people you’d genuinely like to connect with
- Start engaging authentically with their content
- Begin sharing content that shows your knowledge and personality
Week 3
- Post something helpful each day
- Be genuine about your learning journey
- Respond to comments and engage with others
Week 4
- Send some relationship-focused messages
- Look for ways to help others before asking for anything
- Pay attention to what gets good responses and what doesn’t
Why Being Real Helps
When so many profiles are fake or impersonal, being authentic makes you stand out. Showing your real face, using your real name, and building genuine relationships creates trust.
Success on Facebook isn’t about having perfect credentials or professional photos. It’s about being honest, providing value, and building trust one interaction at a time.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to improve your existing approach, the basics remain the same: be authentic, be helpful, and be patient.
Your personal brand affects how people see you every day. Building it on honesty and genuine value creation gives you the best foundation for long-term success.
Affiliate Disclosure: Some links in this post may be affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you purchase through them at no extra cost to you. This helps support the channel and allows me to continue creating free content for you!