Post, share, expose – even if it feels uncomfortable?

If you run a business today, silence is almost a crime. Social media activities generate visibility, build brand awareness, and attract clients. But what if you don’t like the game? What if putting yourself out there feels… unnatural?

I have noticed more and more friends and acquaintances (people who usually prefer to stay quiet) feeling both the urge and the pressure to post on LinkedIn. Most do it purely for business, to make themselves more visible. Yet at the same time, they struggle with the discomfort of exposure.

The internet offers endless advice, step-by-step instructions on how to design a strategy, schedule posts, pick the right timing, and fill your feed with content. And if you are overwhelmed, AI will happily help you create and manage it all.

What I keep asking myself – and what I hear more and more from my clients in coaching sessions as well – is: why do we feel obligated to post just to do business? Why should we broadcast our achievements, promotions, and mind-blowing thoughts to succeed? Is it really the only way to connect with clients and partners?

I know I was lucky. I started my freelance business eight years ago, and for the first six years, it ran smoothly without a single LinkedIn post. I worked quietly as a subcontractor, found clients through recommendations, and kept my profile simple, nothing flashy. But since moving to Germany and continuing my career here, everything has changed.

Now I have learned I can’t stay passive. If I don’t create, post and share, people won’t find me. I have to make myself visible. But honestly, it doesn’t always feel good. I’m not a marketing or social media expert. I prefer real conversations with real people: in coaching sessions, trainings, workshops, networking events. That is where genuine dialogue starts, where trust emerges, and not in chasing algorithms with AI-generated content.

Still, I do post because I haven’t found a better way yet to reach my future clients. But I do it in my own authentic way – because if visibility comes at the cost of authenticity, what is the point of being seen? What truly matters is finding people and moments where you feel genuinely authentic, like at a recent business portfolio photoshoot, where I connected with others simply by being myself.