How Elly from EzwConsult built long-term linkedin visibility as a solo consultant
What five years of consistent coaching changed for Elly’s personal brand in the HR space
EzwConsult is the solo coaching and consulting practice of Elly Zwerts. She supports professionals and organisations in the HR space through coaching, reflection, and people-focused guidance. Her work is personal by nature. And so is her brand. That makes LinkedIn a crucial channel for visibility, trust, and connection.
When your business depends on you being visible
As a solo consultant, Elly doesn’t hide behind a logo. She is EzwConsult. Potential clients don’t just want to know what she does; they want to know who she is, how she thinks, and whether she’s someone they trust. Every new opportunity, every first conversation, starts with people forming an impression of her.
That’s why LinkedIn plays such an important role in her marketing mix, alongside her newsletter and Google Ads. It’s the place where people look her up after hearing her name. Where they connect the dots between her expertise and her personality. Where trust starts building long before anyone reaches out.
When that presence isn’t consistent, the effect is subtle but real. Conversations start colder. Context gets lost. Elly has to explain more, prove more, and push harder to create the same momentum. For a solo business, those small gaps in visibility quickly turn into extra effort elsewhere.
So, Elly knew staying visible wasn’t optional. The challenge was finding a way to show up that felt sustainable, authentic, and realistic alongside the work she actually wants to spend her time on.
Finding inspiration
Elly didn’t lack expertise. Or ideas. Or things to say. What she struggled with was turning all of that into content, again and again.
Finding inspiration took time and energy. Deciding what to post, when to post, and whether it was good enough often led to hesitation. Sometimes things just went quiet. And that was frustrating.
The potential was there. What was missing was structure and support. Someone to give her insights into social media platforms and a sparring partner.
Choosing structure without losing authenticity
Elly started using Willow in November 2021, initially on a monthly plan. What mattered most to her from the start was a central tool to manage her social media efficiently, but she was also a big fan of the social media coaching that came with it.
“Henrieke knows what she’s talking about and she gives me valuable ideas. She has a different character than I have and that helps me make progress.”
Willow gave her one central place to manage LinkedIn. But more importantly, it gave her a sparring partner: Someone to think along, challenge ideas, confirm when something worked and adjust when it didn’t.
Over time, her commitment deepened. In September 2022, she switched to a half-year plan. In March 2024, she moved to a yearly plan. Always extending her commitment to Willow and our commitment to her success.
But the focus always stayed clear: showing up as an expert. The EzwConsult company page exists, but real traction comes from Elly showing up as herself on her personal LinkedIn profile. Willow helped her do exactly that, without forcing her into a generic content formula.
From hesitation to intentional presence
Until the end of 2024, Elly had monthly coaching sessions. When Willow evolved its coaching model, she moved into a structure with quarterly deep-dive sessions, supported by webinars, office hours, and email feedback in between.
That structure works. Together with her coach, Elly:
- discusses content ideas and themes
- reviews what performs well
- fine-tunes tone and messaging
- looks at analytics to guide decisions
They talk about posts, but also strategy, LinkedIn trends and carousel examples. Henrieke shows her how tools like Canva AI can support her workflow. And sometimes it’s as simple as a quick check-in: should I post this, or tweak it slightly?
“My favourite parts of Willow are the one-on-one coaching sessions with Henrieke and the usability of the platform”
The result is calm consistency. LinkedIn no longer feels like something she has to “keep up with”. It’s more intentional, planned and aligned with who she is.
Engagement that proves authenticity works
Elly’s posts regularly generate strong engagement: dozens of likes and meaningful comments.
These aren’t viral numbers, but they don’t need to be. What matters is relevance. Her audience responds because her content feels real.
It’s proof that consistency and authenticity compound over time. When people see her posts regularly, they recognise her voice. They remember her perspective. They talk to her about her social media content in a positive way. And trust starts forming long before the first conversation.
What changed once consistency clicked
Today, LinkedIn supports Elly instead of draining her. She can stay visible without stress. She no longer doubts every post. And she doesn’t disappear for weeks at a time (unless she chooses to).
Her LinkedIn presence now strengthens everything else she does. It adds context to outbound conversations. It reinforces her newsletter and ads. And it helps potential clients get to know her before they ever reach out.
For Elly personally, the shift is just as important. She has more confidence, more clarity and more space to focus on her actual work.
“I love that you’re always jumping on the latest trends and that you explain them to customers and guide them along the way.”
When you’re a solo consultant, long-term visibility isn’t built overnight. But with the right structure, coaching, and support, it is sustainable. Elly’s journey shows that consistency doesn’t come from pushing harder, but from making it easier to show up.
