Businesses claiming 'social media doesn't work' are blaming the tool, not the user. A tool's value is determined by the operator's skill. For an expert like LeBron James, a basketball is a billion-dollar asset; for an amateur, it's a liability. The same is true for marketing platforms.
Related Insights
Business owners feel frustrated because their goal (driving traffic off-app to their website) is in direct conflict with social media's primary goal (maximizing on-app scroll time). This fundamental misalignment means the platform's success metrics work against your business objectives, creating a constant struggle for results.
Before committing to a marketing channel like social media, ask yourself three critical questions. If you can't answer "yes" to whether you enjoy it, if it's delivering results, and if it aligns with your values, it's time to find an alternative. This framework simplifies complex marketing decisions.
Companies often bring social media management in-house because they perceive it as less serious than traditional advertising. This is a critical error. Driving real business results through social media is far more complex and difficult than replicating the functions of a traditional creative agency for print or TV commercials.
The value of a large, pre-existing audience is decreasing. Powerful platform algorithms are becoming so effective at identifying and distributing high-quality content that a new creator with great material can get significant reach without an established following. This levels the playing field and reduces the incumbent advantage.
When Duolingo paused its "unhinged" owl mascot social media strategy, daily active user growth saw its smallest increase in years. This direct correlation demonstrates that for some consumer apps, the social media team can be as crucial for growth as the engineering team, justifying top-tier compensation.
Email marketing delivers a powerful, unmatched return on investment, with industry figures suggesting up to a 40x return. A single strategic email can easily generate more revenue and direct results than weeks of consistent, effort-intensive social media posting, making it a highly leveraged channel.
During a maternity leave, the speaker stopped posting on social media and discovered her sales and list growth remained consistent. The instant feedback of likes and comments was a "dopamine hit," but Pinterest was the quiet engine actually driving 80% of the results, revealing a major misalignment of time and effort.
The biggest misconception sold to entrepreneurs is that social media is mandatory for success. In reality, a solid business model, an email list, and effective ways for the right people to find you (like SEO) are the only true necessities. Social media can be "icing," but it shouldn't be the core "cake."
When social media reach and engagement decline, it's easy to blame the platform's algorithm. However, the more productive mindset is to see it as a reflection of your content's declining quality or relevance. The algorithm isn't hurting everyone, it's hurting those who aren't good. The solution is to improve your craft, innovate, and adapt to cultural trends.
Counterintuitively, dedicating budget to campaigns optimized for engagements, follows, and shares can be a powerful brand-building tool. This approach reaches more people less expensively than conversion campaigns, building an audience and 'searing memories' that lead to future demand, complementing direct response efforts.
