Social Media Conversion Fallacy

Jason Cohen shares his perspective on the relationship between social media following and business success, particularly in software products. He emphasizes that having a large social media audience doesn't necessarily translate to business success, and pursuing social media growth for business purposes might be misguided.

Key Points:

• Social Media vs Business Reality:

  • Having an audience doesn't effectively convert to software product customers
  • People who launch products to their audiences often see disappointing results

• Personal Motivation for Social Media:

  • Engages in social media for personal fulfillment, not business purposes
  • Values writing and sharing thoughts as part of his identity
  • Gets satisfaction from hearing people find value in his content

• Strategic Social Media Management:

  • Created a system to engage with specific people within 20 minutes of their posts
  • Focuses on meaningful interactions rather than broad engagement
  • Creates perception of being "always online" while actually being selective

• Writing and Communication:

  • Writing has been a long-term practice, predating WP Engine
  • Uses writing as a way to clarify thoughts
  • Values the craft of making ideas as clear and interesting as possible

• Authenticity in Platform Building:

  • Distinguishes between building audience for business vs. personal fulfillment
  • Suggests focusing on core business value rather than social media presence
  • Emphasizes genuine engagement over strategic audience building

The key insight is that while social media can be personally fulfilling and valuable for certain purposes, it shouldn't be viewed as a primary path to business success, particularly in software products.