Welcome to another DMJ 1 on 1—where we take a focused look at one important topic in marketing, branding, and personal growth. Today, Kirby dives into a common trap that businesses and personal brands fall into: relying solely on social media for marketing.
Let’s be clear up front: We believe in social media. It’s an incredibly powerful tool, and if you’re using it to genuinely provide value to your audience—especially through a “give first” mindset—you’re already ahead of the game.
But that’s where the warning comes in. Because using social media is not the same as building a complete marketing strategy. And when social becomes your only channel, you expose your brand to several major vulnerabilities.
Watch the full 1 on 1 episode here:
Here’s a breakdown of why you need more than just a Facebook post to move your business forward:
You Get a False Sense of Completion
“I posted it on Facebook.”
Sound familiar?
It’s something we hear from business owners all the time. They believe that because they posted their big announcement, event, or promotion to social, they’ve “checked the box” on marketing.
But here’s the truth: posting once to one platform is barely the beginning.
In today’s crowded feeds, most of your audience won’t see your content the first time around. And even if they do, they might not take action unless they’re nudged again. If you’re only using social and only posting once, you’re not finished—you’re just getting started.
Algorithms Don’t Work in Your Favor
Social media platforms are businesses, and their top priority is keeping users engaged on their site—not ensuring your business reaches 100% of your audience.
Most platforms only show your content to a small percentage of your followers. Even on your best day, that killer post might only reach 10–20% of your audience organically.
That means if you’re not boosting posts or running ads—and even if you are—you’re still missing a massive portion of the people who actually want to hear from you.
You Don’t Own the Audience
This is one of the biggest risks of relying solely on social media: you don’t control the platform.
If Instagram changes its algorithm, if Facebook reduces brand page visibility, or if TikTok goes the way of MySpace, your entire audience can vanish overnight.
That’s why smart marketers use social to build owned media—email lists, websites, blogs, podcasts, and text communities that you control. When you own the relationship, you can reach your audience anytime, not just when the algorithm allows.
Not Everyone Is on Your Platform
You might love Facebook. But your next big client might be on LinkedIn.
You may crush it on Instagram—but your referral partner might be an email reader.
And let’s not forget the people who choose to be off social media entirely.
If social is your only strategy, you’re missing entire audience segments, even if they want to hear from you.
By diversifying where and how you show up, you increase the odds of meeting people where they are—not just where you are most comfortable.
Social Media Should Be… Social
This might be the biggest philosophical point of the episode:
Social media isn’t just a billboard—it’s a community.
If every post is a sales pitch, your audience tunes out. People follow brands and creators because they add value, spark conversation, or create moments of connection.
Use your platform to:
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Start conversations
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Highlight others
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Share behind-the-scenes stories
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Ask questions
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Celebrate wins (yours and your audience’s)
Marketing Joy happens when you create content people appreciate, not just scroll past.
So What Should You Do Instead?
Again—we’re not saying “don’t use social media.”
We’re saying: use it intentionally. Use it as a gateway to something deeper.
Here’s how to diversify:
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Use social to drive people to your email list
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Share content that leads to your blog or website
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Offer downloadable resources to build your owned audience
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Repurpose your videos into articles, emails, and podcast episodes
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Show up consistently across multiple channels
When you do this, you create a resilient brand—one that grows whether Facebook boosts your post or not.
Final Thoughts
Social media is one of the most powerful tools at our disposal—but it’s just one tool. The most effective marketers are the ones who use it strategically—to serve, to connect, and to grow their own platform, not just build someone else’s.
So keep posting. Keep sharing value. But don’t stop there. Build a system that’s bigger than the scroll.
And remember: you don’t need to be everywhere. But you do need to own something.
And as always, if you need help with branded merch, marketing strategy, or creative ideas to grow your brand, let’s talk. We’d love to help you. Head here to get the book “Hit The TARGET” for FREE! This will help you dial in your marketing for better results.
