Podcast Summary: Do This, NOT That: Marketing Tips with Jay Schwedelson

Episode: BIG BOOST from Liking + Commenting on Your OWN Posts? + Jay Overshares!! 📈 Jay’s SCOOP | Ep. 399
Date: August 22, 2025
Host: Jay Schwedelson
Presented by: Marigold

Episode Overview

In this episode, Jay Schwedelson delivers actionable social media tactics you can use immediately, focusing on whether liking and commenting on your own LinkedIn and Instagram posts actually works. Jay shares real-world data, his own playbook for social engagement, and offers an honest, personal update in his characteristically humorous and candid “oversharing” segment.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Does Liking and Commenting on Your Own Social Media Posts Work?

[00:05 – 04:10]

• LinkedIn Tactics:

  • Jay advocates for liking your own posts and leveraging company pages (even if they have almost no followers) to boost early engagement.

  • He suggests creating additional company pages for this very purpose, noting, “You could start a company page in three seconds... stick a logo on it.”

  • Data-Driven Results: Testing showed posts where they liked/commented from three company accounts saw 40% higher engagement than those where they didn’t.

    “When you see a post and it has no likes and no comments, you scroll by it. ... When you see something that has like three to nine likes, it feels like, ‘Oh, this thing’s kind of working. Maybe I should jump in and pile on.’”
    — Jay Schwedelson [02:08]

• Is this fake engagement / is it embarrassing?

  • Jay acknowledges skeptics but insists the tactic works:

    “If you think it’s cheesy, you think it’s gimmicky, you think, ‘Oh, that’s so loser to do that.’ — Yeah, it is. But then don’t be on social media because what are we doing here?”
    — Jay Schwedelson [08:38]

2. Should You Like or Comment on Your Own Posts From Your Main Account?

[04:15 – 06:45]

• Study Results:

  • Referencing a 1.3 million post study (Just Connecting), Jay notes liking your own LinkedIn post increases reach and visibility by 17%.

  • Commenting on your own post is equally beneficial:

    • Tag people.
    • Ask engaging questions.
    • “Bonus tip” comments can prolong circulation.

    “Engaging with your own LinkedIn posts does increase reach and visibility ... to the tune of about 17%.”
    — Jay Schwedelson [05:10]

  • Example:
    Justin Welsh posts a “BONUS TIP” comment on his own posts one hour later to create a second spike in engagement. Jay does not wait as long, preferring to act sooner.

• Resharing Your Own Post:

  • Resharing 12-24 hours later can offer an additional significant lift.

    “If you’re playing the game of, ‘Hey, I just put a post out there, I hope it does well,’ you’re not really playing the game. ... As cheesy and as gimmicky as this sounds, it works.”
    — Jay Schwedelson [06:00]

3. Instagram: Pinning Comments is the Real Play

[06:50 – 08:30]

• Liking your own post:

  • Not useful algorithmically; only provides social proof with that first like.

    “There’s absolutely no value whatsoever of you liking your own post on Instagram at all, other than the social proof...”
    — Jay Schwedelson [07:00]

• Pinning Comments:

  • Whether your own or someone else’s, pinning a sensational comment at the top increases overall comment volume by ~20%.

    • Example comments: “What do you think?”, follow-up questions, or “bonus thoughts.”

  • Mechanics: Hold down the comment and select “Pin”.

    “That’s the reason it increases people commenting — it’s the most sensational comment, and people jump in wanting to react to it.”
    — Jay Schwedelson [07:50]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Social ‘Gimmicks’:

  “The bottom line is with social media, you need to feed the beast... Then you also have to understand the little things that kind of trigger other people to want to engage.”
  — Jay Schwedelson [08:32]

• On Authenticity vs. Tactics:

  “If you think it’s cheesy ... don’t be on social media because what are we doing here? ... What’s the game? We’re trying to get more people to see our stuff.”
  — Jay Schwedelson [08:38]

Since You Didn’t Ask: Jay Overshares

[10:50 – 18:54]

Jay gets personal in his “since you didn’t ask” segment, sharing his experience with the weight loss medication Wegovy:

• Admits to having watched nearly every season of “The Biggest Loser” and reflects on how his perspective has changed.

• Shares candidly about starting on Wegovy:

  • Started at a low dose with minimal appetite suppression.

  • When moving to a higher dose, experienced unexpected, severe anxiety—a rare 2% side effect.

  • Details the impact: Anxiety spiked to the point he’d repeatedly check if the door was locked, struggle with everyday tasks, and felt completely unlike himself.

  • Stopped the medication, returned to feeling normal within two weeks.

    “I developed the craziest... I mean, I have anxiety anyway, but I developed the weirdest anxiety ever. ... I would lose my mind... I was frozen.”
    — Jay Schwedelson [14:15–15:00]

    “So I stopped taking it because I was like, this is wild. And then within two weeks, I was back to being myself. And I was like, whoa, that was wild.”
    — Jay Schwedelson [16:11]

• Wraps up embracing healthier choices (with some comedic misery about “too much salmon”) and reiterates: this is just his personal experience, encourages listeners to consult professionals and do what works for them.

Key Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |-------------|------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:05 | Main topic intro: Liking/Commenting on own posts | | 01:00–02:55 | Using extra company pages for “fake” engagement | | 02:08 | Quote on why early likes matter | | 03:00–04:10 | 40% lift in engagement: The experiment | | 04:15–06:45 | Liking/commenting on your own posts: Data & strategies | | 05:10 | 17% lift from liking your own LinkedIn post | | 07:00 | Instagram like: Only good for social proof | | 07:30–08:30 | Pinning Instagram comments increases engagement | | 08:32 | “Feed the beast” summary | | 10:50–18:54 | Jay’s personal Wegovy story |

Final Thoughts

Jay’s core message: social platforms reward perceived popularity and activity from the moment a post goes live. Gamifying the early engagement—through company pages, self-likes, comments, and pinned interactions—genuinely works, even if it feels a little “cringe.” On Instagram, pinning meaningful or provocative comments can kick up real conversations.

Plus, in a candid personal story, Jay models the value of transparency in public discourse—even if it gets awkward—and reminds listeners that every tactic (including those for personal well-being) needs honest evaluation.

For more actionable tips, chaos, and candid advice, subscribe to “Do This, NOT That.”