Podcast Summary: Help Wanted

Episode: "Wait, I Should NOT Use Social Media For My Brand? Help!"
Hosts: Jason Feifer (Editor-in-Chief, Entrepreneur Magazine), Nicole Lapin (Money Expert)
Guest/Caller: Rose, Online Nutritionist
Date: November 4, 2025

Overview

This episode tackles a question familiar to any entrepreneur or freelancer: Is an active social media presence essential for business growth? Rose, an online nutritionist with a niche focus on plant-based nutrition for athletes, calls in to ask how she can attract more clients despite not having a large social media following. Jason and Nicole challenge the premise that social media is the only—or even the best—path to client growth. Instead, they guide Rose through clarifying her positioning, understanding her target market, optimizing her current digital presence, and leveraging the assets she already has.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Challenging the Social Media Myth

• Rose’s Situation: Rose is present on social media but lacks engagement and a large following. She worries this is stalling her business.
  • [03:59] “I am on social media...when I post something, I don’t get a lot of reactions and nobody shares my posts...I feel like I’m kind of invisible.” – Rose
• Host’s Rebuttal: Jason questions whether social media presence is as critical as Rose assumes for her particular business.
  • [07:09] “Do you know why new clients sign up with an online nutritionist?...What finally gets them to say, yes, I will pay for this?” – Jason

2. Understanding Your True Conversion Drivers

• Analogy from Stratus Building Solutions: Jason shares a marketing anecdote to explain how businesses often misdiagnose what attracts new clients.
  • [09:44] “You thought [eco-friendliness] was the thing that was going to matter most. But...the reason people actually make a change is not because people are looking for eco-friendly cleaning products. It’s because the previous cleaner wasn’t trustworthy.” – Jason
• Application to Rose’s Business: The true conversion driver may not be social media but trust, authority, and word of mouth.

3. Defining the Target Market and Message

• Rose’s Audience: Primarily athletes (not elite), interested in plant-based nutrition for performance.
  • [15:49] “I’m an athlete myself, so that is the area I’m focused on...people who are physically active.” – Rose
• Challenge: Does Rose want to educate those unaware of the value of a nutritionist or target those already seeking one?
  • [12:29] “Do you want to target people who need to learn about the value of a nutritionist, or those who already understand it and just haven’t found the right one?” – Jason

4. Optimizing for High-Return Avenues over Social Broadcasting

• What Actually Works: Rose finds most clients through talks, webinars, and podcast guesting, not Instagram.
  • [17:55] “Most of them actually found me through the talks I have given in real life...they come to me [after] I’ve been on quite a few plant-based podcasts.” – Rose
• Hosts’ Advice: Focus bandwidth on these proven sources and make sure every public-facing channel (website, social profiles) clearly articulates who you help and how.
  • [18:21] “You could spend a lot of time and energy and money beefing up your social...But...the percentage chance that one of them is going to convert is going to be so much higher [at a community club] than if you were just broadcasting out into the open air.” – Jason
  • [22:24] “I don’t see that you are the solution specifically, like going very niche and going deep instead of wide into this area. And I don’t see those podcasts or speeches highlighted.” – Nicole

5. Reframing the Role of Social Media: Landing Page, Not Loudspeaker

• Social as Digital Billboard: It’s more important that social media and your website make your services and value proposition instantly clear.
  • [24:31] “You don’t have to use social media as a constant broadcast tool...but you do have to be really mindful that it is possibly the largest digital billboard that you have.” – Jason

6. Clarity is King: The Importance of Asking and Articulating

• Survey and Dialogue: Don’t guess about your customers—ask what brought them to you, and what tipped them into becoming a client.
  • [28:39] “I guess I’m always just guessing what other people are thinking or what my target audience is thinking, but I should just ask them.” – Rose
• Messaging Formula: Jason shares a four-part messaging framework from sales coach Myron Golden: measurable, stateable, understandable, desirable.
  • [30:42] "It must be quantifiable, stateable in a sentence, understandable, and desirable...You need some clarity on the things we’ve described here.” – Jason

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• The Social Media Premise Questioned:

  • [07:09] Jason: “Is there a really important direct tie between social media presence and getting more clients?”

• Clarity Drives Conversion:

  • [18:21] Jason: “Make it incredibly clear who you are for so that people just know immediately you are for these people…and not for those people over there.”

• Quality over Quantity on Social:

  • [26:57] Jason: “You don’t need to be a social media influencer.”

• Optimizing Your Assets:

  • [23:11] Nicole: “You have a lot of quality content and you can optimize for quality over quantity and have it be a true reflection of what you do.”

• Messaging Matters:

  • [30:42] Jason: “People can only decide whether or not they want to do business with you based on the fact that they hear what you say and then think, I need that or I don’t need that…hate me or celebrate me, but whatever you do, don’t just tolerate me because I’m confusing.”

• Spooning Up the Value Proposition:

  • [27:37] Nicole: “If you don’t spoon feed them the vegan nutrition, they’re not gonna…”
  • [33:27] Jason: “…pile it all on a spoon, make sure that it’s plant-based, and spoon feed it to Nicole.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Rose describes her business and her struggle with visibility: [02:59–04:45]
• Hosts question social media as the linchpin: [07:09–09:44]
• Stratus Building Solutions story (rethinking what drives conversion): [08:45–12:06]
• Narrowing down the target market (who needs a nutritionist?): [12:29–15:22]
• How and where clients have actually found Rose: [17:40–18:21]
• Why clarity in messaging and niche is crucial: [18:21–21:07]
• How to optimize your assets and social profiles: [22:24–24:31]
• Social media as a landing page, not a megaphone: [24:31–26:53]
• The value of asking current clients what worked: [21:07–22:24]; revisited [28:39–29:42]
• The four-part messaging formula for describing your service: [30:42–33:27]

Actionable Takeaways and Advice

• Don’t default to social media as your growth engine—analyze what actually works for you.
• Survey your clients to find out exactly what made them convert and focus your messaging there.
• Be specific and explicit—state who you help and how, everywhere you have a public profile.
• Re-use and highlight speeches, podcasts, and articles you’ve already done; consistency in message trumps frequency of posting.
• Your website and social profiles are landing pages—optimize them to immediately communicate your offer and how someone can hire you.
• Don’t just guess what your audience wants—ask them. And don’t be afraid to be niche and specific.

Closing Thoughts

Rose leaves with a renewed sense of permission to step off the content-creation hamster wheel and, instead, focus on messaging, client experience, and leveraging her actual strengths and assets. Jason and Nicole emphasize clarity, self-awareness, and using real feedback above chasing followers.

For listeners:
If you feel invisible, don’t assume posting more is the answer. Define exactly who you serve, clarify your value, and make sure every touchpoint (website, social, talks, articles) reflects that with precision. And don’t forget: ask your customers why they chose you.