Making It with Jon Davids

Episode 248 – How I Drive BIG Sales on Social Media (Full Breakdown)
Date: March 10, 2026
Host: Jon Davids

Episode Overview

In this solo episode, Jon Davids shares an actionable, seven-part framework for massively increasing sales through social media, based on results he’s driven with his own multi-million dollar businesses. Drawing on his experience building an audience across Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok, Jon demystifies the strategies behind turning cold followers into hot leads and real conversions—without ever coming across as desperate or salesy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Marketing Before Product

Timestamp: 01:30–11:00

• Mistake Most People Make: Jumping into product pitches and self-introductions at the very start of content.
• The Hook: Your opening seconds must entertain, intrigue, or delight—NOT sell.
  • “Most people, what they end up doing is they try to put the thing they're selling first: product first. And really, you want to be doing the marketing first.” (03:02)
• Examples:
  • Instead of “Hey, my name’s Peter. I do lawn mowing,” show before-and-after lawn footage or stunning landscapes.
  • Realtors: Open with beautiful homes & tours, not your pitch.
• Memorable Quote:
  • “You let people consume value before you ask for anything in return. The product should be a reveal that almost happens, like a bonus.” (07:27)

Notable Moment

• “You’ve got to hook them first with the marketing, not the product.” (02:14)

2. Consumption Then Conversion

Timestamp: 11:01–18:20

• Engagement First: Don’t chase sales from zero. Chase trust and attention instead.
• Measures of Consumption: Likes, comments, shares, watch time, familiarity in feed.
  • “Early on, you don’t want to optimize for sales…you want to optimize for engagement.” (12:55)
• Lead With Value: Building momentum and distribution is about audience warming.
• Quote:
  • “If your content isn’t getting consumed, it won’t convert. Consumption and then conversion, always.” (16:58)

3. Make Content About Your Avatar

Timestamp: 18:21–25:08

• Know Your ICP (“Ideal Customer Profile”):
  • Feature or speak about your target community—musicians, moms, entrepreneurs, etc.
• Relatable Stories:
  • Share stories, struggles, wins relevant to your ideal customer. Not instant teaching, but shared experience.
  • “You attract who you talk about, so make content about your avatar.” (23:09)
• Community Over Convincing:
  • “Don’t convince—attract. Big difference.” (24:17)

4. New Beats Better

Timestamp: 25:09–32:00

• Forget Trying to Outdo Everyone:
  • “It’s just crazy to think that you could get anywhere by being better…new beats better every time.” (25:52)
• Counter-Positioning Explained:
  • Map your niche, then intentionally do things differently from the herd.
  • Examples: If your competitors are polished, go raw. If they're loud, be calm. If surface-level, go deep.
• Quote:
  • “If everyone is serious, be funny…If there’s suits and ties, you’re hoodie and sneakers.” (29:45)
• Trends Shift:
  • Noted change from ultra-polished to raw “Instagram Story” style as an example of market pendulum swings (31:30).

5. Micro Commitments: The True Purchase Journey

Timestamp: 32:01–40:50

• Small Steps, Not Big Leaps:
  • Move people “one inch at a time” via micro commitments.
  • Each ask (watch a video, like, follow, click, download, attend, book a call) is a tiny conversion.
  • “If people aren’t moving down your funnel, it’s usually just because you’re asking too much too soon.” (36:12)
• Diagnose & Optimize:
  • Fix the “weakest link” in your chain with focused strategies—not by shouting louder.

6. Get Their Email or Phone Number (“Own the Audience”)

Timestamp: 40:51–48:00

• From Rented Land to Owned Land:
  • Social platforms = rented, email/SMS = owned.
  • “I’d rather have somebody give me their email address or phone number than just jump straight to a purchase.” (41:34)
• The Power of the Lead Magnet:
  • Make it truly valuable, not junk whipped up with ChatGPT.
  • “When I make something that I think is so good that I feel a little bit weird giving it away…that’s when you know you have something worthy of being a lead magnet.” (44:02)
• Why > How:
  • Guide, checklist, explainer—focus on explaining “why” your ideal customer should care, not “how” you do your service.
• Nurture Long Term:
  • Jon shares how some clients have followed him for 3+ years before buying, all thanks to email nurture.

7. Turn Your Best Organic Content Into Paid Ads

Timestamp: 48:01–end

• Test Organically First:
  • “What performs good in the feed organically is the stuff that performs the best when you pay for it.” (49:29)
• Chop, Remix, Repurpose:
  • Break up high-performing content into new ad variants by tweaking hooks or visuals.
  • Example: Turn “This guy…” hooks into “This man…” or “This dude…”—then test & remix.
• Scale with Iteration:
  • “You’ve taken one really high-performing piece of content and you’ve made like 57 different versions of it because the hook is different in all of them.” (52:26)

Memorable Quotes

• “You don’t want people to even know that you’re selling…Most people get the very, very first thing wrong.” (01:35)
• “Always remember: marketing before product.” (10:56)
• “Optimize for engagement, because engagement creates momentum and momentum gives you distribution.” (13:18)
• “Don’t convince, attract. Big difference.” (24:17)
• “The best positioning is counter-positioning.” (27:08)
• “Social media is your top of funnel. Email is where the money gets made.” (46:49)
• “Do it smart so you can take a lot of mileage out of every piece of winning content.” (54:00)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:30: The true purpose of the hook (“marketing before product”)
• 07:30: Example applications in lawn mowing and real estate
• 12:55: Why optimizing for engagement trumps trying to sell immediately
• 18:21: Crafting content about your “avatar” (ideal customer)
• 25:52: New beats better vs. trying to outdo the competition
• 32:01: The purchase journey as a series of micro commitments
• 41:34: The critical importance of capturing email/phone (owned audience)
• 49:29: Why your best organic content should become your ads
• 52:26: How to remix a winning post for ultimate reach

Final Takeaways

Jon Davids’ episode lays out a no-fluff, repeatable system for selling on social. The key is to play the long game—lead with entertainment, warmth, and value, building trust and engagement first. Identify your audience, speak to them directly, be counter-intuitive and authentic, and never forget to secure that direct line of contact. When something works, scale and multiply its reach creatively.

For those looking to reliably drive sales without alienating followers, these seven principles are a practical roadmap to follow.