How to Use Social Media to Build Digital Assets (Not Just Followers)

Social media is one of the most powerful tools you have as a content creator, coach, or business owner.

It helps you get discovered, build relationships, showcase your expertise, and stay visible. I use it. You should use it. It works.

But here's what I need you to understand: Social media is the TOOL, not the ASSET.

And if all you're building is a following on platforms you don't control, you're building on rented land.

Let me explain what I mean.

The Reality of Rented Platforms

A few years ago, a business coach I know woke up to find her account disabled on a major social platform.

She had built her entire business around that platform. 20,000 followers. Daily engagement. Consistent content for three years.

The reason? A flagged post from months earlier that violated a policy she didn't even know existed. She appealed. She submitted proof. She followed every step the platform provided.

It took six weeks to get her account back. Six weeks of no income. No way to reach her audience. No way to promote her offers.

She got lucky. Many don't get their accounts back at all.

This isn't about any one platform being evil or unreliable. This is about the reality of building on platforms you don't own.

Algorithms change. Policies shift. Accounts get flagged. Platforms evolve.

And when that happens, if you don't have a way to reach your people outside of social media, you're starting over from zero.

That's why ownership matters.

Social Media is the Bridge, Not the Business

Think of it like this:

Social media is the billboard on the motorway. It gets people's attention. It points them in your direction. It's visible, valuable, and yes, it works.

But the billboard is not your business. Your business is what the billboard is pointing TO.

Social media should be the entry point, not the endpoint.

The goal isn't to stop using social media. The goal is to use social media strategically to build assets you own.

How One Woman Used Social Media to Build an Empire She Owns

Let me show you what this looks like in real life.

You know Tabitha Brown, right? The actress and vegan influencer who went viral on TikTok and Instagram?

Here's what most people don't know:

Tabitha didn't just build a following and hope brands would pay her forever. She used her social media presence as the entry point to build assets she OWNS.

She launched:

✅ A bestselling book (Feeding the Soul)
✅ A haircare line (Donna's Recipe, named after her late mother)
✅ Product partnerships where she has equity (not just one-time sponsorships)
✅ A TV show on Food Network
✅ Her own media production company

Here's the key: Her social media following gave her leverage. But her WEALTH came from what she built and owned beyond the platforms.

She didn't just collect followers. She moved them into ecosystems she controls.

That's the strategy.

The Bridge Strategy: Social Media → Owned Assets

So how do you actually do this?

Here's the framework:

Step 1: Use social media as the entry point
Create content that educates, entertains, or inspires your ideal audience. (You're probably already doing this!)

Step 2: Have a clear next step
Every post, every story, every video should lead people somewhere YOU own:

• Your email list
• Your podcast
• Your free resource or lead magnet
• Your website or blog

Step 3: Nurture on YOUR platform
Once they're on your email list or in your ecosystem, you build trust, provide value, and make offers without worrying about algorithms.

Step 4: Convert into revenue
This is where your courses, memberships, products, or services come in. You're not dependent on brand deals or sponsorships. You're making money from what you OWN.

Here's What This Looks Like in Practice:

Let's say you're a business coach:

📱 Social Media Post: "5 mistakes new coaches make when pricing their services"
👉 CTA in bio: "Download my free Pricing Guide"
📧 Email sequence: They get the guide + 3 value emails
💰 Offer: Invitation to your $497 coaching programme or free strategy call

See how that works?

Social media brought them in. Your email list nurtured them. Your offer converted them.

And because they're on YOUR email list, you can reach them anytime, no matter what happens with any platform.

The Mistake Most People Make

Here's where most content creators go wrong:

They post amazing content. They get engagement. They might even go viral.

But they don't have a clear path from "follower" to "owned audience."

So all that effort? It's building someone else's platform, not YOUR business.

I don't want that for you.

Every piece of content you create should have a purpose: Get people OFF social media and INTO your ecosystem.

Not because social media is bad. But because ownership is better.

🎙️ FROM THE QUEEN OF FUNNEL SHOW:

This is exactly what we break down on The Funnel Queen Show.

Every week, I take a real business challenge and map out the full user journey: how someone goes from discovering you on social media to becoming a paying client.

It's not just about posting more. It's about building a funnel that moves people from attention to action.

Watch live and see how it's done 👉 [HERE...]

✨ BLACK WOMEN WINNING:

Speaking of learning from women who've built assets they own...

The Top 100 Most Powerful Black Women Summit is coming March 23-27, 2026.

This is our annual 5-day virtual summit where you'll hear directly from Black women who are DOING this work — building courses, memberships, platforms, and businesses they own.

This isn't theory. These are women who moved from social media presence to actual ownership. Women who turned their expertise into revenue-generating assets. Women who automated their systems and built freedom into their businesses.

And it's 100% free.

If you're ready to learn from women who've been where you are and figured out how to build something that lasts, this summit is for you.

Get your free ticket 👉 [HERE...]

💭 REAL TALK:

I know some of you are thinking, "But Natalia, I don't have a huge following yet. Should I even bother with this?"

YES.

Actually, it's easier to do this NOW than when you have 50K followers and no email list.

Start building your owned assets from day one. Even if your email list is 10 people. Even if your podcast has 20 downloads.

Because every single person who moves from "follower" to "subscriber" is someone YOU own a relationship with.

And that compounds over time.

YOUR NEXT STEP:

Look at the content you're creating on social media right now and ask yourself:

"Where am I leading people? Do I own that space?"

If the answer is no, it's time to build the bridge.

Start with ONE thing: an email list, a free resource, a podcast, something that moves people into YOUR ecosystem.

Then reply and tell me what you're building. I want to know. 🖤

Let's build together,
Natalia.

P.S. Next week, we're diving deep into why your email list is your #1 asset and how to start one from scratch. If you don't have an email list yet, next week's newsletter is for YOU.