John Vi – Social Media Business

John Vi – Social Media Business Review: Can You Really Make $15K/Month?

The Actual Stuff You Get

Let me break down what’s actually inside without the marketing fluff:

• 8 Core Modules: Covers everything from finding your niche to creating your content ecosystem to setting up multiple revenue streams. Not gonna lie—the “Audience Magnet Content System” module completely changed my carousel game. Used to spend hours creating posts that got maybe 1,200 views. His 3-part hook formula got me 11K+ views in less than a month. One of my food photography carousels even hit 22K, which was insane for my account size.
• The $15K Roadmap: OK so this sounds like typical guru BS, but it’s surprisingly concrete. It’s basically a flowchart showing exactly which income streams to focus on in which order based on your niche and starting point. I implemented his “micro-offer funnel” strategy for a $27 photography guide and made $1,890 my first month. For context, I made exactly $0 the month before, so… improvement.
• 30-Day Content Calendar: This saved my sanity. No more staring at a blank screen wondering what to post. Each day has a specific content purpose—value post, story post, offer post, engagement post, etc. When I followed this EXACTLY (like, didn’t deviate at all), my engagement jumped from a sad 2.1% to 4.7%. My niche (food photography) typically averages around 3%, so beating industry standard felt amazing.
• DM-to-Dollars Scripts: These scripts for turning DMs into actual money were eyeopening. I’d been getting DMs asking about my camera setup for MONTHS but never thought to monetize those convos. My conversion rate on inquiries went from zero to about 35% using his “soft enrollment” technique. Still kick myself for all the revenue I left on the table for two years.

Why This Course Isn’t Complete Garbage

I’ve wasted money on at least 5 other courses that were pure trash. Here’s where John’s stuff actually delivers:

• Business-First, Not Vanity Metrics: Most courses are obsessed with getting followers and likes—typical guru crap. John’s approach is ruthlessly focused on building a conversion machine, even if that means FEWER followers of higher quality. I almost fell off my chair when he suggested I purge followers who weren’t in my ICP (ideal client persona). He actually had me run a “post performance audit” where I discovered my fashion-related posts got 3x more likes but my business-focused posts got 5x more DMs from potential clients. Would’ve never figured that out myself.
• Platform-Agnostic Framework: This is HUGE. Most courses are like “here’s how to hack the Instagram algorithm THIS month” which becomes obsolete when Adam Mosseri decides to change things up again. John’s principles are universal. I’ve used his exact same content framework on IG, LinkedIn, and even Pinterest with just minor tweaks. My LinkedIn stats especially went nuts—went from 12 profile views monthly to over 1,400 after implementing his “Authority Content Loop.” No more platform dependency anxiety!
• Multiple Monetization Methods: Instead of pushing just sponsorships (which suck for most creators, btw) or just digital products, the course breaks down 7 different income streams and helps you pick the right ones for YOUR strengths. I had completely ignored service offerings which turned out to be my fastest path to actual money. Dumb in retrospect, but I was so focused on “passive income” I missed the obvious high-ticket opportunities right under my nose.

Who Should (and Shouldn’t) Buy This

Let’s be real—$697 ain’t pocket change. Here’s who’ll actually see ROI:

• Content Creators with SOME Following: If you’ve built at least a tiny audience (1K+) but haven’t figured out the money part, this is perfect. I started with 18K followers that were basically ego-boosters. John calls them “vanity followers” and he’s so right. Had to learn the hard way that follower count ≠ bank account size.
• Service Providers Looking for Clients: If you sell any kind of service—coaching, consulting, freelancing, whatever—the client attraction system is gold. My photographer friend Emma implemented just the “portfolio content strategy” portion and booked 5 new wedding clients in two weeks. Called me crying (happy tears) after booking a $3,200 wedding gig through an Instagram story, of all things.
• Digital/Physical Product Sellers: His organic sales funnels are super practical. They don’t rely on huge audiences but instead focus on creating what John calls “high-conversion micro-segments” within your existing followers. My sad little digital product that had 3 sales total suddenly sold 48 copies after I rebuilt the launch content using his “Ascension Method.” That’s a 16x improvement without spending a dime on ads.

Who should SKIP this?

Total social media newbies. If you don’t have ANY audience yet, focus on that first. And if you’re chasing fame rather than fortune, this ain’t for you either.

Oh, and here’s something refreshing—John actively discourages people wanting overnight success from buying. In the very first module, he straight-up says it’ll take 3-4 months of consistent implementation to see significant income. Called out the get-rich-quick BS right away. That honesty earned my respect immediately after sitting through so many “make six figures in 30 days” webinars that were complete horse 💩.

My Actual Results (With Receipts)

Look, I’m cynical AF about income claims. Everyone’s suddenly making “six figures” online, right? 🙄

Here are my ACTUAL numbers after 4 months following the program:

• Followers: 18K → 27K (50% growth, nothing explosive but steady)
• Engagement rate: 2.1% → 4.7% (more than doubled)
• DM inquiries: 2-3 per week → 15-20 per week (massive improvement)
• Monthly revenue: $0 → $4,800 in month 4

Am I making the promised $15K/month? Nope. Not even close.

But I went from absolutely nothing to nearly $5K monthly in 4 months, which honestly exceeded my expectations. The trajectory is pointing in the right direction.

The most surprising part was how fast I started seeing SOME money. Within 2 weeks of buying, I’d made $340 implementing his “value-first offer sequence” on Stories. It wasn’t life-changing, but it was more than I’d made in the previous 6 months combined.

Still remember the first time my phone dinged with a PayPal notification while I was at the gym. Nearly dropped a dumbbell on my foot. That feeling of making money while NOT actively working was addictive. Now I get why people become obsessed with this stuff.

The Annoying Parts (Because No Course Is Perfect)

If I don’t share my frustrations, this review is useless to you. So here goes:

• Way More Work Than Advertised: The sales page makes it sound like you’ll be chilling on a beach somewhere scheduling posts and watching money roll in. LOLNO. I spend 15-20 hours weekly implementing these strategies. Creating strategic content that actually converts takes wayyy more time than throwing up random pretty pictures. My content creation process went from 30 minutes to sometimes 3-4 hours per post. The results justify it, but be ready to WORK.
• Some Templates Feel Saturated: Those DM outreach templates that supposedly “nobody is using”? I’ve literally received almost identical messages from other creators. Awkward. Had to heavily customize the templates to not sound like every other course student. The basic frameworks need significant personalization to stand out in 2024.
• The Timeline Is Super Optimistic: John claims you’ll see “significant results in 60 days”—that’s cute. I started seeing small wins around day 45, but it was more like 110 days before I saw any CONSISTENT income. Be prepared for a longer runway than what’s promised. That 30-day benchmark mentioned repeatedly? Pure marketing hype. I almost quit around day 75 thinking I was doing something wrong.

And let’s talk about that $697 price tag. That’s a lot of cash if you’re struggling (which, let’s be honest, most creators are). There are free YouTube videos that cover maybe 30% of this material if you’re super broke.

The thing that really pissed me off? Some of the best conversion templates were only MENTIONED in the course but available as a separate $197 upsell. Felt kinda bait-and-switch-y after dropping almost $700 already. Not cool, John.

So… Worth It Or Nah?

After 4 months grinding through this material, here’s my honest take:

If you’re serious about turning your social presence into actual money and you’re willing to put in REAL work (not just dreaming about passive income), then yeah, the course is worth it.

What I appreciate most is the focus on building sustainable systems rather than chasing algorithm tricks. This isn’t about going viral once—it’s about creating a real business framework behind your content.

But I gotta mention something kinda controversial—John advises an approach that some creator purists will absolutely HATE. He’s very direct about designing content specifically to generate sales, which some find “too commercial” or “selling out.” I had the same concern initially and worried my audience would revolt.

Plot twist: His approach to valuable content with strategic offers has actually created MORE genuine connections. My DMs are filled with thank-yous alongside the purchase inquiries. Turns out, when you solve real problems for the right people, they APPRECIATE the opportunity to pay you. Mind blown.

Here’s a hot take that might ruffle feathers: Most creator courses are taught by people who make money selling courses, NOT from the actual strategies they teach. John’s one of the few who actually built his following and monetized it BEFORE creating a course about it. That authenticity shows in the practical details.