I have a confession.
Okay, so I may have been living under a marketing rock for the past decade, but in the last month or so, I’ve newly-discovered Gary Vaynerchuk.
I had definitely heard his name and had a general idea of who he was, but the recent buzz about his book, #AskGaryVee, made me want to start following him. And by following, I mean watching everything he shares on Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube…because he shares it all for everyone to see.
But wait, before I get into that…for those who may have been dwelling under that same rock as me, Gary Vaynerchuk (better known as GaryVee) is an entrepreneur, CEO of VaynerMedia, author, investor and public speaker. He splashed onto the scene when he took his family wine business, Wine Library, from a $3M to a $60M business in five years. Then he created Wine Library TV in 2006, a YouTube vlog about wine, leading Gary to become known as “the Internet wine guy.”
Now, he runs digital agency VaynerMedia, writes best-selling books, hosts the popular #AskGaryVee show on YouTube and within the last several months, launched the #DailyVee show, giving viewers a glimpse into Gary’s day to day.
Needless to say, I’m hooked. I’m binge-watching Gary’s YouTube (and Snapchat) content as if it were the hottest new show on Netflix.
But more than falling deep down the GaryVee rabbit hole, I’m learning. A TON. About content marketing. And life.
Gary’s words of wisdom apply both to the practice of content/Internet marketing, but also to work ethic and relationship building.
Here are five lessons learned from one month binge-watching GaryVee’s epic online content.
- Be a practitioner.
You have to practice what you preach.
If you’re selling social media, do social media better than anyone else on the planet. If you sell content marketing, your content should be off the hook.
Gary prides himself on being a practitioner.
When a new social media site comes out, he jumps on board and gives it a try. He stays up to date on the latest social media updates and experiments so he can apply his knowledge for VaynerMedia’s clients.
As you climb the ladder of your career, it’s easy to dig yourself out of the trenches- to stop “doing the work” on a day to day basis.
But to be a true success, you have to practice. You have to understand. You have to know how to “do.”
That will set you apart from your competition.
- It’s all about the hustle.
A lot of entrepreneurs preach hustle, but Gary lives it, day in and day out.
This is especially evident in the #DailyVee videos where videographer David Rock, better known as DRock, follows and documents Gary throughout his 16-hour+ days. The footage is edited into episodes literally tracking Gary from meeting to meeting, speaking engagements, airports, gym sessions, hotel lobbies, NYC traffic and everywhere else he goes for a true glimpse into Gary’s unbeatable work ethic.
You want to see hustle? Watch an episode of #DailyVee (and prepare to feel slightly inferior about your own work days).
Yes, 16+ hour work days aren’t for everyone, but Gary authentically shows exactly how he has created success in his life.
Success requires hard work and hustle. How can you apply the hustle mentality to your goals, even if you aren’t working 16 hour days?
- Jab, jab, jab, right hook.
Give, give, give…then, and only then, ask.
Gary’s book Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook dives into his philosophy of giving value over and over again, before making an ask or going in for a sale.
For example, Gary spent months sharing value with his audience through newsletters, video content and more without asking for a single thing in return. Then, when his book launched earlier in 2016, he knew it was time for the right hook and relied on his community to help him out with book sales and promotion.
Focus on giving before asking. What value can you share with your community before asking them to buy something from you?
- Thinking long-term is great, but “day trading” is better.
The concept of “day trading” means making the best decision for that very day.
Discussing a promotion idea for Wine Library in #DailyVee 010, Gary says, “For the promo, we’ll plan at best a week out, at worst, the morning of.” Planning is important, but Gary knows the value of on-the-spot decision making based on what’s trending, what’s hot and what’s most important, in this very moment.
When it comes to content, yes, please plan ahead, but be ready to adapt, pivot and jump on an opportunity when it arises.
Become a day trader.
- Kindness counts.
We all know that many famous people are notoriously known for “diva behavior” and not being as kind as they appear on TV, in magazines or online.
This is not true of GaryVee.
#DailyVee episodes show Gary stopping for selfies on NYC street corners, chatting it up with his various drivers, replying to messages from fans with personal Snapchat videos and overall, being a good guy.
That makes us like him even more, right? Kindness counts.
How can you and the people in your company treat your customers, clients and superiors with a little bit more kindness? It goes a long way. Especially in business.
Whether you’ve never heard of GaryVee, love him or can’t stand the guy (he certainly has his fair share of super fans and haters), it’s easy to see that we can all learn a lot from Gary’s authenticity, unique sharing style and work ethic. Give his content a try- you may find yourself choosing Gary’s YouTube channel over TGIT or Netflix.