Gary Vaynerchuk's Blog, page 17

Discovering Authenticity with Vegan Foodie Tabitha Brown

Who’s ready for self discovery?

Recently, Gary had the pleasure of speaking with Tabitha Brown, vegan foodie and actress known for her positive, bubbly personality. She also happens to have over three million followers, across her social media platforms. Notably, she gained over one million TikTok followers in only thirty days. Dubbed, “the mom of TikTok”, Tabitha strives to be a ray of light while remaining true to herself. 

As a guest on Marketing For The Now, she and Gary discussed her journey and how she balances positivity with authenticity. Check out the highlights below!

On Confidence and Conviction

Gary: Hi Tabitha! For those who don’t know, can you tell us a little bit about who you are, your brand, and the amazing supernova that is you?

Tabitha: (laughs) Well, I am Tabitha Brown. I am what people call a “vegan foodie”, an influencer (and I’m still trying to get used to that), but most importantly, I am a wife and a mother. I am a real woman and in the real world trying to balance it all.

Gary: Taking it back further, what kind of child were you? What were your interests? Can you describe some of the key moments in your life that gave you the foundation to have the confidence and conviction to be a “real woman in today’s world”. 

Tabitha: When I was a kid I was very free; I had a huge imagination. I knew I wanted to entertain, I knew I wanted to be an actor, but I was from a small town in North Carolina. There were no [television] actors there, so [my mom] got me into the theatre. I would perform anytime because I just loved to entertain people; I loved how it felt. The reactions, the positive reinforcement, the attention–all that energy drew me in. It was that feeling that stuck with me. 

How To Confront Conformity

Tabitha: You know, I wasn’t always free. As I grew into a woman, I found myself working in corporate America and being told to “tone down” my accent. They would say it’s “it’s a little ignorant” or “we want you to be as neutral as possible. Coming to LA, to be an actress, it was the same thing. No one wants to hear an accent unless it’s a character requested type of thing. 

I got into trying to please everybody. That’s not freedom and I was so lost for a little while. I would wear my hair a certain way, cover up my accent, and try to be a certain size, just to give people what they want. 

Gary: I’m always fascinated by people who are able to do accents, or suppress them. I always tell people: the only thing I’m good at is being me. It’s the only thing, it’s all I’ve got. 

Tabitha: It’s a great thing to just be able to be you, let me tell you that. I went through a time where I was really sick and during that sickness is when I found myself again. Many times I’ll tell people I may have even gotten sick because the true me couldn’t breathe. I was suffocating myself. It took me a year and a half to come out of the depression, and anxiety, and dark space and think clearly. When I did find the light, I found my true self again and I said to myself, “Oh, I ain’t never gonna let go of it. I want to always choose light but most importantly, I want to always choose me. Because I am enough. Just as I am.”

That is how I arrived to where I am now.

The moment I did that, my whole life started to change. 

Don’t Confuse Self-Love and Compassion for Self-Delusion 

Gary: You’re right, I think it’s an awareness game. I’m a competitive man, I really like competition, who grew up in New Jersey with nothing. Throughout school I was a poor student and I wasn’t good at sports. I didn’t have a lot of positive affirmations for anything other than me grinding and working hard.Therefore, I’m against entitlement and for accountability–but that creates confusion when I give out love. 

I’m giving out a ton of love on a daily basis and so are you. I’m curious as to how you handle people receiving your positive energy while trying to paint you as something you’re not. 

People, friends, family, even those I know in the business world–try to paint me as the bad guy because I curse or because I’m aggressive. They might say I’m a hypocrite, or crazy, that my positive attitude can’t be for real. It always blows my mind when people say, “There’s no way he’s that happy.” Do you ever feel misunderstood?

Tabitha: I know what you mean, it’s crazy. It’s like, you want to attack me because I’m happy?

Gary: People say they’re keeping it real and I say, “You’re keeping it real cynical.”

Tabitha: (laughs) You know what I tell myself, I tell myself I am not the problem. I know who I am. So, whenever somebody says something like that, I just know there ain’t nothing you can do about people honey. I’m always going to choose light and try to be that light for someone else. 

I always remain true to myself because I refuse to lose myself in the process again. 

Gary: Right, you have to know yourself. Don’t let people walk all over you and don’t do nice things just because you expect something good to happen. There are people like my mother and Ms.Tabitha Brown whose natural happiness comes from making other people happy. You can’t fake it. Judgement on oneself is the foundation to being able to pull off what I’m talking about. 

Tabitha: Yeah, you have to be easy on yourself but you have to check yourself too. 

Gary: People have to be accountable. You don’t have to be judgemental because we’re all doing the best we can, but when you begin to see movement on your journey, you’re going to be so excited. 

That’s all for now. If you liked this recap, be sure to share it on your favorite platform!

The post Discovering Authenticity with Vegan Foodie Tabitha Brown appeared first on GaryVaynerchuk.com.

7 Answers To 7 Questions From My LinkedIn Q&A

What’s up VaynerNation.

I did a Q&A on LinkedIn a few weeks ago, check out the highlights!

The Characteristics of a Scalable Business











Convince People to Take a Chance











The Best Way to Network











On Education











Standing Out In A Crowded Market











How To Nurture Relationships











The Importance Of “Brand”

If you liked this article, it would mean a lot to me if you share it on Twitter.

The post 7 Answers To 7 Questions From My LinkedIn Q&A appeared first on GaryVaynerchuk.com.

The Definition Of A Post Creative Strategist

I don’t always make predictions, but I’m so excited to be at the forefront of what I perceive as a massive shift in the modern ad agency. I believe a “post creative strategist” is necessary for any brand that wants to curate and cultivate exceptional, on-brand content. 

At VaynerMedia, we’re hoping to include a post creative strategist on our team; it’s an important position that’s been wildly overlooked.

How strategy typically works at an agency

If you look at how strategists run at creative agencies, specifically the advertising industry, these are individuals that do the work prior to the content going out to a client. A client gives you a budget and says, “Hey, we would like to win with, say, Black men in Atlanta; we’d like them to buy more of our soap. And we want to win with moms in California.”  Cool.

What ends up happening is, a strategist does research. She’ll conduct focus groups, go on the internet, look at data, come up with a hypothesis, and hand that hypothesis to a creative. 

It’s the same process if they tell the strategist, “Hey I need to win big with frat boys in Alabama”, the strategist will go and do her thing. 

Then, the strategist shares her research with the creatives, and the creatives make their interpretation of her hypothesis. Finally, the client has to make a subjective decision to post it.

I think that’s fine, but I also think it’s highly broken. 

First of all, that whole process takes a long time – could be about nine months. It takes about a month for the strategist, then they’ve got to sell it through to the decision makers for what it’s worth, and after that they go make it and produce it. That’s slow. 

Plus, that’s really the old “commercial.” You would make a commercial then you would make matching luggage. Then, the creative team would give it to the digital team, and they would take still shots and little clips from exactly that same shot. Same color, same fonts. Being on brand. There’s risk there because it’s such a long process that really depends on the one piece of content working out. 

The way I look at strategy is “volume.”  

How would a post creative strategist disrupt that process?

Volume.  Say the hypothesis that the strategist comes up with, after doing research, is what the brand needs to win with Black males in Atlanta. You also can’t forget that the brand also needs to win with a bunch of other groups. Does that hypothesis translate to other groups? If it doesn’t, you may need to create several strategies. 

So, rather than putting all that on the strategist, the creative, and the subjective opinion of the client (then betting the farm on it because you’ve spent a million dollars on the commercial) and hoping it works, utilize a post creative strategist.

For us, this post creative strategist is the most interesting role because it is still an “anthropologist”, it’s still an emotional intelligence focused “psychologist”. It’s still a curiosity finder. However, this individual is still living and breathing “day trading attention” more than “investing in a mutual fund.” 

Meaning, they’re not going into a lab for a month and doing research, coming out and saying Ta Da and handing that research to the creative team. Instead, they’re living and breathing the research everyday just like the customer. Going with our earlier soap example, they might put out soap content for 15-20 different demographics and then see what people are saying & determine what works from there. It’s testing and learning. 

What defines the role of a “post creative strategist”? 

A post creative strategist’s role can be analytical, but a lot of times the media team and the analytics team are taking care of that. What I see it as is, is the skillset that in hindsight became the foundation of my career. In spite of all the talking that I do, and everything you see on the internet, what I’m doing 95 percent of my time is actually listening.

My observations, my pseudo predictions, and my historical correctness, all that comes from a whole lot of listening. It comes from a whole lot of watching. Where I really took it up a notch was in from 2007 to 2011. 

I was watching and replying to everything on Twitter. It led to a place where I would reply to the replies of my content. I would put out a piece of wine content, eleven people would reply, and I would respond to everything. Thus, it meant that I was reading everything. That led to understanding what people were interested in, reacted to, liked, or didn’t like. This led me to say something different next time based on that real time data and feedback. 

That’s the seed in which the post creative strategist role is born.

What type of characteristics does a post creative strategist have?

A post creative strategist is practical, humble, and fast. 

She or he or they must possess a talent for being able to see all of the comments from the (hopefully) 80 pieces of content per week. Someone who’s able to read all of those comments and understand that the comments on Twitter will be one way, and the comments on Instagram will be another way. The comments on LinkedIn will be another way–because the psychology, the audience, everything is different on each platform. The strategist will know how to throw out the edges (the things that don’t mean anything, the things that are probably just noise), and should be able to zero in on the commonality or the insight on the creative to then go back to inform the creative team. 

The ability to say, “Hey, more flower videos” or “Hey, we need more optimism because people are anxious.”  They should be living and breathing content.

I often equate this to the kind of individuals who signed up to go out into nature and the wild and sit in jungles for 15 years, just watching, in order to deeply understand a red-headed ant or a chimpanzee. It’s watching people’s reactions to things and being good enough to understand when people are being keyboard warriors.

Just because nine people said you suck, that doesn’t mean you should stop. The talent of the post creative strategist is to know what’s a throwaway comment because people act tough on twitter but they act differently when they buy or support things. It’s a very interesting skill set that I believe is grounded in deep understanding of psychology and nature vs nurture. Humans behavior in the internet pontificating verus actually doing something about it. 

It’s a very creative role because there’s a need for recommendation of what to make next. I even see it evolving into a place where it’s integrated, deeply, into the creative team where they have the ability to make a piece of creative right on the spot. Perhaps in written form if they don’t possess the video and design capabilities of their creative team. 

The primary drive behind hiring a post creative strategist  

I’d say the primary drive for hiring a post creative strategist is that it enhances creation’s strength the next time it comes out. It’s less about driving down time, it’s more about giving strategy to what should be made. Content will more likely hit if you have a great post creative strategist. What I’ve learned during the past five years of this is you have to be so good at ideas and that comes from this. Otherwise, you’re just sitting around saying, “what should we make?”  

It really is on the creative to create. But the creative needs to be the “match: and the post creative strategist needs to create the “dry leaves and sticks” — it supports the creative to make the content happen.  

“Is the post creative strategist giving feedback like, “You need to make the font bigger” and things like that?”

You know how some people are good at creative ideas everyday and some people are great at one creative idea for a Super Bowl commercial? I would argue that the post creative strategist could come in both forms. The ones that excel the most are going to be great at both. 

I think you can be an excellent post creative strategist at VaynerMedia if you understand human truths. Feed those truths to a team and understand the analytical impact. However, the creatives themselves have to get better at that themselves. 

“If you were hiring someone for this kind of role, who would you look for?”

I would probably hire somebody like a psychology major that is scrappy, or somebody that has that “psychology” skill set of being able to get a feel for human reactions and feedback to content. The dream person for this role would actually be someone like me (I didn’t know I had similarities with a psych major back then, but I was scrappy). 

Domain expertise people could also be fascinating. Journalists might also end up being a good fit for a role like this. A “301” salesperson also does what I’m talking about. 

The post creative strategist’s process is not about having a plan, it’s about countering the other person’s plan, using the other person’s force to win. As a post creative strategist, you’re using people’s reactions from a piece of content, to win. Which is the reverse of what strategy is in “agencyland” now. The current process is subjective and audacious, it’s kind of academic. Again, a post creative strategist is practical, and humble, and fast. 

“Is it someone that has a pulse on different fields and industries? Someone who can understand different areas like environmentalism and hip hop?”

Those specifics are tough because that depends on the accounts (in the agency world). But you have to build a company that understands people on the coast, and moms in middle and rural America. A company that understands people who drive pickup trucks and take daily trips to Walmart. Every company needs someone who is good at that because things are so tense in the United States right now. 

Final Thoughts.

Much like micro influencers, much like community managers, I’m making a prediction (which I rarely do)–that this will be a staple of all agencies and all brands. 

I’m excited to be at the forefront of this shift. I’m excited to find incredibly talented individuals. I’m excited to innovate and create a job that is actually the perfect job for hundreds of thousands of people, even though they don’t realize it yet.   

Interested? We’re hiring a post creative strategist for VaynerMedia, learn more and apply here.

The post The Definition Of A Post Creative Strategist appeared first on GaryVaynerchuk.com.

How To Handle Negative Comments

Whether you are a public figure or not, you’re always going to have to deal with people’s opinions of your work. Sometimes, it will be valid; other times, it won’t. Judge the judger, before you let their opinion get to you. Regardless of who is giving you the praise, or the criticism,  you should never allow someone else’s opinion to make you sad.

I had a conversation with a caller on Tea With GaryVee about this very topic. I hope it resonates with you. 

1. Realize That They Don’t Know You

Whoever is leaving mean comments on your content most likely has no idea who you are. 

Michelle: I get really put down by people’s comments and I’ve been watching what you say about not listening to them…but I’m just a really soft person. I’m really sensitive, so I have a really hard time. 

Gary: Let me try to help.The biggest thing that you need to realize is they don’t know you. People criticize me all the time but they have no idea who I am or what I do. They read one quote or look at one clip, out of context, and they think they know me. I’m not too big on constructive criticism when it comes from people who have no idea what they’re talking about. Judge the judger who’s judging you. 

2. Empathize With Them

Do you know how sad someone must be to take the time and leave a mean comment? 

Second, you have to be empathetic and feel compassion for them. Michelle, listen to me, do you know how sad of a place somebody has to be in for them to take the time to watch your video and say something to make you feel bad? Just so that you feel bad with them.

Do you understand how sad they must feel?  I’m not joking, and I think people think i’m just trying to cheer you up, but I’m not joking. When people say shit about you like: you’re ugly, that’s stupid, you’re not funny, you’re dumb, that’s wrong– I don’t know how to do anything other than feel really bad for them.

3. Be Confident And Comfortable In “No”. 

Michelle: Yeah, I get what you’re saying but what’s really hard for me is…I  have a lot of confidence in my abilities and I believe in myself but there were a lot of people commenting on my appearance [under one post]  which is something that I can’t help. I just think it’s a horrible thing to do and,  for some reason, I believe it every time.  They say I’m ugly,  I believe it, and it makes me not want to post anymore.

Gary: Look we all have confidence in some places and lack self-esteem in others. For example, I can walk into an arena right now with 80, 000 people if somebody called and said,  “We need you.”  Like, it’s the first public gathering in New Jersey, you have to give a one hour keynote, we’re outside,  we’re going to the Jet Stadium, and you have to go right now! 

Now, I would be so pumped, I’d be thrilled.  I’d be in the car thinking what the fuck am I going to say? But,  I’m still going to be like,  all right, I can do it. 

However, if that same person called me and said, “On Tea With Garyvee,  you have to read. Right now. Here’s a piece of paper,  you have to read this .” I would be unbelievably concerned and super self-conscious because I am a very poor reader.  Anxiety for me is sitting around during the high holidays, reading at Passover. Yes, I’m scared with my family. So you have a lot of confidence in some areas and in other areas you don’t–just like every one of us.  

Get comfortable with the word NO, so you’re better able to deal with rejection.  People are too addicted to positive reinforcement; “you’re smart”, “you’re pretty”, “that’s awesome”. Once you believe that, you become susceptible to negative reinforcement. No matter what level of success you have, always remember that you are insignificant. That may sound harsh, but it’s actually incredibly liberating and exciting. It’s a skill you have to build, like a muscle at the gym. 

4. Remember the “Big Picture”

Michelle: So what are some practical things that I can do whenever I get a comment that is mean?  Like, what exercises can I do to build that muscle?

Gary: I think you should pretend that your parents died in a car accident. I know that seems super weird but what I do when I’m struggling is create a scenario in my head that actually speaks about real life. That makes me realize that johnny97 saying that I’m ugly really doesn’t mean a whole lot.

In a world where I’m driving to the hospital because I’ve lost my two best friends 30 to 50 years earlier than i should have, you don’t care about random comments. That’s one tactic that may or may not work for you. 

The other thing that you need to do is go to a place of confidence. For example, in high school, even though I was confident,  I would do really poorly in school. On a tough day, when teachers really shit on me (which was never fun) I would go home and focus on my sports cards.  I would go to a place of confidence. 

5. Realize It’s All In Your Head.

The number one thing you need to realize is that it’s in your own fucking head. You have to understand that you’re deciding that person’s right versus the people that tell you anything else. We all have things that we hate but you have to realize you can actually change it.

Forcing yourself into places that make you happy as a quick juxtaposition to something you’re reading or seeing,  sometimes makes you not dwell on the negative. A place of positivity is immediate medicine. However, it’s only medicine and you have to do work on the macro to really see consistent change. 

I don’t let compliments or criticisms bother me too much. That’s all ego.  Focus on what makes you happy and what gives people value. It keeps things in perspective.

The post How To Handle Negative Comments appeared first on GaryVaynerchuk.com.

No Marketing Budget? Use Sweat, not Coins.

I know there’s a wide variety of people who read this blog. It’s similar to my audience from the Marketing For The Now series; we have everyone from second year art students to CMOs. We also have a lot of entrepreneurs, and a lot of them have the same question when they’re starting out: “how much do I spend on marketing?” They want to know how much to spend, and where. My friends, they should be asking what to spend. My answer to those who are starting from scratch? Sweat, not coins.

1. Leverage Your Relationships

What do I mean by that? I’m a big fan of spending zero dollars at first and using your rolodex to get business. My first move for a new business that has no marketing budget is to go to the address book of their gmail and  their phone–and literally contact every single person you know.

Do a one on one email or text informing them in a fun way, not a spammy Crtl C Crtl V way, so that you use the context of your relationship with that person for your businesses. 

For example, if in 9 years I was emailing Joe S. on my team about something I was doing, the opening line might be a wrestling reference (because I know he loves wrestling). I’d make it about what’s happening in wrestling at that moment. Then I’d go into, “Oh, by the way buddy, I’d love for you to buy some flowers from my new flower shop”. That shows Joe that I actually took the time and appreciated our relationship. 

For any new business owner to do that with every email, from A to Z, in every one of their phones, would take a month to do properly. That’s what I think everybody should do instead of posting on their Facebook, hoping organic reach will get you somewhere. I believe that the first move for any new business is to put deposits using sweat, not coins. 

2. Contact Potential Sponsors Directly

This is important if you have ambitions to monetize your content by getting sponsors or advertisers. Let’s say you have a beer channel on Youtube. Go to Google and type in “beer”. There will be so many ad links related to what you just typed. Let’s say you click on a link for a small business that’s based in Austin, Texas, and sells beer related clothing. If I had a show that had 900,000, 700,000 or even 2,000 subscribers, I would find this company’s phone number and call them. 

You may not be ready for the big companies, but there are plenty of small businesses that would appreciate access to your core audience. Offer an affiliate deal, where they would pay you for any sale that comes from your code or channel. You have to convince them, you can’t give up. 

3. Google Your Way To Success

If I wanted to get sponsors for a blog, podcast, or YouTube channel, I would spend five to ten times the time I spend producing content, going out and finding sponsors. Sell them on the rationale on why they should sponsor your show instead of spending all their money on Google ads. You might have 1800 followers while Google gets an enormous amount of hits–but at the end of the day, what matters is an ad with you would be targeted. An affiliate link with a small business is entirely possible.

You’ve got to go out there and find people or networks that fit your interests. If you’re in technology, look for companies that sponsor tech influencers. Cold call, cold email, or DM people. Google your way into finding the people that are advertising in your space. 

Sell them – if you want it, you’ve got to “grab” it.

If you liked this article, feel free to share it on Twitter

How To Make Quality Micro Content

The term “micro content” is something I started using three or four years ago. The notion was: content made specifically for the platform. You know, the videos, the pictures, the quotes, the written words that work on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok. 

It was the context of the book, Jab Jab Jab Right Hook.  

How You Can Create Good Micro Content



1. Quality Content Is Subjective 

So, you want to know how to make good micro content and how to consistently get your team to do it? First of all, good content is subjective, right? Some people like Game of Thrones. Some people watch Game of Thrones and don’t like it (very few, I think, because it’s a very popular show) but you know it is still clearly subjective. That’s number one.

2. Your Team Will Learn Through Osmosis 

Number two, once you get to a place where you can afford it, how do you get a team to start the process of creating micro-content for your or your brand?

When it comes to building the skills on a team, I wouldn’t say it’s about education. 

I would say that, for me, scaling and getting my team to get there has a lot to do with what I call “osmosis.” That is, putting the knowledge into the “stream” versus making them attend a class.  

Osmosis is also how you ensure your team is executing at the highest level from the top to the bottom – by letting them learn gradually from the environment and not being crippled when they’re “off” a little bit. For example, rather than over impose my will on creative output, I’ll let the market decide and let my employees learn from the outcome. 

By the way, not everyone learns like me. My team and I wasted an enormous amount of time on senior people training junior people through osmosis. When we evolved into providing more products I realized, stuff (products, technology, services) to support people through a more structured learning process could be beneficial. Still, depending on the situation, I usually use osmosis. 

3. Respect your audience 

You’ve got to respect your audience. This means, you’ve got to respect the psychology of what they’re doing when they’re on the platform. I know a 40 year old woman has a different mindset when she’s on Facebook versus when she’s on Pinterest. That is what I keep in mind when I try to tell her a story, because I know I’m on Pinterest. On Pintrest, she has intent to shop and aspiration to shop. On Facebook, she’s keeping up with her world or consuming information. So I strategize around the psychology and the platform itself. 

4. Make It About Them

When I say respect, I put out content that I think she will like versus what I’d like to accomplish. Yes, I’d like to sell rosé, but if I put it in a way that is more interesting to a mom, like five under $10 bottles of wine that help you unwind at the end of a full day with the kids, that would resonate better. Then you target eight-year-old kid moms.

Something like, 12 wines somebody who’s 38 will like and then targeting people that were born in 1982, could also work well. These are all strategies that will work. Add a very heavy Facebook or Instagram glamour’ shot of the wine at a nice angle. It’s that kind of stuff, stuff that’s cool and nice. 

Respecting the audience, respecting the platform, and taking your agenda and making it third – that’s how you make great micro content. 

That’s it for now! If you enjoyed that article it would mean a lot to me if you share it on Twitter.

The post How To Make Quality Micro Content appeared first on GaryVaynerchuk.com.

What Is “Day Trading Attention”?

As a leader in the marketing world, Gary’s typically a “first mover” when it comes to the platforms he’s on, marketing strategies he implements, and even the words he uses. Terms like “micro content” and “underpriced attention” might seem daunting at first, but we’re here to help you understand what they mean in the context of your business or career. 

Today, we’re diving deep on another GaryVee term: day trading attention. What does that mean? Well, keep reading and you’ll find out!

The Definition Of “Day Trading Attention“

In order to understand what day trading attention is, and how to do it well, we looked at a conversation between Gary and Jason of 11:FS. 

Jason: One of the metaphors I hear you use is “day trading attention.” Day trading is by definition, always watching, always playing, always looking for that next opportunity. It seems like a very powerful metaphor for always watching and always looking to that edge.

Gary: That’s exactly right. When it comes to day trading attention, I spend an enormous amount of time trying to figure out [new and emerging technologies]. Now, we have people going to football matches, going to Coachella, and taking the train because they want to take a picture and put it on Instagram. We are literally doing things to make a point, to paint a public picture. Therefore, I think as a marketer. If people are now going to do more things and have more experiences, isn’t promoting your company at the Rugby World Cup or at Coachella, or at a vineyard in Tuscany, a better idea now than it was four years ago? The answer is yes. Whether it’s digital or whether it’s traditional, when I day trade attention, I don’t focus on the newest app. Instead, I focus on what the hell people are doing.

How Can I Get Started? 

Gary: People have to pay attention. Many people are reading this on their cell phone– it’s important to understand that. It means commercials are overpriced. These are the things I think about when day trading attention, these are the trends I pay attention to. Whether I pay attention to trends like kombucha, or yoga, or sneakers, or Russ the rapper–it’s just culture trading.

My hyper growth of my micro internet fame didn’t happen by accident, I didn’t stumble into it. I  am obsessed with consumer attention. The reason I worry about a lot of digital marketers is because they’re very quantitative and they’re focused on transactional behavior. What I mean by transactional behavior is like landing page optimization, click attribution, top funnel behavior; quant conversion. That’s great if you care about the outcome in six months or in a year.  If you care about six years or a decade that is [is not the only thing to focus on]. 

Pay attention and act.

Is This Concept New?

Gary: My friends, it’s all about your eyes and ears. It’s about where the customers’ attention is. I don’t care about Tumblr, Pinterest, Instagram or any of [those platforms]. Things come along in our world: radio, television, the internet. Things come along and they’re for the people. Then marketers, much like myself, notice that people’s attention is there. If you, as a marketer, content creator, whatever, are not there–where the attention is–, if you’re not day trading that attention, if you’re not playing properly within that realm, you’re going to lose.

When people were listening to the radio, marketers realized, people are paying attention to the radio. They thought, hey why don’t I stop what they’re listening to and sell them this beer? They’re baseball fans, let me sell them this beer by telling them we make the best beer ever. Interrupt their game and take their attention. That process, my friends, has gone on for ever and ever. 

You can go back to the prehistoric age and see it. There’s a cave, you use it ’cause you don’t wanna get eaten by a dinosaur. If some dude wants to sell you a new club, he might draw some shit in your cave in order to sell it to you. So while your attention was there, in your cave, staying away from the dinosaurs, you think maybe I need a new club? 

There is always an opportunity to take advantage of the new spaces that create attention. 

Wherever there are people paying attention to something, marketers like myself want to take it and trade it. You know it’s gonna happen

That’s all for now! If you liked this article, or want to learn more about day trading attention, let us know on Twitter ! 

Interviews have been edited for length and clarity.

The post What Is “Day Trading Attention”? appeared first on GaryVaynerchuk.com.

Everything You Wanted To Know About Gary Vaynerchuk

Over the past few years, we’ve seen a lot of common questions asked about Gary Vaynerchuk, CEO of VaynerMedia and Chairman of VaynerX. Where did he start his career? What does he do, day to day? Why does he produce so much content across social media? How does he make money?

Recently, the team uploaded a video titled 44 Years In 9 Minutes on YouTube. It’s an overview of his life, career, and how he got to where he is today.

Be sure to check it out if you want a more in-depth look at his life. If you’d like the Sparknotes version, i.e. rapid fire answers to your questions, keep reading!

“What Does GaryVee Do?”

Gary’s the CEO of VaynerMedia, Chairman of VaynerX, co-founder of VaynerSports, investor, and 5x New York Times bestselling author. Gary has invested in companies like Facebook, Snap, Venmo, and Twitter. Plus, he signs all our paychecks – that’s what he does.

He’s also involved in a variety of entrepreneurial ventures – including being a founding partner in Resy (acquired by American Express), Empathy Wines (acquired by Constellation Brands), and also released five sneakers in collaboration with K-Swiss.

“Where Did GaryVee Grow Up?”

“I was born in Belarus, the former Soviet Union. [My family and] I came here when I was three,” Gary recalled in an interview with Inc. 

“We were ridiculously poor. I lived with nine family members in a studio apartment. My dad got a job as a stock boy in a liquor store. He eventually lived the American dream and saved all of his money. But, a funny thing happens when you don’t spend any money for four years. You actually accumulate it.  So, he used his savings to buy a small liquor store.”

Gary was a purebred entrepreneur from a young age. He sold baseball cards and ran lemonade stands during his time growing up in Edison, New Jersey.  

“I had seven lemonade stands when I was six years old. When I was 12 years old, I really started learning entrepreneurship because I had already started a massive baseball card business. I was selling $1000 – $2000 worth of merchandise each weekend at the malls in New Jersey.”

In those early days, he learned a lot about business – lessons he still uses to this day. As he grew a little older, however, things changed. 

“How Did GaryVee Start His Career?”

“So, my dad dragged me into the liquor store when I’m 14. Years later, in 1996, I launched one of the first wine centric e-commerce businesses in America.”

Gary started working his family business at a young age. After realizing that people collect wine in a similar way to baseball cards, Gary grew more passionate about the business and fell in love with it.

Over the next few years, he grew his father’s business from a $3 million dollar company to a $60 million enterprise.

“Did GaryVee Inherit Money?”

“I didn’t inherit anything–I did work alongside my father, grow his business, and make a salary,” he says. 

After growing his dad’s business from $3 million to $60 million, Gary eventually left the company with no equity and no ownership, starting over in his 30s in a different industry to build VaynerMedia.

“People think I got something handed, it’s actually the reverse. I gave up … 13 years of my life to build my dad’s business for him and left with nothing,” says Gary. Like a lot of immigrant entrepreneurial families, Gary felt a responsibility within himself to pay back his parents for what they did for him.

The transition from Wine Library to full time CEO at VaynerMedia was not quick. Gary spent a significant portion of his young adulthood working for his father and honing his skill set. 

“When Did GaryVee Create VaynerMedia?”

“I started VaynerMedia in the conference room of Buddy Media’s company because I had no money to pay for our own rent.”

When Gary started the company, VaynerMedia was a “community management shop.” Over time, his vision was to create a communications “Death Star” with capabilities across the board.

“What Does VaynerMedia Do?” 

“We’re an advertising firm…we’re modern day Mad Men,” Gary says.  

Today, VaynerMedia works with Fortune 500 companies on things like creative strategy, paid media, production, e-commerce, influencer marketing, and more. The company has offices across New York, Los Angeles, London, Singapore, and Chattanooga, TN.

“We understand where the attention is and produce creative that is contextual to each social platform,” says Gary.

“What Are GaryVee’s Businesses?“

Over time,  Gary created VaynerX (a communications holding company) to house his different ventures – such as VaynerMedia, Tracer, Gallery Media Group, The Sasha Group, VaynerProductions, VaynerSpeakers, and VaynerCommerce.

He also co-founded Resy, which was acquired by American Express, and co-founded Empathy Wines (which was acquired by Constellation Brands).

“Where Does GaryVee’s Money Come From?”

Gary’s goal is to be the greatest entrepreneur of all time. That means two things: 1) Building huge businesses (like VaynerMedia, Empathy Wines, etc), and 2) giving back to the community.

A big part of what Gary talks about is spending time on what makes you happy, not what makes you the most money. Gary loves building businesses – as a kid, he sold baseball cards, had lemonade stands – so it makes sense that building businesses is what makes him happy today.

“Like there are so many people who are going to be unhappy making a million a year who would’ve been thrilled making [less],” says Gary. “People say things like ‘I’d rather cry in my Ferrari,’ people say that when they don’t know what crying is. I’d rather be happy as fuck taking the bus.”

Through his personal accounts on social, Gary focuses on the second point above – giving back to the community. It’s why Gary & the team put out so much free content like a 270-page deck on making content, do live stream Q&As,

“Is GaryVee for real?”

“I’m a business operator, but I think my personality and my extrovertedness and my bravado on stage in content definitely creates confusion. But the thing I’m most proud of is that I’m ‘legit’, if you’re talking about being a business operator, being somebody who’s invested wisely and been right about the future, and being kind,” says Gary.

“The closer you are to me and the more you know my truth, the more “legit” you’d think I am. The more 1-minute videos you watch on Instagram or YouTube, the more cynicism and confusion you might have about what I stand for.”

“How Do I Get In Touch With GaryVee?” 

If you’re reading this, you probably already know how active Gary is on social media. We encourage everyone to join his texting platform by texting 212-931-5731. If you’re International (or can’t text), hit Gary up on Twitter.

“At the end of the day, I want to be remembered for giving more than what I took from the world.” – Gary Vaynerchuk

Share this article with someone who needs to start following Gary’s content!

The post Everything You Wanted To Know About Gary Vaynerchuk appeared first on GaryVaynerchuk.com.

Digital Fundraising During Coronavirus

Recently, interest in fundraising for just causes has increased. Although there are many people who would give money, or time, to support social change, they often struggle to find organizations they wholeheartedly trust. The issue often lies with how nonprofits present themselves and interact with potential donors. We discussed this with Gary Vaynerchuk who expanded on his previous thoughts concerning effective, nonprofit fundraising strategies.

What are common mistakes nonprofits make when trying to secure donations?

Gary: First and foremost, they have to understand that guilt and [charities] feeling entitled to donations is the main reason that most nonprofits are poor marketers and communicators. What a lot of nonprofits tend to miss is: there’s a lot of places people can donate. I’ve had people pitch to me and … anytime somebody basically says, and sometimes verbatim, “you have to”, I always laugh in my mind.

[They] know nothing about me. They’ve asked no questions about me, my background, or the causes I would be passionate to support. For example, I’m very big on Pencils of Promise, [a nonprofit] which builds schools in Ghana, Guatemala, and places of that nature. People find that ironic because I talk about school in a way that makes them miss the point. 

What is your point, when you talk about school and the education system?

Gary: My point is school is not an engine of happiness, success, or fulfilment for an enormous amount of people. Yet we have basically told everybody that this is the machine that takes you there. On the flip side, [school] is for a lot of people. In a lot of places, especially outside of the US, school is the gateway to happiness and fulfillment. So, for me, as an entrepreneur in the United States, it may have not been right. But, for a young boy or girl in Guatemala, who would otherwise be working and not in school or would occasionally meet [with someone who may not be qualified to teach]–a school structure is the springboard to her happiness. I have a lot of passion for Pencils of Promise because I see schools in third world countries almost the same way I see entrepreneurship in America. 

How does this relate to non-profit fundraising?

Gary: I tell that story because 1) you have to reverse engineer the person you’re asking to donate. However,  when you’re reverse engineering, don’t just [write someone off]. It would make sense to me if a lot of school oriented nonprofits wouldn’t have asked for a donation. Yet, the [nonprofit] I’m most active on, and the one that I’ve given the most money to, is [school oriented]. 

2) Volume is so important. Nonprofits have to become dramatically better storytellers on this [mobile] device. The opportunities are unbelievable. The nonprofit that wins TikTok is gonna be one of the biggest nonprofits over the next 20 years. Why? Because they’re going to win the hearts and minds of 15- to 17-year-olds, who eventually become 35-year-olds that donate. 

I want to say this for sure — one of the greatest, admirable aspects of Gen Z is that they’re also the generation that isn’t going to wait until they have a lot of money to give. They’re giving $6 out of their $100 right now. 

How about creating experiences?

Gary: For experiences, I believe the biggest opportunity– in marketing in general, let alone for nonprofits–is access. Many nonprofits have a lot of famous donors. They tend to use them in content, like once a year (to be the MC of their fundraiser or end of the year gala). I think they should be using these celebrities for access. 

For example, if they’re lucky enough to have Leonardo DiCaprio or Beyonce care and be involved in their nonprofit, bring them on a two-hour Zoom where they just answer questions and take virtual selfies. That will bring in a hell of a lot more money than having them featured in your TV commercial. Access, virtually, is the future. 

Do you think it will be easier or harder for nonprofits to fundraise in the digital space?

Gary: I think it would be easier if they understood how to take advantage of it.  You know the reason [we’ve] seen micro growth [of certain companies] during the internet [age] is because we’ve seen companies come along that understand it. Facebook, Twitter, and other brands of that nature–Warby Parker even. The reason we’ve seen people lose market share is because we haven’t seen them take advantage of that infrastructure. Lord and Taylor, which just went out of business as a retailer and Blackberry is another example. 

The answer is yes, I do. If they actually become digitally native. 

Do you think it’s going to be easier or more difficult to fundraise post Covid?

Gary: I think both. I think people have become more empathic between the Covid pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement. There’s an empathy rise and I think people will be more open [to donating]. On the flip side, I think there’s an underling potential for a deep recession and anytime economic things get crushed, people do give a little less.

Do you have an idea on how Charity Water or Pencils for Promise can increase their fundraising during Covid?

Gary: More digital content and more digital access. Period, end of story.

That’s All For Now VaynerNation. If you liked this article, please share it on Twitter

What Is Underpriced Attention?

Out of all the terms CEO and media magnate Gary Vaynerchuk has coined, underpriced attention may be the least understood. 

Gary speaks about this all of the time, yet there are still different forms of media today that remain “underpriced” relative to the attention they could bring. Below, we’ll talk about what the term means, and how to think about harnessing the power of underpriced attention. It’s a handy guide for content creators, entrepreneurs, and anyone who wants to draw attention to a product, cause, or service. 

We start with a conversation between Gary and A$AP Ferg. 

What Is “Underpriced Attention“?

Underpriced attention lies in platforms and areas where most people who make advertising decisions don’t fully understand yet.

For example, here’s how Gary defined underpriced attention in this conversation with A$AP Ferg: 

Gary: “If you took all 300 million Americans and asked them to sell bottled water, and they had a budget of one million dollars, how would they sell it? I believe 90 percent of Americans would make a TV commercial. Or do a billboard.” 

In other words, TV commercials and billboards are very established advertising channels. Their advertising costs reflects that. It’s not that billboards and commercials “don’t work” – it’s that in many cases, they can be expensive relative to the amount of people that those channels reach. 

Gary continues on how he would sell bottled water:

Gary: “What  would do with my money is give it to a bunch of influencers on Instagram. Then, I would make one or two great, 3 minute long videos for Facebook.” 

What Gary means is that the ratio of advertising cost to consumption can be better with Instagram influencers. In other videos, he references other channels like Instagram stories, LinkedIn (given its organic reach), TikTok, targeted Facebook ads, YouTube pre-roll ads based on Google search queries, and more.  

How Would You Utilize Underpriced Attention?  

Although Gary previously observed that TV commercials are overpriced, he also considers Super Bowl commercials as underpriced–given the attention they attract.

Gary: “I think the Super Bowl commercial is the most underpriced ad in the world. If I had 25 million dollars to sell something, I would buy a Super Bowl ad first. Then, I would look at Facebook because [then] I’d have all of America’s attention. The sport of watching the commercial is real.

You can either watch [a commercial] on Youtube or you can watch it during the game.  Youtube’s new preroll based on people’s search is really interesting; it’s one thing to run a video of a sports highlight, it’s another thing to run a video in front of someone who searched for Knicks tickets last week. The search thing is fascinating now, I used to make fun of it. 

Social Media Is So Crowded, How Would You Stand Out? 

Gary: What I look for is pure intent and something that brings value in the moment. 

It’s all about fundamentals: picking up the phone, DMing people, doing the research, anything to find out what’s valuable to the [people] you want to engage. Provide value (i.e. your time, [content]) to other influencers you want to collaborate with. You have to “business develop”.  Don’t make your content solely about what you’re trying to sell. 

Also, how many pieces of content are you putting out everyday? The quantity of the content matters as well.  Figure out what brings value and provide it daily. 

What should brands know as they advertise on new channels? 

Gary: When you get to the distribution part, my friends, you have to respect the context of the platform. I’m watching so many people that are in B2Bs try to win on Instagram, but they’re acting like Instagram’s LinkedIn. 

It doesn’t matter if you’re a lawyer, a financial advisor, or you sell concrete. If you treat Instagram like LinkedIn, even though your business is more [akin to] LinkedIn you will lose. You will lose if you do not respect the context.

What’s A Current App That Has Plenty Of Underpriced Attention?

As mentioned above, there’s a lot of opportunity to take advantage of underpriced attention on social platforms today. Gary talked about TikTok, LinkedIn, Instagram influencers, swipe ups, YouTube pre-roll ads, and Facebook ads for those who know how to leverage their targeting capabilities. 

Here’s some insight into his thought process on the underpriced nature of Instagram influencers. 

Gary: I can’t get over how underpriced attention on Instagram is. The conversion rates are like the Wild Wild West.

Here’s what I mean. Just because someone has 800 thousand Instagram followers and  another person has 40 thousand followers, and they both want $1,000 bucks [doesn’t mean the math is simple]. I’m surprised at how basic people are. They think the 800 thousand account is the better deal. I mean, I understand, it makes sense. The math seems pretty clear…but a good affiliate marketer will tell you, the conversion rates really matter. 

If you’re trying to sell something, whether it’s a service or a product, I couldn’t push the culture of DMing influencers harder. Influencers that you think may represent your brand properly or have big audiences–start asking them what they want [in exchange for a] post about your B2B SaaS product, new app, or whatever it may be. Influencers are super underpriced and potentially super overpriced. Not allocating a couple hundred bucks or a couple thousand bucks…or ten thousand bucks (depending on the size of your businesses) into that funnel is a huge missed opportunity. 

What Will You Do If Interest In A Particular Platform Declines?

Gary: Underpriced attention has predicated my career. That’s why I was first on YouTube. That’s why I was earliest on Twitter and Facebook. By the time I was in my thirties, I got smart. I started investing in the companies and not just using them. 

The reason I run VaynerMedia is because I want to be in the dirt. When you’re in the dirt, you know what’s going on. If you’re in the clouds, you’re in an ivory tower and you do not. I stay in the dirt which allows me to deliver the tactical advice that built me. [The platform building on/through] emails, websites, Google Search, YouTube, Facebook, is 100% happening right now on LinkedIn and TikTok.

You could have no profile on any one of those accounts, and later write an article on LinkedIn. No more than four sentences or five sentences that brings value–not a commercial for your business–and by the time you wake up the next morning, complete strangers have now heard of you. Half of them agree with you. You intrigue one or two of them. I just don’t understand why people don’t make content.

I mean it, I’m not throwing around my cell number  for my health or ’cause I think it’s funny. I’m doing it because I believe that we’re in the early stages of social media’s macro decline and I want the first-party data of having my end user’s phone number so I can talk to them directly. I don’t like that I have 7,000,000 followers on Instagram, but when I hit post, a small fraction of those 7,000,000 people see it.

I’m not a crybaby that gets mad that the organic reach is down, because I’m very aware that it is free. I kept trying to remind everybody, it’s free. Instagram does not charge you, YouTube does not charge you. Television, print, radio, and outdoor billboards charge you. [Social Media] is free distribution. 

This will be the next decade of communication warfare. We will separate as organizations and as people as the people that are the haves versus the have-nots. Many of you over the next decade will fire or restructure your businesses to bring in journalists, videographers, designers, cartoonists, animators. You will start slowly but surely understanding how true what I’m saying is.

This is going to be a communication warfare.You will also bring in math-oriented individuals that understand how to navigate organic and paid distribution in whatever the [current social media is]. Whether all [of today’s social media] are there or none of them are there, I could care less. In a weird way, I’d almost prefer it if every social network and content platform disappeared. Whereas everyone else would be stunned, my greatest skill is finding where the attention is. I believe that I could gather the most. 

Whether that is going back to print, going back to radio, I could care less.

That’s all for now VaynerNation! If you enjoyed that article, be sure to share it on Twitter!

The post What Is Underpriced Attention? appeared first on GaryVaynerchuk.com.