Gary Vaynerchuk Interview: Storytelling and Social Networks

“Every business – their only job – is to tell their story along the decision-making path. Social networks are fertile ground to do storytelling. That’s where I think the opportunity lies in the next half-decade”. – Gary Vaynerchuk, CEO of Vaynermedia, social media expert, and New York Times Best-Selling Author

One of things so compelling about Gary Vaynerchuk is how he teaches the importance of telling stories in business — and why sharing those stories through social media is crucial to success.

Gary has tons of great examples and strategies for how to use social media to tell great stories — and he shared them with me so I could share them with you. Using his amazing insight you can transform the way you do your business — and have a system in place that will allow you to market on social media more efficiently and effectively.

During this fun, witty, and exceptionally insightful interview from inside Vaynermedia headquarters in New York City, Gary answers all of the “whys” and even shares some of the how-to steps that business owners, executives, and marketers can apply for phenomenal growth.

The interview is packed full of Gary’s observations regarding the latest trends in social media and business — including the rapidly shifting attention of customers over to social networks and how each network represents its own unique opportunity to story tell.

“Not hearing it in your brain is very, very dangerous,” Gary told me in one of the biggest and best lessons from our interview. “Barnes and Noble, Borders, and Waldenbooks didn’t want to hear about that Amazon thing in ’95. Blockbuster was aware of what Netflix was doing but they didn’t want to hear it in their brain.”

How can you hear in your brain? Listen. The companies and corporations that are stuck in the past. They refuse to believe that what customers want might not be what they’re offering. The book stores thought that customers wanted to drive to a store and see the books they bought first hand. Blockbuster thought customers wanted to touch the physical DVDs. They were wrong. You have to listen to what your customer wants, not to what you want your customer to want.

I also asked Gary to share more about the philosophy behind “Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook.”

Gary said the title of the book stands for give, give, give – then ask. He told me how to use the strategy for social media, and his strategy will work for you too.

“Social at its best is about you giving. 99% of the people on social don’t know how to do that. This is your opportunity. It’s old-fashioned rules – it’s the reason you did something for someone back in the day…because they did something for you. People stop following people who are pushing all the time. Or worse, they simply tune them out.? If you don’t figure out how to bring value to your customer along the decision-making path, you become very irrelevant”. — Gary.

Thanks for the amazing mentorship, Gary.

For more great insights, please watch my whole interview with social media expert Gary Vaynerchuk.