The #1 Mistake Killing Your Social Media Growth | Tea with GaryVee Ep. 68

Summary

Podcast Summary: The #1 Mistake Killing Your Social Media Growth | Tea with GaryVee Ep. 68

Podcast Information:

• Title: The GaryVee Audio Experience
• Host: Gary Vaynerchuk
• Episode: The #1 Mistake Killing Your Social Media Growth | Tea with GaryVee Ep. 68
• Release Date: March 5, 2025

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Introduction

In Episode 68 of "Tea with GaryVee," entrepreneur and social media guru Gary Vaynerchuk delves into the pivotal missteps hindering social media growth. This episode features live interactions with listeners, addressing various challenges and providing actionable insights to enhance online presence and marketing strategies.

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Key Topics Discussed

1. The Decline of Follower-Centric Metrics

   Gary emphasizes the diminishing importance of follower counts in driving engagement and growth. He predicts that follower numbers may soon become a non-displayed metric, moving away from being a social status symbol.

   "Followers mean nothing. I actually, I'm actually predicting that followers is not even going to be shown publicly soon." [00:48]

   He illustrates this by comparing his own accounts:

   "I have 384 followers. Look how many views this post got. 32,000. Now I'm going to my regular account. 15 million followers less views on my latest post." [00:42]

2. Content Over Self-Promotion

   A recurring theme is the necessity of providing value through content rather than incessant self-promotion. Gary critiques brands, particularly in the fitness and clothing sectors, for their "selfish content" that focuses solely on selling products without offering genuine value to the audience.

   "They make content that's selfish and they don't make content that brings value to people." [01:02]

   In contrast, he shares his approach with Veefriends, emphasizing value-driven interactions such as giveaways and engaging content that fosters community rather than just sales.

3. Embracing Action and Experimentation

   Gary advocates for taking immediate action over over-strategizing. He encourages experimenting with different content forms, such as live streaming, to build deeper connections with the audience.

   "Everything is about action. Everybody wants to think, strategize. You know what I mean?" [10:55]

4. Overcoming Fear of Technological Displacement

   Addressing concerns about AI replacing jobs, Gary advises maintaining an optimistic outlook and leveraging technology rather than fearing it. Specifically, he reassures professionals like real estate agents that certain roles are less susceptible to automation.

   "Don't be scared of AI. Like, especially if you're a realtor... Let's calm it the fuck down." [03:25]

5. Reevaluating Content Strategies

   For businesses struggling with content creation, Gary recommends diversifying content topics and styles to rejuvenate audience interest. He advises against deleting old content but suggests blending new, varied content to keep the platform dynamic.

   "Mix up your content and going on a complete detox and completely going left field. Make a cooking video. Be more vulnerable than you've ever been." [18:01]

6. The Power of Live Interaction

   Throughout the episode, Gary continuously promotes the efficacy of live streams as a tool for authentic engagement. He urges listeners to utilize platforms like TikTok Live to interact directly with their audience, fostering trust and loyalty.

   "There is no right, Jay. There's no right you understand? Everybody thinks there's some sort of right way. There's no right for sure." [10:58]

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Listener Questions and Gary’s Insights

1. Adrell’s Question on Fitness Clothing Brands’ Social Media Mistakes

   Adrell: "What's some biggest mistakes? You see some of the, like, fitness clothing brands when trying to grow on social media that you see that they..." [00:56]

   Gary’s Answer: Adrell’s concern revolves around brands not providing value in their content. Gary underscores the importance of creating helpful and engaging content rather than merely showcasing products.

   "I want every single person that's watching right now to start collecting vee friends because I think I'm building the next Pokemon. But look what I'm doing in real life. Instead of just doing sell, sell, sell, I'm here trying to provide value." [01:02]

2. Mackenzie’s Fear of AI Replacing Her Realtor Job

   Mackenzie: "I'm 48. How do I get over the fear that AI is going to replace my job as a realtor?" [03:12]

   Gary’s Answer: Gary advises Mackenzie to shift from fear to optimism, leveraging AI as a tool rather than viewing it as a threat.

   "It's about fear or optimism. And I think too many people default into fear on everything they hear. So I think the answer to her is to quit it. Stop being scared." [03:25]

3. Albert’s Food Business and Social Media Strategy

   Albert: "I've had a food business for about nine years. We've never been on social media, haven't really created any content, and we're trying to get into catering now, but we don't know how to really go about it." [04:22]

   Gary’s Answer: Gary provides a step-by-step approach, emphasizing local networking and targeted messaging on platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram.

   "You need to look at the companies that are located in a 20 mile radius of your where you live, find their HR people or their CEOs on LinkedIn and send them messages." [04:53]

   When asked about content strategy, Gary recommends producing content that highlights the product and encourages engagement through giveaways and interactive posts.

4. Madison’s Struggle with Maintaining a 40-Hour Work Week

   Madison: "How would you get your mindset to work 40 hours a week? I'm struggling so bad." [12:56]

   Gary’s Answer: Gary explores potential underlying issues such as job dissatisfaction or personal challenges, advocating for an optimistic mindset and surrounding oneself with positivity.

   "I believe that optimism is the drug that unleashes everything." [13:01]

5. Dina’s Challenge with Growing Instagram Audience

   Dina: "I've been doing it 15 years consistently. And I'm just wondering, do you recommend maybe spending on boosting content?" [17:29]

   Gary’s Answer: Gary discourages the use of paid boosts for underperforming content, instead urging creators to diversify their content and experiment with new formats to reignite audience interest.

   "If you want to spend on boosting content, that's securing for boosting content. I would challenge you to start mixing up your content and going on a complete detox and completely going left field." [18:01]

6. Anthony’s Perfume Brand Struggles

   Anthony: "I started my own brand and expecting kind of people to buy just because of me. But what happened? No one really bought." [24:03]

   Gary’s Answer: Gary advises Anthony to engage more deeply with his audience through live interactions, suggesting that live streams can provide valuable feedback and strengthen customer relationships.

   "I would go live if I were you, for three hours a day for the next month and just talk to people." [24:55]

7. Scott’s Toy and Collectible Shop Challenges

   Scott: "I quit my job in 2020 because of you and I opened a toy and collectible shop and it's been doing real good but lately just been having trouble getting people in the door." [28:43]

   Gary’s Answer: Gary encourages Scott to transition to platforms like Whatnot, emphasizing the importance of live selling to reach a broader audience.

   "What are you going to do? Go live on whatnot and try to sell something this Saturday out of your house." [28:33]

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Gary’s Overarching Insights and Conclusions

1. Value-Driven Content is Paramount

   The primary mistake hindering social media growth is the overemphasis on self-promotion rather than delivering genuine value to the audience. Gary underscores the importance of creating content that educates, entertains, or assists the audience, thereby fostering trust and loyalty.

2. Shift Focus from Vanity Metrics to Engagement

   Followers and likes are superficial metrics that do not necessarily translate to meaningful engagement or business growth. Instead, focusing on quality content and authentic interactions yields more sustainable results.

3. Embrace Consistency and Adaptability

   Consistency in content creation, coupled with adaptability to new platforms and formats (like live streaming), is crucial. Gary stresses the importance of taking action, experimenting with different content types, and continuously engaging with the audience.

4. Overcome Fear with Optimism and Action

   Fear, whether related to technological changes like AI or personal career shifts, can cripple progress. Gary advocates for an optimistic mindset, encouraging individuals to leverage new tools and embrace change proactively.

5. Leverage Live Interactions for Deeper Connections

   Live streaming platforms offer unparalleled opportunities for real-time engagement. Gary highlights live interactions as a means to build deeper relationships, gather immediate feedback, and enhance brand loyalty.

6. Diversify Content to Reinvigorate Audience Interest

   Stagnant content strategies can lead to audience disengagement. Gary advises creators to diversify their content, explore new topics, and adopt different styles to keep the audience interested and attract new followers.

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Notable Quotes

• On Follower Metrics:

  "Followers mean nothing. I actually, I'm actually predicting that followers is not even going to be shown publicly soon." [00:48]

• On Value-Driven Content:

  "They make content that's selfish and they don't make content that brings value to people." [01:02]

• On Action Over Strategy:

  "Everything is about action. Everybody wants to think, strategize." [10:55]

• On Overcoming Fear:

  "Let's stop being scared. Albert." [04:22]

• On Live Streaming:

  "There is no right, Jay. There's no right you understand? Everybody thinks there's some sort of right way. There's no right for sure." [10:58]

• On Content Diversification:

  "Mix up your content and going on a complete detox and completely going left field. Make a cooking video. Be more vulnerable than you've ever been." [18:01]

• On Optimism:

  "I believe that optimism is the drug that unleashes everything." [13:01]

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Conclusion

In this episode, Gary Vaynerchuk effectively dismantles common misconceptions about social media growth, emphasizing the critical role of value-driven content, authentic engagement, and proactive adaptability. By addressing listeners' specific challenges and providing tailored advice, Gary offers a comprehensive roadmap for individuals and businesses aiming to enhance their social media presence and achieve sustainable growth. The overarching message is clear: prioritize genuine connections and meaningful content over superficial metrics to unlock true social media success.

Transcript

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

This is the GaryVee audio experience. Following culture is dying. Everybody's just getting their in the feed. I don't follow anyone. When I see good content, I just like it. So I see their content again. This is my new TikTok account. Gary Vee replies. I have 384 followers. Look how many views this post got. 32,000. Now I'm going to my regular account. 15 million followers less views on my latest post. 15 million less followers. It's all about the content now. I'm actually predicting that followers is not even going to be shown publicly soon. Are stuck in high school. Welcome to another episode of Tea with Gary V. This is the show where you ask me questions and I answer. Plus, we give away stuff. I'm gonna give away common sense count a little bit. What's your name, my friend? Where are you from?

[Adrell]

Hey, Gary Adrell from Miami. We spoke maybe like two weeks ago. I don't know if you remember about cohorts and so forth.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

I remember. Guys, can we get some new people on this show? This guy's on a second time. We've only done like three shows, but I like it, brother.

[Adrell]

What's some biggest mistakes? You see some of the, like, fitness clothing brands when trying to grow on social media that you see that they.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Make on that regard, they make content that's selfish and they don't make content that brings value to people. So, for example, putting out content to show people how to stretch their hip flexor is like a piece of content that brings people value. And that's something they could be doing in the gym, right? And so everything's like, buy my shirt and check out how cool my fucking pants are and fucking sell, sell, sell. Look what I'm doing right now. I want every single person that's watching right now to start collecting vee friends because I think I'm building the next Pokemon. But look what I'm doing in real life. Instead of just doing sell, sell, sell, I'm here trying to provide value. And then everyone's like, what's veefriends? Right? Let's actually do a giveaway. Let's give away this shrewd shark. I'm gonna sign this now. I'm gonna like, I'm using the platform. Watch this. I'm showing you in real time now. I've signed this. It brings it more value. Someone can sell this for 100 bucks on eBay now. Now I'm gonna put up a giveaway that's gonna go up, right? How many people here on the show for the first time, they're all gonna click. All the. A hundred people just clicked. If they weren't following the account, entering the giveaway made them follow the account. Now I'm gonna point to the notes. There's a little yellow tabby, right, that I'm pointing to. That's the notes field. If you click that and you click the little VF15 in there, that goes, there's a code that goes in your shopping cart. And then later when I sell these for instead of 25 for 15 bucks, people are going to get free and they get into my ecosystem. But what I'm really doing is providing value. It's almost like a global Jab, jab, jab, right hook. Yeah.

[Adrell]

And it further reemphasizes what then. Basically same ones you said with the cohorts last time we spoke. Because that's exactly what I've been trying to focus. I don't want to focus so much on the selling, like, oh, here's a new shirt. But like, hey, look guys, you know, like sort of motivational. I even started a podcast too to just bring other guests to pride other value and so forth. So awesome.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Everybody. 212-931-5731 I just sent a text out and people are asking questions through there. I see all of you, but I need you to see me by going to GaryVee.com whatnot download the app. It's a global app, not just us only. I need to teach you how to do this social shopping content thing, but I need you on this platform to teach you. Mackenzie, fire away.

[Mackenzie]

We got Kelly. I'm 48. How do I get over the fear that AI is going to replace my job as a realtor? I'm going to college, getting my master's in psychology, but it worries me AI is going to replace that as well and then I'll have debt to go along with it.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Don't be scared of AI. Like, especially if you're a realtor. Like robots are not showing up at houses next year. If you're a designer who has no ideas. If you were a graphic designer who has no ideas, you should be worried about AI. But if you're a real estate agent, it's like, come on, like fucking Megan Fox is not showing up at a listing and selling the house like that movie showed anytime soon. We're a little ways away from that. So let's calm it the fuck down. Let's stop always using fear. What this 48 year old young woman needs to do is stop using Fear as her reaction to new things. When I see new shit, I go on the offense. I mean, by the way, AI could disrupt advertising way quicker than it's going to disrupt real estate home sales. So I think for everyone here, it's about fear or optimism. And I think too many people default into fear on everything they hear. So I think the answer to her is to quit it. Stop being scared. Albert.

[Albert]

Hey, good morning.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Good morning. Where are you from?

[Albert]

I'm from California.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Amazing. What part?

[Albert]

Brother from the Bay Area, from San Jose, California.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

It's a pleasure to meet you. What's your question, my friend?

[Albert]

Nice to meet you. So my question is I've had a food business for about nine years. We've never been on social media, haven't really created any content, and we're trying to get into catering now, but we don't know how to really go about it. Marketing. Why, what should we do? What should we not do?

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

A couple of things. Number one, you need to look at the companies that are located in a 20 mile radius of your where you live, find their HR people or their CEOs on LinkedIn and send them messages. So if there's an office three minutes from you and you see it's called Logitech, literally find them on LinkedIn and send them a message and say you're a new catering company in the area and would they like to talk. You're gonna just like the post. Just literally, just like the ironically, the post that I'm trying to get everyone to look at that I just posted on Instagram. Literally, you're gonna get 80. Oh, we had a giveaway winner. Maple Bear with the big win. Let's clap it up for Maple Bear, everyone. Maple Bear with a nice win. Maple Bear. You want to do that. You want to make content on Instagram. You also want to search your town on Instagram. So like I'm going to show you. I'm tired of people not doing stuff. What town are you in?

[Albert]

In San Jose.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Yep, San Jose. So literally I'm searching San Jose on Instagram. I hit enter, I literally hit reels up here from San Jose. And now I'm looking at content from San Jose, right? And I'm seeing people. I can click that content, get a sense of who that person is. And I see this guy and he does, ironically, he does food and literally he has 178,000 followers. And I could message him and say, I'm going to say keep going because I'm going to give him some positivity. But you could have said, do you. I'm a caterer in the area. Or food. I've got a food, I got a vegetable stand. Do you want to do something together? So not notice. So far I have not talked to you about content. I've talked to you about messaging strategy.

[Albert]

Okay.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

LinkedIn and Instagram searching your town after that. You need to make content that is just about what you sell and what you make. Like hey, I don't think you need my advice to what to make. By the way. Garyvee.com Attention everybody. Tag it up right now. Garyvee.com Attention my brother. I made a deck. How many pages at 44, 47. I made a 47 page deck for free.

[Albert]

Okay.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

And it will show you how to do content in detail.

[Albert]

And then I have a quick question. Sorry to interrupt. So no worries. Went out and we got a professional photographer, did a video, really nice shoot of our product. And my question is, on my social media platform, should I delete all of my shitty old content and put the new content or should I leave? Should I leave it? What's the best thing to do?

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Doesn't fucking matter. Both.

[Albert]

It doesn't matter.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Both.

[Albert]

Okay.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

If you feel some sort of way and insecure about the shitty content because you think it's shitty, delete it. I. I don't think it matters. So good news. It doesn't matter. Okay.

[Albert]

Perfect.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

All right, brother McKenzie, what do you got?

[Mackenzie]

I'm 30 and I currently like my job, get paid good money, 200k a year, nice number, get to travel all around, which great work, life balance. But I have an opportunity to start my own delivery business. It would be much riskier, take upfront money. Won't get to travel near nearly as much. But it would allow me to develop people which I love to do. How should I make this decision?

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

I hate that it's on text. Cause I have a follow up question which is does he, does he feel that he stepped into this lucky job or does he feel he's talented enough and has a skill or relationships or whatever it is that he could get the job again. I always think most people should take risks. I think that we've confused people, that risk is bad. A lot of us have parents that tell us old adages like measure twice, cut once or you know, bird in the hand is better. Right? All these messages. Mark Lorre, the great entrepreneur and I were talking about this last night. That's why I'm bringing it up. Like everything is like scares you to take risk. I think he should Take risk. If it's easy for him to go back to such a Kush sitch. And it might not be, but if you're watching Ron, that's where I would go with it. This is not for you on Social. You've got to get to whatnot. Free gritty hat signed. Just to give you context. Look at the gritty ghost hat. 130 bucks. Sold. Sold on January 17th. 130 bucks. Gritty ghost hat is free right now. Just hit the giveaway button. There's 547 of you. Only 243 of you have entered it. This is being given away right now. Let's go to the next question. Everybody in social, you can't win until you go to GaryVee.com whatnot. What's up, my man? How are you?

[Javon Banks]

Yeah, what's up?

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

What's your name? Javon.

[Javon Banks]

Javon banks. I'm from St. Louis. I'm in Dallas right now.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Javon, pleasure.

[Javon Banks]

It's a pleasure, man. When I tell you you're my uncle, I always call you my uncle. Been watching you since I was 17. Grew up, like, straight out of high school. You were, like, heavy on TikTok, so I just went head on into it now. My mom watched you and everything.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Like, thank you, brother.

[Javon Banks]

So thank you. I made a nice following on, like, selling cars now. Good for you. And I just wanted to ask if you were a car Salesman and in 2025, how would you utilize, like, live shopping and I do comedy skits. But, like, I also like to convert those things into sales, my audience into car sales, which I've been doing. But what are some things that you would do?

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

So how often have you been on TikTok live?

[Javon Banks]

I literally have never been on. I only post content. Only post because that's. That's what works.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

I want you to hang up right now, okay. And go on TikTok live and start chopping up. Do you know the craziest part about TikTok Live is they're just going to put you in the for you page and random people are going to discover. Discover you.

[Javon Banks]

Okay?

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Open your Tick Tock app, Go to the bottom, hit the plus sign and go live and put title first time, put it up and just start talking and walking around just like you are now. I want you to do it for an hour just to get your feet wet.

[Javon Banks]

Okay?

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Everything is about action.

[Javon Banks]

Yeah.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Everybody wants to think, strategize. You know what I mean?

[Javon Banks]

How do I. Yeah.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

There is no right, Jay. There's no right you understand? Everybody thinks there's some sort of right way. There's no right for sure.

[Javon Banks]

No, thank you.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

And what you've got is so visual. Yeah, like all those cars. And you've got. You got a good demeanor on you. Just go and talk. Answer people's questions. People can ask you how to become a car salesman. Where are you from? Just talk. What you're over worried about is if you spend an hour on it and there's no audience there that can afford those cars, you think you're wasting your time. It's the same shit that you did building your organic social. People. People told you that you were wasting your time on that nobody was going to buy cars. But you listen to Gary Vee and it fucking worked.

[Javon Banks]

It worked big.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Well, guess what? Live is going to work even more for you. Get on it right now. Oh, there's only nine seconds left on the giveaway. How did 200 of you not hit this? Are you fucking kidding me? All right, here we go. Free $150 hat for no reason is going to Baker breaks. Let's cap it up. Cap it up with Baker. Let's go, Zach Owens. I see the corners happen. Nice little win for Baker. That's free fucking money. All right, for the rest of you, here's some more free money. Click this little notes thing, it will open and then click the little VF15, that little white button. If you did it, just say just did it. If you're only for the new people, because it's only gonna work for first time buyers. Only for the new people. If you just did that, you click this little notes thing, it opened and you clicked the white little thing. Now these are veefriends trading cards. They're graded. These are graded by cgc. These are a collectible. These things sell for different prices, obviously depending on what the card is. But as you can see, these things sell. These cards sell. Who was asking?

[Mackenzie]

Madison. Madison, how would you get your mindset to work 40 hours a week? I'm struggling so bad.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Madison, if you're struggling on 40 hours, there's a lot of things that could be going on. One, you might just hate your job. Mackenzie, do you know this? That I struggled to even put one hour of concentration to school past fifth grade. You saw the report card. Zero hours of concentration. So I've lived that life. By the way, there's only 15 left of these newbies are killing it. Anderson, Keith just said got one. Busted my cherry. Congrats to that. What's that? Sold out. And they're sold out. There's a lot there. Either you hate your job, either you're in a very, very tough place right now. Might be about health, it might be about your relationship, but I believe that optimism is the drug that unleashes everything. I think no matter how shitty your life is, or you perceive your life to be a. I think there's a lot of people who have a shittier life. And I know that doesn't work for everyone. It works for me. Like, putting my life in perspective to the rest of the world always makes me feel better. But two, you've got to start surrounding yourselves with positive people. I think it's positive people and positive content. Right now. Like at home, I'm putting on the TV and on phone and on laptop. I'm just consuming a lot of information. Fucking television is a disaster. Has anybody watched Fox News or cnn? They're just scaring the fuck out of you. Social isn't. Everybody blames social, right? Everyone's like, social's so fucked up. Here's my feed. Luca, Luke. Grammy news. Let me keep going here, see Sports, comedy. Vee, Friends. Next post. Music. Next post. Basketball. Next post. Trading cards. Next post. Influencer in my scream. Ad. Notice it was an ad. Next. New York Jets. The algorithm is you. Team. Clip that once and for all, I'm putting this to bed. The algorithm isn't making you depressed. The algorithm isn't sending you to racism. The algorithm isn't red or blue pilling you. You motherfuckers. You're not accountable. You motherfuckers are not accountable. You're not fucking accountable. I just showed you my algo. The algo is you. We will eliminate all excuses in the culture. Enough, Vinnie. Pats, I am fired up. You are the algorithm. Enough. I just showed you. It's you, right, Mace? It's fucking you. It's you. Mark Zuckerberg doesn't give a fuck to turn you into this, that, or the other thing. China is not tricking you. If. Do you know how audacious you motherfuckers are? You think China gives a fuck about you, Pat in Kansas, you think China. You think the fucking Chinese government sitting around being like, all right, let's get Pat and his daughter Sally to fucking hate America, you fucking idiots. Enough. You're the fucking algorithm. I'm gonna actually change 3,000 people's lives right now looking at all these different chats. I'm gonna do something right now. If you don't like your algorithm, even if you do like your algorithm, go to TikTok and Instagram right now. Go to search and search GaryVee. Enter and just click a lot of likes to all the GaryVee content. Then type in New York jets and like four to five jets post. Then type in wine and type four to five wine posts. And then put in trading cards and click 4 or 5. Tell me what your algorithm looks like. Tomorrow you're gonna be living that Gary Vee life. You want to turn it to me? That's how you do it, Frankie. Fashion says my algo's all hot, slightly big boobed girls. There you go. The algo is you. The algo is you. Yo, everybody, thank you so much for just jumping in real quick in the middle of this podcast. Thank you so much for listening to this episode. It would mean the world to me if you could leave a review for this episode and I'm gonna get you back to your pod right now. Cause you. You don't need me talking about that. But I realize I'm lagging on getting the support of my podcast listeners, so I'm viewing this episode and overall would mean the world to me. Five star, four star, three star. Fuck it. Two star, one star. Honest feedback's fine. All right, back to the show. Hi.

[Dina]

Hey, Gary. I appreciate your passion so much.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Thank you. Of course. What's your name? Where are you from? Wait, name? I'm from.

[Dina]

I'm Dina and I live in Dubai.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Amazing. Hi, Dina.

[Dina]

My question for you is I am very goal oriented, very consistent. I've done very well in my career. I am really struggling with my Instagram platform and growing my audience, even though I've been doing it 15 years consistently. And I'm just wondering, do you recommend maybe spending on boosting content? I know that then stunts your organic.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

No, it doesn't stunt your organic, but you're boosting for insecurity. A piece of content that nobody liked, right? Think about it. You posted it organically, don't forget. Let me show you something that will blow your mind. This is my new TikTok account, Gary Vee replies. I'm going to start replying to people randomly. I have 384 followers. Look how many views this post got. 32,000. Right. Now watch this. Now I'm going to my regular account. 15 million followers, right? Look at my latest posts. There less views on my latest post. 15 million less followers. It's all about the content now. So what I would recommend you do is not boost content. That's already been proven by the algorithm that nobody's that Interested in. I would challenge you to start mixing up your content and going on a complete detox and completely going left field. Make a cooking video. Be more vulnerable than you've ever been. Change up your fucking content. Try like, like sit down and make 10 totally different pieces of content that you have not in the past. That's like different style, different topics. Shit you've never talked about, maybe with other random people. Maybe. I mean, one of my most viral posts was me talking about me liking blueberries. I think you need to mix up your content if you're stuck. People, when they're stuck, need a creative reboost of trying different shit, not boosting content. That's not doing well.

[Dina]

I feel like my content is doing well. I'm just not growing my audience. My audience losing as many followers as I am.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Good news. Followers mean nothing.

[Dina]

Okay?

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Followers mean nothing. I actually. I'm actually predicting that followers is not even going to be shown publicly soon. It means nothing. I. I'm not growing either. No one's following anymore. Everything's coming up in your feed. I don't follow anyone. When I see good content, I just like it. So I see their content again. I stopped growing too.

[Dina]

Okay, I'll try not to focus on that then. Thank you so much, Gary. Appreciate it.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

By the way, I love. I love you for what you just did. People are stuck in high school. Don't worry about how many friends you have. You're focusing on the wrong metric.

[Dina]

I'm so glad to hear that because I feel like I'm doing well. I'm getting campaigns, I'm getting paid, I'm getting the recognition, but I'm just so frustrated that I've been at the same number for years and I just don't get that.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

I've been at the same number for years too. Following culture is dying. Everybody's just getting their shit in the feed. And like, my whole young crew is like, shaking their head right now. Like, they all know. They're like, occasionally you'll follow, but, like, it's not like it used to be. Where if you saw anything you liked, you followed. Did we get beers on TikTok Said I wish my daddy gave me a liquor store. I want to take a moment to address this. Did we get beers? It sounds like you don't actually know my story, my friend. In fact, my daddy did not give me a liquor store. In fact, as we sit here today, Sasha Vaynerchuk still owns wine library. In fact, I worked for my daddy from 14 to 34 and took his business single handedly from 3.8 million to 65 million. And he never paid me any kind of salary whatsoever. Paid me between 40 and 80,000 a year over those years. And I left with so little that I had to start VaynerMedia in a conference room in another company. In fact, I put my daddy on my back, not he put me on his back and I built it for him. I think it's fun that people like to have excuses. Oh, the Yeti. I don't think he's a hater. I want him to win. And I want to explain. Oh, I wasn't 14 making 40k, Daniel. I was making 2 bucks an hour when I was 14. I was making 40k when I was 26 and had already taken the business from 3.8 million to 25 million. Imagine going on social and trying to make up stories to make yourself feel better because you're not fucking winning. I love all you guys. All right, go ahead, Mona.

[Mona]

My question is, do you have advice on how to go against tech giants? Because you know, Oracle and these companies are now getting a ton of funding because of the change in administration.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

And Mona, I wouldn't be scared of that. You can find niches within the big tech companies. Yes, there's gonna be a lot, but you'll be able to adopt all those. And there's, you know, think of them as layer one, you'll just be layer two. Does that make sense? You're not gonna out tech them.

[Mona]

Yeah.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

You're just gonna build on top of their tech and they're gonna be able to take attacks. Makes sense.

[Mona]

Makes sense. And do you have any advice on pre seed funding? Like, you know, talking to investors? I've never done one before.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Just tell them your truth. You're such a dynamic girl. I know you well. You're going to get one yes out of 25 and then it will start the end, literally. The video I posted this morning on Instagram. You got to just get meetings and ask. That's it. If you want money, you're asking for money. You got to grind. All right, let's go to the next question.

[Mackenzie]

Mackenzie, Maddie asks, why do you think companies aren't hiring people in their 40s?

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Because I think you're deciding to look at negatives. People are hiring. We hired nine people in the last three weeks. In their 40s. Unlimited companies are hiring people in their 40s. I believe that Maddie, again is a. What I'm seeing in the universe is people are choosing negativity to feel better. Mackenzie, do you Believe that companies are not hiring people in their 40s? No. Okay, people are hiring in their 40s. But if you decide people are not hiring in their 40s, you're gonna sit in your house and be like, I'm getting fucked by ageism. Gen Z and AI are taking all the jobs unlimited. Companies are hiring people in their 40s. Maybe they're not hiring you. And maybe you need to look at that rubo. How are you?

[Anthony]

Hey, Gary. How's it going?

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Things are going incredibly well. Where are you from?

[Anthony]

Sweden.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Sweden. Beautiful. Amazing. It's a pleasure to see you.

[Anthony]

I can't believe I'm speaking to you. My God, I've been following you for so many years and I'm speaking to you now. It's crazy.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

It's a pleasure.

[Anthony]

My heart is pounding.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Oh, it's a pleasure, brother. What's your question?

[Anthony]

So my question is this only because of you. I started making content on TikTok four years ago about perfumes, and I was growing really fast. Became the biggest perfume influencer in Sweden in just 12 years. And last year I started my own brand and expecting kind of people to buy just because of me. But what happened? No one really bought. I underestimated the hard work of building a brand, and now I can get hit by that reality check. And now I'm starting to kind of figure out what I should do from here. And I read your book, of course, fully in line with building, you know, a brand for making organic content. But I'm a little bit stuck now, feeling like, what should I do? What content should we make?

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

How many TikTok followers do you have?

[Anthony]

77,000 on my private account. Not on a company or on the brand account.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

And how often are you going live?

[Anthony]

Almost never.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

I think you need. What happened in your transition was. I love that you said you underestimated. I think a lot of people take the audience for granted, you know? And do you have any insight to why people didn't buy it, is the question. I would tell you that I would go live if I were you, for three hours a day for the next month and just talk to people. I'm looking at it right now, like Gigi Allen. I'm on TikTok as well, obviously. Everybody get over to. To whatnot over here. Garyvee.com whatnot but Kaden says facts. And you could talk to Kaden. You'd be like, kaden, why did you not buy the fragrance? You could just talk to them on live and ask them why they didn't buy the fragrance. Some will tell you they didn't know about it. Some will tell you that they didn't like the. The description of the scent. But I think you need to spend a lot more time interacting deeper with your audience because what. What happened was it wasn't as deep as you thought because they didn't feel like buying it just to support you. And you need to build a deeper connection. And I. And I believe the biggest way that you can build a connection is live, not content live.

[Anthony]

Okay. On my private account, that is, on.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Your private account, I would literally hang up right now and go live for an hour and see what happens and just talk to them like friends, like a focus group, like you're just hanging out with your potential customers.

[Anthony]

Okay. I think one reason why I didn't do it is two years ago when TikTok was on the boom, I feel like whenever I went live, I had maybe 100 people in there. But nowadays, when I tried going live, it's like 10, 15 people in there. So I. Maybe it's an ego thing too, where I felt like, of course it's really in here.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Of course. And the longer you stay on, more people show up. And by the way, 10 to 15 is a lot. When I went on. When I went on, you stream for hours back in 2007 and 8, 9, there was 13 people there, 40 people there. Be grateful for what you have, not envious of what you don't have. When is risk too much risk? When if you fail, it disproportionately destroys the people around you. Other than that, it's not too much risk. You know, notice the theme. The lady in Dubai cared about followers. This gentleman in Sweden cared about how many people showed up to the live. Right. People are worried about vanity metrics much more than the depth of the whole thing. Right. And so, you know, to me, I just think that people need a perspective shift. You know, risk, I think, is practical. If you lose your home and your children, have to, you know, live in a different part of town, like when you're affecting others. But if it's just you, it's never too risky because you're going after your dream. You know, you're going after your dream. All right, let's go to the next one. Yes. Garage sales are still in play. In fact, I think whatnot for all of you right now, actually have a fun game for the 715 of you are on here. As soon as this is over, create your whatnot account and go live on whatnot and try to sell something this Saturday out of your house. Something random like a pillow, like literally garage, sailing on whatnot. I think is going to be a monster.

[Mackenzie]

Scott asks. I know I want to be my own boss someday, but I feel like interested in 20 plus things. Food, creative strategy, sports. How can I best learn how to start my own thing?

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

By picking one. I have all those same interests too. Pick one. People don't want to fucking put in the work. Like we're going to have to get to the core of this issue. Everyone. There's a. There's an issue out there. It's called people want the results but they don't want to put in the work. That's why plastic surgery and Ozempic are so big. Unfortunately, there's no plastic surgery in Ozempic in business. I get that you want a Lambo in a private jet and an island and a hot guy or girl as your partner, but are you working for it or are you just sitting on social scrolling, farting on your fucking couch and being like I win. They got lucky. Lucky is the weapon of choice for non action oriented entitled human beings. What's your name? Where are you from?

[Scott]

My name is Anthony. I'm from Denver, Colorado. I quit my job in 2020 because of you and I opened a toy and collectible shop and it's been doing real good but lately just been having trouble getting people in the door.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

I need you on whatnot today. In the store selling stuff already. Tell me how's it going? How's it going?

[Scott]

Pretty good. Every Wednesday. I'm live every Wednesday. Come check us out.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

What the box 303. What about Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday? Saturday and Sunday.

[Scott]

So 2020, the first two years we.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Went live three days a week, every week. I get it. I'm talking about right? So here's what's happening to your point. Things are changing. People don't want to go to stores. They want to. I love the promo. My guy, listen to me. I love the promo. But what's going to get you so much more business is you going live on whatnot. And do you have. How many followers do you have on TikTok?

[Scott]

About 15, 1500.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Beautiful. That means you can go live, bro. I need you to go live on these. Your store is going to become your studio and that's how it's going to go, man. Don't be romantic about it being a store. Be romantic about building a business. Like don't create friction for people to come to the store. There's people right now watching that want to buy some of the stores that you have, the toys that you have in the store, but they can't get their ass to Denver.

[Scott]

No, for sure.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

But they would buy it on fucking whatnot.

[Scott]

Yep. I'm live, everyone.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

No, bro, everyone's. That's it, bro. I need you live as much as humanly possible. I find that a consistent C player destroys a random A player every day of the week. People don't want to be consistent because they don't like to persevere through the. I love what I do. And I woke up this morning and, like, you know how sometimes you wake up off cycle. I got plenty of sleep, but it just felt weird. I didn't want to go to the gym. It was a little gloomy. I didn't want to persevere. I really didn't. But when you fucking have that fucking fortitude in your stomach, it gets you through. You've got to be more consistent, y'all.