The GaryVee Audio Experience

Episode Title: Why Most Businesses Need a Podcast More Than Ever
Host: Gary Vaynerchuk
Date: January 6, 2026

Episode Overview

In this engaging keynote episode, Gary Vaynerchuk passionately argues why every modern business—regardless of size, industry, or geography—must embrace regular podcasting as a core content strategy. He connects this advice to broader shifts in marketing, explaining how the explosion of "interest media," short-form organic content, and live streaming has rewritten all the old rules about building brands and acquiring customers. Gary offers a strategic blueprint for content-led growth, highlighting not only the economics of organic social media but also the very practical and generative role of podcasts and shows as content engines.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Irreplaceable Power of Organic Social Media

• Organic content is king: Gary stresses that the brands with the highest share of organic, low-cost social creative will always outpace bigger-budget players who spend inefficiently on traditional digital ads.
  • "[The] only reason someone who's going to spend $10 million in marketing next year will lose to somebody else that's going to spend a million. The only reason is because the $1 million person invests aggressively into organic social media." (00:56)
• Global shift to phone-first, multi-platform attention:
  • Every demographic, from young entrepreneurial males to older casino goers, now lives on their phone through 6–7 dominant social platforms (03:08).
  • This media landscape is global, not regional.

From Social Media to "Interest Media"

• Algorithmic feed changes:
  • The TikTok-ification of all major platforms means success now comes from matching interest, not just pushing content to your followers.
  • “I believe we are actually now in interest media, not social media... content that you're interested in is finding you.” (09:52)
• Platform dynamics:
  • Platforms want to show users more of what they like, not just who they follow—this is now the key to capturing attention (13:09).

New Cost Structures and Creative Strategy

• Content first, then amplification:
  • Winning brands make lots of low-cost content, and only put media spend behind proven "hit" posts.
  • "You have to pull back from spending media dollars amplifying creative art that sucks." (17:25)
• The market is democratizing:
  • High spending alone is no longer a guarantee—a small, creative team with strong organic reach can win.

Why Every Business Needs a Podcast (or Show)

• Podcasts are strategic content engines:
  • Even if the show gets few downloads, it generates a library of long-form material that can be chopped into many pieces of weekly social media content.
  • “When you do this show, it becomes a production day for the content that I need for you to put on social media...” (23:11)
• Frequency matters:
  • At minimum: one episode per month; ideally, one per week.
• Hosts can be anyone:
  • "Hosts could be you, CTOs are not usually very charismatic, but if you've got one, that's fine by me." (24:45)
• Content for every segment:
  • Shows can target whales, new users, or even be used for B2B recruitment via platforms like LinkedIn.

The Coming Importance of Livestreaming

• Next phase for attention:
  • Youth and younger adults are increasingly shifting from static social feeds to platforms like Twitch, Kik, and YouTube Live.
  • “If you're 16, 17, 18 years old, social media itself feels like an old platform. You are living in streaming.” (33:51)
• Companies must experiment:
  • Don't dismiss or delay because of perceived legal or staffing hurdles—find one person who can own this opportunity.

The "Art Followed by Math" Principle

• The big shift:
  • The pattern now is: make creative content, see what performs, and then apply math/media dollars to scale only proven winners.
  • "This world, you fuckers love math. And I love math too. I just like math after I've proven that the art mathematically is interesting to the consumer." (40:46)

Prepare for AI-Driven Influence

• AI humans as brand faces:
  • Gary predicts that in 3-5 years, brands will create their own digital/AI influencer personalities, giving them total control and unique assets.
  • “...your hosts in three years are going to be AI influencers.” (46:18)
• Influencer marketing’s future:
  • Marketers will soon be competing with, and deploying, AI influencers alongside humans.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On creative economics:

  • "Whoever in this room makes the most amount of social media posts for the least amount of cost...then they spend media to convert that into a CAC and LTV and ROAS ad spending...will win 2026." (18:50)

• On resisting change:

  • "Many of you sitting here listening to the content are thinking through why you can't do it. My friends, the difference between the businesses that really, really grow and the ones that get chipped away at and decline is Binarily based on how many people in this room have been sitting and saying, well, Gary doesn't get it. We can't do that in Croatia..." (36:03)

• On micro-influencers and interest media:

  • "Between the rise of micro influencers and the rise of interest media...it can be to create content for social media, if you do not bring television thinking to social media, if you realize this is the production value that you need for your content..." (21:13)

• On AI and the future:

  • "I believe, I believe that there are people in this conference right now whose grandchildren are going to marry AI robots, right? So it's going to happen regardless of how you feel about it." (48:01)

• On measuring creative:

  • "Someone's going to be inspired by this is going to go do it. They're going to post a video, the first one, and it's going to get 11 views. And you're going to say, fuck you, GaryVee. But the 30th thing you post is going to get 150,000 views instead of your normal 4,000... And then you're going to say, I love you, garyvee." (51:50)

Recommended Actions (Gary's Advice to Listeners)

• Start a podcast (or show):
  • Minimum once a month; weekly if possible. Use it as the backbone for all content creation.
• Drastically increase organic social output:
  • More posts, lower cost, let audience reaction pick your "ad winners".
• Invest in content variety:
  • Include streaming, shorts, and influencer-led pieces.
• Look ahead to AI influencers and automated content:
  • Begin experimenting and learning, even if only in small ways.
• Adopt an "art then math" approach:
  • Test creative content before scaling with paid media.

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Organic social media advantage: 00:56, 03:08, 18:50
• Transition to interest media: 09:52, 13:09, 17:25
• Why start a podcast: 23:11, 24:45, 28:20
• Livestreaming and future attention: 33:51, 36:03
• AI-driven influence and influencer marketing: 46:18, 48:01
• Creative measurement and execution loop: 40:46, 51:50

Conclusion

GaryVee's core takeaway: Stop fighting for the same audience and driving up ad prices; instead, start generating more organic attention with nimble, high-frequency content and a long-form show (podcast/video). Get ready for a new wave of opportunity―driven by interest-based algorithms, influencer marketing, streaming, and AI―and move on these opportunities now, not in two years. Those who act will win. Those who resist will fall behind.