#AskGaryVee

by Gary Vaynerchuk

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  I know you’re not big on automation, but it’s a reality. How do you decide what and when to automate, and what’s your take on marketing automation software? You’re an advisor to HubSpot. Thoughts on that space?

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  Let me be clear: You should never automate your content to pretend you’re generating the content right then and there—in other words, to help you fake a human interaction. Ever. Especially tweets, for reasons you’ll read about below.

  That does not mean you should never ever automate, though.

  Automation is extremely useful when you want to confirm receipt of an online order, a registration or subscription, or email correspondence from a customer. It reassures people that their emails or orders aren’t disappearing into the ether. It offers peace of mind, and that’s good customer service.

  There. Now you know when you can automate. In almost all other cases, don’t. Here’s why:

  1.It makes you look insincere.

  Automation should not be used to replace human interaction. Even in the case of an automated confirmation email, you should never sign off with your own name. You can sign your company name, or even as “The Team at Insert-Your-Company-Name-Here,” but unless you actually hand-type your customer’s name and hit the send button, that email is not really from you, and you shouldn’t pretend it is.

  Think about how much it means to get a personal reply from someone in today’s world. The importance social media users place on a tweet or favorite from someone they admire, whether it’s an individual or a company, is huge. Let’s say you arrange for anyone who follows you on Twitter to receive a direct message that says, “Thanks for the follow @whoeveryouare!” Now you’ve led Whoeveryouare to believe that you’re actually engaging. But you’re not. And that’s not only dishonest, it’s spammy. Same if you automate a follow on Facebook. I mean really, does it take that much time to say a quick “thank you” in person?

  This idea that automating human behavior is acceptable in the interest of saving time in a busy world goes completely against all the authenticity and transparency that make the social media age so unique and wonderful. Bottom line: I actually adore automation as long as its intent isn’t to trick someone into thinking it was done by a human being in the moment.

  2. It puts you at the mercy of others.

  Look at the New England Patriots who were so excited about reaching one million Twitter followers they decided to send an automated response to every fan who retweeted their celebratory tweet and designed a custom jersey graphic featuring the fan’s user name. Unfortunately, one of its fans had a horrible user name that I will not repeat here because I know better than to mindlessly repeat such an ugly thing. Because I’m human. But the computer didn’t know better, because it’s not. And so it created a jersey bearing the offensive Twitter handle and tweeted it, leaving the Patriots to grovel for forgiveness when the Internet went crazy on them.

  How about all the people who were automating their tweets during the Boston Marathon bombing? I saw my own friends posting right hooks just as my feeds were filling up with horrific, bloody images, and I was frantically DM’ing them to warn them to stop because they could potentially ruin their brand. After all, what does it say about you if you’re tweeting or posting “Our new line is in, what a great day!” in the middle of a national tragedy? It says at best that you’re not paying attention, and at worst that you don’t care. In a world where everything is real time, automation is dangerous. You cannot let mainstream media pick up on that kind of mistake, because that mistake could be the end of your career. That, to me, is not worth the upside of automation.

  3. It makes you look like an asshole.

  You know that guy who shows up at a conference and barely says hello before sticking his business card in your hand and moving on to the next person? Don’t be that guy. No one likes that guy. These social networks are supposed to be social. If all you’re doing is taking without giving, or thanking, or caring, eventually people are going to turn their backs on you.

  Now, if you are bound and determined to automate, there is one thing you can do that will make it acceptable in my eyes: humanize it. Let’s say people are engaging with your automated tweet. Great. But don’t leave it at that. As soon as you can, come back in person and engage again. Make sure your follower knows that this time it really is you, and that you appreciate the time they spent on your feed or page. Work on building that real relationship. That’s something no robot will ever be able to do better than you. And if that sounds sentimental, believe me, it’s not. It’s practical, because building real relationships sells shit.

  Automation robs you of the ability to create real context around your content.

  It is completely contrary to everything upon which many have built their careers, and against everything the social media age could potentially represent: authenticity, transparency, honesty, and caring. The bottom line on this subject is that there has to be a balance. It’s an art and a science. Too many are too all in on the science and a few are way too heavy on the art and do too many things that aren’t scalable. I am clearly comfortable with the artsy hippy mentality but that’s because social media specifically offers the opportunity to overindex for those who actually put in the engagement work.

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  How do you think overly edited photos and text overlays affect the authenticity of Instagram posts?

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  It depends on what you’re trying to accomplish. If you’re a photographer, you shouldn’t edit because you want your art to shine. But if your goal is just to inspire people, a quote over a photo can be a powerful thing. At the end of the day, the audience will find your content, and if they like it, they’ll let you know. If they don’t, they’ll let you know that, too, even if it’s just with their silence as they quietly unfollow you. It’s more likely that they’ll like your work if you like your work, so don’t ever try to be someone you’re not or follow a trend. Do your thing with passion and commitment. Creative is judged by the target audience, not by some Jets fan who thinks he is a know-it-all on this stuff (yeah, that’s me sticking it to me).

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  What advice would you give people who want to grow their companies but don’t have your personality and have a hard time meeting people?

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  Become the flower and let the bees come to you. You know, I’m a big fan of betting on your strengths versus working on your weaknesses. If you’re introverted and networking doesn’t come naturally to you, don’t force yourself to be all rah-rah and attend conferences where you have to shake people’s hands. Instead, put out good content and let your work speak for itself. In addition, email and engage with other influential people in your industry and try to let them see how it would be valuable to let you post your content on their blogs or sites. That doesn’t take any networking, just good old-fashioned hustle and talent.

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  What’s the best way for a real estate agent to gain buyers’ trust on Twitter?

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  Listen, engage, create content.

  Listening is easy. So easy it only took me—me, with absolutely zero experience in selling real estate—a whole fifteen minutes to use the Twitter Search function to find thirteen tweets from people interested in finding a new home. If I can do it, any real estate agent can.

  Engaging should be easy, too. Find people who are talking about apartment or house hunting, or planning a move to your area, and then answer them! How can I help? Where are you looking? What’s your price range? I know this works because a Realtor named Jason Grant tweeted that he tried my advice and got a lead. And it makes sense. If you were at a cocktail party and you met someone looking for a home, wouldn’t you give her your card and assure her you’d love to help? You can do that every single day!

  Finally, like successful people do in every industry, put out that content. Think about how many real estate–themed shows have been on TV in the past two
decades. It wasn’t just the people in the market for a home pushing those shows up in the ratings; it was all the viewers wishing they could have a new home, and design lovers, and architecture lovers—many of whom, someday, may in fact need to move. So make content they want to watch as much as they want to watch Property Brothers.

  Review the neighborhoods where you sell. Interview the principal of the local school, the local wine merchant, the sub shop, and the neighbors. Tell stories that make people feel warm and fuzzy about moving to your part of the country, and back up those stories with good data that reassures people you’re practical and looking out for their best interests.

  This kind of content creation and engagement can be done. As far back as 2009, when I published Crush It, I got a video from a guy who had attached a Flip cam to his car so the world could accompany him on drives through neighborhoods and hear his thoughts. It was a fresh and creative move and he was making a huge impact. And amazingly, so few people are doing this kind of thing well that there is still plenty of room for real estate agents to make their mark this way.

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  Do you think brands need to be represented across all social platforms or just the most popular ones?

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  Neither. No brand should be on any platform where it doesn’t know how to communicate, nor should they go there if no audience exists. If you sell adult diapers, I’d argue that Snapchat is not going to kill it for you even if it’s popular. If you sell selfie sticks that are only marketed to fifteen-year-old girls, Facebook is probably not the best place for you. If you’re trying to reach sixty-year-old gray-haired execs, consider LinkedIn. Twenty-five to forty-five-year-old women? Get on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for sure. Twenty-eight-year-old dudes? Pinterest, not so much.

  It’s not the size of the platform that matters; it’s whom you’re trying to reach. Figure out whom you’re trying to sell to, and storytell on the platforms they love.

  CHAPTER 8

  JABS AND RIGHT HOOKS

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  IN THIS CHAPTER, I TALK ABOUT THE NUMBER-ONE RULE FOR SALESPEOPLE, THE POWER OF THE ASK, AND HOW TO AMPLIFY YOUR AUDIENCE’S WORD OF MOUTH.

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  What more could I possibly say about this?

  Jab: the content you put out that entertains, distracts, attracts, informs, or otherwise engages and builds a relationship between you and your audience. It builds your brand, raises people’s awareness of who you are and what you represent, and opens people up to receiving a right hook when the time is right.

  Right hook: the content you put out that brings in the sale. The one that offers the 10 percent off, or announces the new line, or merely says, “Buy my stuff.”

  It sounds so simple, but to make jabs and right hooks land with enough impact requires finesse, good improv skills, and a deep understanding of the psychology behind every platform you use. A jab on Pinterest will look completely different from one thrown on Twitter. A right hook on Instagram won’t work if it’s just something you recycled from Facebook. Each platform speaks to its users in a different way, and you have to learn the language. A short scan on any platform shows me that most people still aren’t fluent.

  Want more details? Read my third book, Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook.

  The end.

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  What’s the best advice you can give salespeople in the social media/digital world age?

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  Don’t skip this one if you don’t think of yourself as a salesperson, because if you’re running a business or trying to make money of any kind, you’re in sales, and here’s the cardinal rule everyone in sales needs to follow: Don’t close too early.

  Most people don’t jab—bring value—enough before pulling back for that right hook—going in for the sale. They’re less concerned with providing value than with making the sale, and it backfires every time. Why did I decide to do The #AskGaryVee Show? Did I miss the limelight? I already get plenty of media attention, so that wasn’t it. It was because I knew that a lot of entrepreneurs, managers, and marketers were still out there looking for guidance and inspiration, and I realized there was a format I could use to reach them that I hadn’t tried yet. I thought it might not only be helpful, but fun, too. You want to be tactical, but you have to practice the religion of providing value first. How many people put out stories, give free stuff, or engage with people? Probably quite a lot. Now, how many do that without any expectations in return? Very, very few. Be one of those few. When you have no expectations people can sense it, and funny enough, the absence of pressure or obligation actually makes them want to reciprocate.

  That’s the best advice I can offer. But I have other advice, too:

  1.Sweep the leg, like in The Karate Kid (the original with Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita, not the newer one with Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan). That’s literally how I think about it when I’m gearing up for a right hook. You have to go in for the kill. With what? Honesty. Don’t bashfully tread around the question. Don’t try to be cute.

  Just. Freaking. Ask.

  If I were the CEO of Toyota (and I’m being very serious here), my Super Bowl ad would sound something like this: “Hey. I’m Gary Vaynerchuk and I’m the CEO of Toyota. I want you to buy my cars. What do I have to do to make that happen? Let us know.” To me, that is a good Super Bowl commercial. Forget the pony. Forget the eagle and the cute dog. All of that distracts us from the main question, which is: What can I do to get your business? In addition, it would be so radically different in style and tone from the other commercials it would likely get a huge reaction.

  2.Learn about Facebook ads because the segmentation is incredible. Turn to Chapter 10 to learn more about them.

  3.Use Twitter Search to act as your bionic ears. Let’s say you’re biking across Canada for Pencils of Promise and documenting daily videos on YouTube, like one fan I spoke with on the show. If you want donations but you don’t want to throw out an endless stream of right hooks, you could go into Twitter Search and search for people talking about Pencils of Promise, then jump into their conversation. But don’t try to bring the attention back to you, like, “You hiked the Appalachian Trail and raised $20K? Well, here’s what I did!” On Twitter, you jab by listening. You jump in and your only response to their accomplishment is “Hey, that’s phenomenal.” And just by interacting, just by showing interest and paying attention, you’ll probably spur that person to look at your profile and see your other tweets, the ones that do tell the world what you’re up to. So you jabbed by listening, and then you jabbed with content that led someone to become aware that you’re seeking donations on behalf of Pencils of Promise. Congrats—your double jab just led to a right hook, and all you had to do was be nice.

  4.Create serendipity. If you’re doing something noble, like biking across Canada for Pencils of Promise, or, like another fan, visiting all fifty-nine national parks in honor of the hundredth anniversary of the National Park Service, tell the world about it. Share pictures through Instagram and livestream on Meerkat to create opportunities for discovery, exposure, and business development through your content.

  5.LinkedIn allows you to search people by their titles, so now you can hit up every person who’s a CEO of a financial services company if that’s your target buyer.

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  What’s the best way to make a right hook seem like a jab?

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  Don’t.

  Let me say it again.

  DON’T!

  Ninety-nine percent of salespeople and businesses try to make right hooks feel like jabs, and they fail because people don’t respond well when they feel they’re being conned. Be honest. If you’re going to do something nice for your customer, do it because you want to, not because it will get you something. I get nothing from doing The #AskGaryVee Show other than the pleasure of sharing the God-given wisdom and work experience I’ve acquired over the years. I want zero in return. Believe me, though, you’ll know when I do want something
. Months from now, you’ll know because whether it’s a book, a seminar, or a rare toy, I will clearly say, “Buy this rare toy now! It’s $9.99!” I’m sure I talked about this book before it went on sale. Maybe you’re reading this now because you watched more than two hundred episodes for free and felt compelled to buy a copy. Or maybe once you consumed the content, you realized it really had value and was worth the cost of a hundred copies that you could distribute to your employees, team members, or community.

  There is no disguising the sale. Give when it’s time to give. Go all in with authenticity and generosity. On the flip side, don’t hesitate to ask for a sale. You’re not Mother Teresa. Sell when you need to sell; just be clear about it. So the answer is simple: There is no version of making jabs and right hooks seem like one and the same. Your jabs should be clear, and your right hooks should be even clearer.

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