If you want to know how to build your brand, listen to Gary V. What started as an unfussy, innovative approach to selling wine took Gary Vaynerchuk’s family liquor business, Wine Library TV, from doing $4 million in sales to $60 million over the span of a few years. Known to most followers as Gary V., the man has since become a media mogul with a frenzied social media following.
Vaynerchuk’s most recent book on the subject, “Crushing It! How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence — and How You Can, Too” is part celebration of the entrepreneurs who’ve followed his advice and part guide to implementing it. Vaynerchuk calls “Crushing It!” “a blueprint to living life on your own terms,” and there’s plenty of evidence that the brands who’ve followed him are, indeed, crushing it. If his earlier book, “Crush It!” was a lecture on the importance of the internet for businesses, the new version is a love letter to all those who’ve found success by following his guidelines. Vaynerchuk uses engaging anecdotes from those who followed his advice as case studies, telling the stories of people who built their brands with the blueprint he laid out in “Crush It!”
Written in Vaynerchuk’s characteristic no-nonsense style, “Crushing It!” is approachable enough that any reader — from business vet to newbie — can follow along. So, let’s take a closer look at this guide for how to build your brand.
The Brand-Building Tools You’re Ignoring
Want to know his first piece of advice for building your brand? If you don’t have a business Facebook page, make one. He gives a nod to the parade of other platforms and which industries they’re suited for, but his takeaway is that you don’t need expensive equipment or perfectly polished content to succeed in building your brand. Instead, use social media to share the awesome things you’re already doing and document what your brand is all about. Tell your story with the easy to use and often free tools that are readily available to you.
Gary V.’s Guiding Principles
Vaynerchuk identifies seven principles that should guide any content you publish: intent, authenticity, passion, patience, speed, work, and attention. It’s no coincidence that these qualities are what made Wine Library TV such a hit with YouTube viewers. Gary’s authenticity and passion were palpable, and viewers connected with him. If you’ve seen any of his recent YouTube videos, you know he still practices what he preaches today.
As Vaynerchuk says, social media is best utilized to document our lives, not fabricate them. For him, the guiding principles extend beyond creating a brand — they’re part of the values Vaynerchuk lives day in and day out. That makes it almost effortless for him to translate them into compelling content.
It Won’t Happen Overnight
Vaynerchuk has never claimed that building a brand happens quickly. In fact, he rails against the misconception that success happens overnight. His empire took time to build, just as yours will.
Even after you’ve established your brand, it takes time and dedication to maintain it. (Remember the guiding principle of work?) It won’t take care of itself, even if automation makes some of some of your online easier.
Vaynerchuk again sets the example. He puts out daily posts, Tweets, videos, podcasts, and pictures to keep his brand top of mind and grow his business. But he doesn’t cut corners just so he can hit publish every day. His content remains authentic and true to the brand he’s built.
The Key to ‘Crushing It!’ Is At Your Fingertips
If business is at a standstill and you don’t know why, or you’re not even sure where to begin, “Crushing It!” can help you understand the presence that you need to develop, and the principles that you need to follow, to build your brand. Turn to this biz book for suggestions on how to build your brand and see why so many of Gary V.’s followers are “Crushing It!”
