Anyone involved in content marketing knows that the World Wide Web is full of concentrated knowledge, expert tips and training on SEO and SEM, social media marketing, content strategies, link building and much more. But in everyday life there is often no time to follow all these digital experts and platforms. That’s why we created our blog series “Decoded”. Each post is dedicated to a different specialist and his input on a topic from online marketing. This time it’s the turn of content marketing and social media expert Gary Vaynerchuk.

Content Marketing: Gary Vaynerchuk's Tips for Success - Part 2

You can use high-quality, targeted content to inspire prospects and customers about your brand, service, or product. But to be successful, you need not only a well-developed strategy but also practical ideas on how to develop content and distribute it to your target audience.

Today, content is more diverse than ever: there are website texts, blog posts, vlogs, podcasts, photos, Instagram stories, GIFs and much more. One guy who really knows his stuff for content marketing and social media is Gary Vaynerchuk.

Who is Gary Vaynerchuk or GaryVee?

The US entrepreneur (*1975) recognized the opportunities of the Internet early on. GaryVee, as he calls himself, launched the Wine Library website in 1997 and increased the sales of his family business from three to 45 million dollars within five years.

With his brother AJ, he founded the full-service advertising agency VaynerMedia in 2009 and was already offering social media monitoring to his clients when most companies were still laughing at social networks like Facebook and LinkedIn. Today, he's a true content machine, posting a new video every weekday on his YouTube channel GaryVee, and on other social media channels. In addition, there are blog posts, podcast episodes, posts and much more.

By the way, if you want to learn even more about content marketing, check out the #Decoded blog posts on Neil Patel (SEO), Michael A. Stelzner (social media marketing) and Noah Kagan (email marketing).

Tip 4: How to increase your sales with contemporary content marketing

Marketing works - and it works amazingly well. A great video clip can go viral and boost your company's sales. That's what happened with a TikTok video from @DoggFace208. The scene is simple: the protagonist is rolling along the highway on a skateboard, occasionally drinking cranberry juice from a bottle of Ocean Spray and filming himself. The song "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac plays along with it. They shared the short video millions of times and brought the beverage manufacturer Ocean Spray high sales figures. This was not an advertising campaign by the company, but an individual campaign.

But why was it so successful? Because the video fits the zeitgeist: It exudes relaxation, freedom and simplicity - what US Americans are longing for in these times. GaryVee believes that businesses should take inspiration from it. Take the big themes into consideration when thinking about a social media strategy and, for example, develop a challenge on TikTok that gets people to buy your products.

Tip 5: How to grow your following with innovative social media actions

Every social platform has its peculiarities: Users are on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram for different reasons, and each works with different media, including stories, photos, podcasts, or short videos. These social networks could have your target audience on them, and that's why platforms like TikTok or Snapchat lend themselves to social media marketing.

Gary explains in his blog post „How to Save Yourself From Mistakes That Big Companies Make" that paint manufacturer Sherwin-Williams missed out on a great opportunity because the company didn't realize the potential of digital marketing.

When big companies miss enormous opportunities

What happened? Local employee Toni Piloseno created short video clips for TikTok showing how he mixed paints from Sherwin-Williams. One of those clips even reached over a million clicks. When he brought his social profile to the attention of the headquarters and presented it as an example of successful social media marketing to younger people, he first received no feedback and was subsequently fired. He would have broken numerous company rules with this action.

Breaking up old structures

A competitor of Sherwin-Williams, Florida Paints, hired Toni Piloseno because of this successful TikTok campaign. He now creates similar content there - this time officially for his employer - and is equally successful. GaryVee wants to use this story to show that large companies need to open their eyes to alternative ways of doing things and break down old structures. This is the only way they will survive in the competition of the next few years.

Tip 6: Why branding and value for money belong together

Brand marketing was already a topic in the first part of the #Decoded series on Gary Vaynerchuk. A brand consists not only of a company but also of its products, services and values. These areas are important, because only if a brand delivers what it promises will it be able to win customers over in the long term.

The price of a product is a complex matter. The perception of a price can dictate attitudes toward a brand, leading some people to pay too much for certain things: Just because they pay a higher amount, they assume the product is of better quality. This can be the case, but it doesn't have to be.

Make sure your products and services are value for money. It will positively contribute to building your brand image. For more information, check out Gary's blog post „What new brands need to know“.

Tip 7: Let negative comments about your company roll off your back

Negative comments and even a shitstorm - that's been the experience of many a company. GaryVee also receives negative comments under its posts, videos and blog contributions again and again. In a telephone conversation with a viewer on "Tea with GaryVee", he explained how he deals with this. So you too can easily let negative comments roll off your back.

Understand that commenters don't really know you

Often, negative opinions end up under a post or video. Commenters are reacting to a single moment without looking at the overall context. As Gary says, most of the time these people don't know his work at all. That's why he doesn't care much about it.

Shows empathy for the authors of negative posts

Gary assumes that people who read or view your content and then make a mean comment about it are often unhappy with themselves and their situation. By feeling compassion for them, you'll find it easier to deal with negative reviews.

Own your limitations and weaknesses

You don't have to be a master in every area. Every person and every company has their limitations and weaknesses. Have enough self-confidence to stand by them and say "no" once in a while. Gary is very direct here:

"No matter how successful you are, always remember that you are insignificant. That may sound harsh, but it's actually incredibly liberating and exciting. It's a skill you need to practice, like a muscle you work out in the gym."

Remember the big picture

A negative comment may be bad, but there are things that are even worse. For example, Gary then thinks about what it would be like if a close loved one died suddenly in an accident. That helps him see the big picture. In the face of such tragedies, a negative evaluation is merely a trifle.

Another strategy that has worked well for him: He goes to a place where he feels comfortable. During school, for example, that was his sports trading cards, which he was passionate about.

You decide to what extent the opinions of others influence you

Last but not least, you decide whether and to what extent you are affected by other people's comments. Only you can determine your reaction. A "medicine", as Gary calls it, is a positive approach to things and to life. Apply it each for himself.

"Focus on what makes you happy and what is valuable to people. This keeps things in perspective."

In another episode of #AskGaryVee, the content marketing expert gives more tips on how you can deal with critics, trolls and haters.

Tip 8: These social media marketing strategies will get you the most attention in 2021

Gary Vaynerchuk is convinced that content marketing will be the most important marketing tool for companies in 2021. Yet his approach is simple: more content means more reach on social platforms. More reach leads to more awareness of your brand or product. And more awareness ultimately means more sales.

Up to 15 creative content pieces daily in the B2B sector.

For B2B companies, he recommends posting five to 15 creative content pieces daily on LinkedIn in 2021. He understands this to include not only organic content but also paid campaigns. For example, in his Q&A Session „Top 2021 Marketing Strategies to Get Your Business the Most Attention Possible“ he talks about creating a video aimed at accountants, another for real estate agents, etc. The content in the video is similar, but they each appeal to a different audience, creating more awareness among potential customers. But videos aren't the only content pieces; a single sentence, a photo, a blog post, and more are too.

First goal in social media: awareness.

Gary's primary goal with this type of content is awareness, not direct sales. He uses qualitative feedback as an indicator of a campaign's success: comments or criticism about the product or service from users. This lets him know that they have engaged with it. And these users can later become potential leads.

Explore new social platforms and trends as early as possible

Gary had so much success with his father's liquor business because he used Google Adwords when it was completely unknown - Amazon did the same thing a little later, by the way. So he bought cheap keywords around wine and spirits and used the ads to lure searching users to his online store.

Companies should not wait until a new social platform has established itself, but should be there right from the start. Again, the goal is not to sell something right away, but to gain important insights. Find out how the platform works, how users interact on it, and what types of content appeal to them. You can incorporate the insights into your creative content marketing strategy and then implement it accordingly.

Match the content to the medium

Gary believes that most large companies are too focused on potential reach and therefore publish the same content on all social platforms. He sees more of a focus on actual relevance to the consumer. Brand consistency - a consistent brand image - should play a lesser role. Instead, the customer should be the focus. With this approach, he has got a 17-year-old teenager to know him through TikTok, and the 64-year-old businesswoman through LinkedIn.

For content in different media, this means: Show the different facets of your company, your products and services - adapted to the respective medium and the target group that is on the move there.

2021: Reaching the goal with innovation, targeted content, and self-confidence.

Content marketing will play an important role in 2021, especially on social platforms. Familiarize yourself with new networks early on, identify trends and use the results for your content strategy.

Get to know your target groups better and address them with content that is ideally suited to them. Also pay attention to major social trends.

Don't let critics get you down, but pursue your goals. Use feedback from followers to adjust your content and strategy. Then you'll be in the best viable position for 2021.

What does Gerrit from Crispy Content® have to say about it?

"GaryVee knows what matters. His success is only partly because of his curiosity and his ability to absorb knowledge. Above all, he is persistent, patient and has a sufficiently thick skin. He needs that, because in such an exposed position he attracts the envy of less successful marketers.

It's a testament to greatness that he shares these less enjoyable experiences with us and motivates us to 'do our thing'. He is not only an exceptional marketer but also a terrific motivator."