Yes, you can use video to sell your products and services online. The moving image, music, words and branding have a powerful impact and that’s awesome.
But what if video could do more than just sell your products and services?
Gary Vaynerchuk, otherwise known as @garyvee, has built a massive, global personal brand through video. Initially he started producing his own low tech wine show, “Wine Library TV,” when Youtube was just one year old in 2006, as part of his parent’s wine business, which he grew to 80,000 views per day, taking the business to $50 million per year.
This hugely successful show established Gary Vee early on in the video movement as not only a brutally outspoken wine guy who strikes fear in the hearts of terrified wine makers, but more importantly a razor sharp consistent brand that he then later used to found his own social media company, “Vayner Media.
“Changing the wine world whether they like it or not.”
Gary’s words resonate with his audience who want the real story on wine. Even the way he crafts this sentence is like a gift from marketing heaven {cue ray of light shining upon his balding head} – you see this show is not for the wine makers, it’s for the wine drinkers and Gary knows exactly who he is talking to, what they want and how to build the trust. It is us versus them and its freakin’ GENIUS.
Such is the trust that he has developed with his following that he has not only built multiple multi-million dollar companies, but has written books, spoken around the world, launched courses on Udemy and is a venture capitalist and angel investor.
So why do we love this completely offensive, swearing, imperfect, unedited and unapologetic guy from New Jersey?
He speaks the truth and we are obsessed with the thrill of what he might say. What can he get away with? How honest will he get?
His authenticity, is addictive.
We love the story. Not just the Instagram one, but the long arc. We love the brand story that he shows up and tells us consistently, every, single, day, on every video, every platform and whether he is talking wine or entrepreneurship, you better have your big boy pants on for what he has to say. It’s authentically addictive.
Gary’s style is definitely not everyone’s! But it doesn’t need to be. Who are you? What is the one authentic thing about you that makes you, addictive?
We are all playing a movie in our heads where we are the hero {Oscar-worthy of course!} Everything we view we relate to ourselves, our beliefs, our life experiences, our knowledge and ideas. Raw video is a way to engage with that narrative, to jump in, to ask for permission by being rejected and saying – we really are what our branding says about us.
No fear, no BS.
We care more when the raw video message meets the internal narrative that we tell ourselves about our own story.
We see either what we already are, or what we want to be.
Gary makes us feel like we matter in his world and when he shows up every day saying the same thing, we start to believe him.
As small business owners, we can create a brand story that is just as addictive.
But what do we stand for beyond ourselves?
All the brands that move us, that inspire us to love them forever – they have a purpose beyond products and services – to give. Gary Vee bangs on about getting off your butt and doing what you really want with your life and the point is that we love him because he doesn’t have to do that.
He chooses to care. He chooses to share.
And that’s why he pushes through the wall of sameness to be heard – he has shown up and proven he cares consistently for 10 years.
Breakin’ it down;
- Caring is standing out.
- Showing up is trust.
- Authenticity is addictive.
So, now we jump in the special sauce! Over to YOU GUYS. This week’s OC CHAT Question is –
What brands are you addicted to and why? What can you learn from them to apply to your own brand?
Drop in and share your thoughts with your fellow OC tribers on the blog, as we discuss the big and small ideas and how we entrepreneurs can understand the stuff that matters. Boom!