Full Social Media Strategy for Business Growth in 2026
Timestamps are as accurate as they can be but may be slightly off. We encourage you to listen to the full context.
Podcast Summary
In this episode of Gary Vaynerchuk's 4Ds podcast, Gary delivers actionable insights for entrepreneurs and social media marketers looking to scale their businesses. The episode focuses on how the social media landscape has fundamentally changed in the last 2-3 years, with algorithms now prioritizing individual content pieces over follower count. (00:22) Gary emphasizes that platforms like TikTok have "completely annihilated" traditional best practices, making each piece of content capable of going viral regardless of account size.
- Core themes include organic content strategy, brand building over sales tactics, and the importance of creating platform-specific content across multiple channels rather than choosing just one or two platforms.
Speakers
Gary Vaynerchuk
Gary Vaynerchuk is a serial entrepreneur, CEO of VaynerMedia, and bestselling author known for his expertise in social media marketing and business strategy. He built his family's wine business from $3 million to $60 million through early adoption of social media and has since become one of the most recognized voices in digital marketing and entrepreneurship.
Key Takeaways
Focus on Views Achieved Organically as Your North Star
Gary emphasizes that the number one goal should be "views achieved organically" rather than getting caught up in production speed or quantity. (02:34) He illustrates this with a team example: if one person creates three videos getting 100,000 total views versus another person creating one video getting 4 million views, the latter is clearly more valuable. (41:01) This metric helps answer tough strategic questions about resource allocation and content strategy by grounding decisions in actual performance data rather than subjective measures of quality or effort.
Individual Content Pieces Now Determine Success, Not Follower Count
The traditional social media model where follower count predicted post performance has been "completely annihilated" by platforms like TikTok. (00:22) Gary demonstrates this with his own example: one TikTok video got 1.9 million views while the next post on Instagram got only 5,834 views. This shift means businesses should focus intensively on crafting each individual piece of content rather than building follower counts, as any single post can potentially reach millions regardless of account size.
Build Brand Equity Before Competitors Copy Your Success
For businesses experiencing rapid growth through paid advertising, Gary warns about the critical need to build brand equity. (19:35) He tells a successful e-commerce entrepreneur doing $600k monthly that their biggest risk isn't scaling to $20 million, but getting "copied out" by competitors offering similar products at lower prices. The solution is investing heavily in brand building through organic content, making the founders themselves the irreplaceable asset that competitors cannot replicate.
Embrace "And" Instead of "Or" in Platform Strategy
Gary strongly advocates against choosing between platforms, brands, or strategies, instead embracing the philosophy of "and." (24:08) When asked whether to focus on "Napoleon Hill" or "Think and Grow Rich," his response was simply "Both. And." (24:16) This approach works because modern social media distribution makes it economically feasible to be everywhere, unlike traditional media where choices were necessary due to cost constraints. The key is adapting content for each platform's unique audience and temperament.
Create Platform-Specific Content, Not Generic Reposts
Each social media platform requires tailored content approaches because audiences behave differently on each one. (39:54) Gary explains that posting the same video across platforms underperforms because "it's going to act different." For example, LinkedIn content should reference business contexts like "tired of the shitty tea they serve in the office," while TikTok content would focus more directly on product benefits. (40:00) This platform-specific approach maximizes performance by matching content to each platform's unique culture and user expectations.
Statistics & Facts
- One entrepreneur in the session grew from $250,000 in sales last year to being on track for $2 million in November, representing 700% growth, with projections to hit $20 million next year through Meta advertising optimization. (13:53)
- Gary's team operates with "a thousand social media buyers" within his company, giving him extensive experience in assessing advertising capabilities across different skill levels. (14:29)
- A tea company in the session secured placement in 104 Target stores currently, expanding to 168 stores, representing their breakthrough into major retail distribution after six years of building their Brooklyn-based business. (47:29)
