How To Make Strategic Content To Sell Any Product
Timestamps are as accurate as they can be but may be slightly off. We encourage you to listen to the full context.
Podcast Summary
This episode features Gary Vaynerchuk conducting a "4Ds session" where he provides tactical business advice to various entrepreneurs and CEOs. The conversation covers a wide range of topics including overcoming fear of content creation, leveraging organic content for paid advertising, building personal brands, and scaling businesses. (00:27) Gary emphasizes the power of authentic content creation and addresses common misconceptions about business strategy.
- Main Theme: The episode focuses on practical business growth tactics, particularly around content marketing, personal branding, and strategic decision-making for entrepreneurs at various stages of their business journey.
Speakers
Gary Vaynerchuk
Gary Vaynerchuk is the CEO and founder of VaynerMedia, a full-service digital agency that works with Fortune 500 companies. He's also a five-time New York Times bestselling author and has built a massive personal brand through content creation across multiple platforms. Gary is known for his direct, practical approach to business and marketing advice.
Key Takeaways
Content Creation Requires Strategic Patience, Not Perfection
Gary emphasizes that content creation is about patience and consistency rather than perfection. (11:11) He explains that if you're coming from an altruistic place and want to help people, success is completely based on patience because there is no hack. The key is understanding that building an audience takes time, and even Gary himself acknowledges that he hasn't reached everyone he wants to reach yet. This insight is crucial for professionals who feel frustrated with slow growth in their content efforts.
The "And" Mentality Over "Or" Thinking
One of the most powerful concepts Gary discusses is eliminating the subconscious bias toward "or" thinking in business. (20:46) He argues that everything should be "and" - you can be multiple things and create content about various topics without confusing your audience. This applies to having multiple podcasts, discussing different subjects, or serving different markets. Gary himself creates content about garage sales, business, sports, and wine, demonstrating that diversification increases rather than decreases your audience reach.
Green Screen Content as a Content Creation Solution
Gary introduces green screen content as a powerful tool for those struggling with content ideas. (07:02) This involves finding articles within your expertise area, green-screening them, and providing commentary. This approach solves the common problem of not knowing what to create while providing training wheels for content creation. The strategy works because it gives structure to content creation and helps people who can speak as commentators but struggle with original content concepts.
Turn Viral Organic Content Into Paid Advertising
A major strategic insight Gary shares is using successful organic content as the basis for paid advertising campaigns. (28:48) When content performs well organically, it indicates the algorithm and humans are responding positively, making it an ideal candidate for paid promotion. This approach is more effective than guessing what might work in ads because you already have proof of concept from organic performance.
Focus on Developing Internal Talent Over External Hiring
When discussing team building and scaling, Gary strongly advocates for promoting from within rather than hiring externally. (48:40) He explains that homegrown talent has context and understanding of the business that external hires lack. Skills can be taught, but cultural fit and understanding cannot be easily replicated. The key is identifying internal team members who have the right attitude and work ethic, then investing heavily in their development rather than focusing all energy on clients or new business.
Statistics & Facts
- Gary's green screen content gets significantly higher engagement - his grudge video would normally get 400,000 views on Instagram, but with green screen format it gets 1,700,000 views. (12:12)
- One of the featured entrepreneurs (Bia company) has achieved mid-6 figure revenue in their first year with 100% word-of-mouth marketing and no paid advertising spend. (25:23)
- The average customer retention for the Bia hormone health company is 4.8 months, which Gary suggests could be improved to 9.7 months with a 12-month subscription option instead of 3-month packages. (34:01)
