There are a few people in my co-working space that are huge Gary Vaynerchuk fans. I have never been one. I did follow him on Twitter because supposedly his social media knowledge was top notch. So early one morning, like 5:20 in the morning, right before I got on the treadmill, I saw a tweet from Gary about looking for reviewers for his new book. I like free stuff and learning, so I figured why not make a pitch for a copy of AskGaryVee:
I openly stated that I was not a huge fan and Gary thought that angle would work well. A few weeks later I received the proof copy in the mail.
Here is the setup for the book: Gary hosts a video show where he takes questions from the online community and answers them on video called AskGaryVee. He does these videos regularly, at the time of writing they are up to episode 191. This book is a summary of some of the best questions and answers of the show. I have never seen one of these shows so all the content was new to me. If you are an avid follower there maybe some repeat content for you.
Gary covers a lot of ground in this book, everything from family to work to the New York Jets. Mean Green aside, the content in the book is great. This may end up being one of the more important books for modern marketers to read. It joins Seth Godin’s Permission Marketing on my list of seminal books for marketers to read to be prepared to do business today.
The Good in AskGaryVee:
This book is easy to read. It is cut into short sections grouped by a larger theme. You can read two questions and answers and have a good stopping point.
Contains great up-to-date information. All the content in this book is fresh for Spring 2016. This makes is valuable as the social media landscape is always updating.
It gives a look inside Gary Vee without being overpowering. Gary Vee has a strong personality on camera. This can turn some off. I had this same experience with Dave Ramsey. When I learned more about Dave’s story and heard his heart, I was able to listen to him with a different ear. This book has given me a bigger framework in which to read and enjoy Gary Vee.
It made me a better marketer. Hearing Gary breakdown some of his techniques and thought processes helped me get even better at my job.
The Bad in AskGaryVee:
Some extra info: There are a few sections that are fun to read if you are a fan, but are not very valuable if you are not a fan. Keep in mind, the extra stuff is like 2% of the book, but just a heads up.
Up-to-Date Info will be out-of-date soon. This is the nature of the beast, but the up-to-date info will also be yesterday’s news in no time. But if you are trying to make your living in social media you are always have to keep up with the latest.
If you are a fan some recycle: If you are already following Gary Vee and watching his videos, there maybe some repeat material. Not saying you shouldn’t hear it again, but just a warning.
BOTTOM LINE:
If you are a marketer and want to be good at your job, this a great book to read. In the beginning of January I was not a fan, but now I am a Gary Vee fan. Check out this book!
