Crush It! Cash in your Passion by Gary Vaynerchuk (Summary)

(Full audiobook below summary)

3 Rules:

1. Love your family.
2. Work super hard.
3. Live your passion.

Social media means business. You spend time at work so why not work on your own business of doing what you love most. Think of yourself as a brand.
His history and motivation.
Storytelling is a skill so underrated. People want to be told what’s best for them.
Above all, be honest. Create your own content if you want to build your own brand. Word of mouth tops any billboard or radio ad. You create a brand as soon as you start posting on social media.
Predictions of news media changing.

Questions:

• Are you happy about your present job?
• Does your company allow you to have your own blog or brand yourself in the public eye? Or do you love your job so much that the restrictions don’t bother you? Think 10-20 years ahead.
• Are you allowed to build your personal brand outside of work in your own time?
  If you said no to any of the above you’re suffocating yourself to the competition. You’re professionally dead.

Choose the right medium, choose the right topic and you’ll be in your zone doing what you enjoy.
Use content in 2 ways. Lure – where you create content that people are drawn to. Lasso – where you pull in people by interacting with comments.
The platforms you have are video, audio and written. Gary loves video. People can making boring things like accounting into something captivating with video.
He likes WordPress and Tumblr. (Remember this book was published in 2009)
Use call to action buttons like subscribe, like, follow, comment, etc. Capture email and given them an opportunity to share. Social proof will help get more eyes to your blog. Talks about other platforms and his thoughts on them.
Pay attention to other people’s content. Related content. Pay attention and contribute to relevant ones with value.
Care, is the the best marketing strategy. Go that extra mile.
Find ways to make money off your content like affiliate marketing, products, courses, talks, contributing, etc.
Be ready to adapt. Technology and everything else changes, so should you.
Legacy is greater than currency so ask yourself if you’ll be happy making the money the way you did.

Personal Brand Building Checklist:

• Discover Your Passion: Identify what truly drives and excites you.
• Ensure Content Depth: Brainstorm at least 50 engaging blog topics to maintain audience interest.
• Self-Reflection: Confirm your passion’s authenticity and assess your expertise relative to others in the field.
• Brand Naming: Choose a unique and memorable name for your personal brand.
• Secure Online Presence: Purchase relevant domain names and social media usernames to establish brand consistency.
• Medium Selection: Determine the primary medium for content creation (e.g., video, audio, written).
• Website Creation: Launch a website or blog as your central platform for sharing content.
• Professional Design: Invest in hiring a designer to ensure a visually appealing and user-friendly website.
• Incorporate Engagement Features: Include features like connect, call-to-action, and share buttons to enhance user interaction.
• Establish Social Media Presence: Create a Facebook fan page to expand your brand’s reach.
• Content Distribution: Utilize services like ping.fm to distribute content across various platforms efficiently.
• Consistent Content Posting: Regularly publish content on your website and social media channels to maintain audience engagement.
• Community Building: Engage with other blogs, forums, and social media discussions related to your niche.
• Audience Interaction: Use Twitter and Google searches to connect with individuals discussing topics relevant to your brand.
• Network Expansion: Join relevant Facebook fan pages and groups to broaden your audience reach.
• Continuous Iteration: Repeat steps 12-15 consistently to build a loyal following and expand your network.
• Persistence: Stay committed to the process, continuously refining your brand and content strategy.
• Monetization: When your brand gains traction, explore opportunities for monetization through sponsorships, advertising, or product sales.
• Enjoyment: Embrace the journey of personal brand building and find fulfillment in the process itself, rather than solely focusing on outcomes.

5 Business Ideas:

1. Live TV – invite guests, product creators, etc.
2. Tea – A blog about tea.
3. Sports.
4. Online Book Reviews.
5. One of destination websites.

Contents
Introduction.
Chapter 1: Passion is Everything.
Chapter 2: Success is your DNA.
Chapter 3: Build Your Personal Brand.
Chapter 4: A Whole New World.
Chapter 5: Create Great Content.
Chapter 6: Choose Your Platform.
Chapter 7: Keep It Real.
Chapter 8: Create Community.
Chapter 9: The Best Marketing Strategy Ever.
Chapter 10: Make The World Listen.
Chapter 11: Start Monetizing.
Chapter 12: Roll With It.
Chapter 13: Legacy Is Greater Than Currency.
Coda.
Conclusion.
Appendix A: Did You Forget Anything?
Appendix B: Five Business Ideas I Won’t Get To.

#ads