Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuk
When managers and marketers outline their social media strategies, they often plan for the “right hook”-their next highly anticipated sale or campaign that’s going to put the competition out for the count. Even companies committed to jabbing-patiently engaging with customers to build the relationships so crucial to successful social media campaigns-still yearn to land the powerful, bruising swing that will knock out their opponent or their customer’s resistance in one tooth-spritzing, killer blow. Right hooks, after all, convert traffic to sales. They easily show results and ROI. Except when they don’t.
In the same passionate, street-wise style readers have come to expect, Gary Vaynerchuk is on a mission to improve marketers’ right hooks by changing the way they fight to make their customers happy, and ultimately to compete. Thanks to the massive change and proliferation in social media platforms in the last four years, the winning combination of jabs and right hooks is different now. Communication is still key, but context matters more than ever. It’s not just about developing high-quality content, but developing high-quality content perfectly adapted to specific social media platforms and mobile devices-content tailor-made for Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and Tumblr. A mash-up of the best elements of Crush It! and The Thank You Economy with a 2013 spin, here is a blueprint to social media marketing strategies that really works.
First things first: even though this book was put out in 2013 and it’s now almost 2017, this book is still relevant. Ok, Tumblr might not still be relevant, but the other platforms are very much in play. And Gary’s message that underlies the whole book can translate to any platform: lay out a series of great jabs that are native to the platform to sink them with a spectacular right hook and close the sale.
The breakdown of each social network may feel a little dry, but the real life examples of social media posts and Gary’s analysis of them (the good, the bad, and the ugly) makes this book worth it. This is a great book to keep on hand as a reference item if you’re trying to get serious about social media. It’s one thing to hear the theoretical aspect of how to do social, it’s another thing to be gifted with a variety of examples across industries that you can really get your arms around.
I really love Gary’s message and strategies because they align with my own approach to social. I hear the same questions from people over and over – How do I get people to convert? The question you should be asking is – How can I consistently give the most value so that when people are ready to buy from me, they won’t even think of going to a competitor? That’s the message behind Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook. It really is that simple, so stop trying to make it difficult!
Also, I have to give kudos where kudos are due: the publishers of this book hit a homerun with how they put the book together. I’m not sure if there even is a paperback version, but you should spring for the hardcover anyway. The paper feels amazing in your hands. I’m a nerd about paper to begin with, but trust me when I say this a book you just want to keep touching. The paper is like velvet. The size of the book is also big enough that you know right away this is a reference book, not a novel, but it’s also small enough that it’s not obnoxious. It’s currently forming the base of my business reference book pile on my desk and it looks amazing doing it.
