I finally read Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook, by Gary Vaynerchuk. If you noticed, we started reading it for the book club about four weeks ago.

I've been recommending the book to clients and friends since it came out, but here's the dirty little secret. I had not read it. I only skimmed through it once or twice, but I inherently understood what the book was about.

And talk about throwing jabs all day long. Gary has put out so much valuable content and so clearly articulated the essence of this book throughout his talks before publishing it that I knew I could recommend this book even without reading it.

How many things would you feel comfortable recommending without actually trying or using yourself?

I trusted that my clients would like the book and get value from it and everyone would come back telling me how great it was. People are still talking about it now, check out the hashtag on Twitter: #JJJRH.

Time to buckle down

But now running the book club and helping more people, I thought it was time to read it and get the details. Especially because of Snapchat. I've been using Snapchat now quite a bit more than I ever did before and I wanted to see what Gary had to say about it in the book.

The spoiler on that is that he doesn't talk much about Snapchat. At the time of the writing of the book, Snapchat wasn't a big network, so it only gets a few pages towards the end. But the whole message of the book applies to Snapchat as it does to anything else.

He talks heavily about Facebook and Twitter, on Round 3 and on Round 4 respectively. Facebook is where you story-tell, and Twitter is where you follow the pulse, where you listen.

I think everyone in the book club also appreciated the choice because many of the members are completely new at social media, and even more so when it comes to using it for business.

The devil is in the details

The book is beautiful, literally. Its body is designed in a wide format and even today is only available on hardback edition. It is almost like a coffee table book and it has a fancy jacket with a prominent old school pair of boxing gloves embossed to represent the "oo" in Hook.

The pages are thick and of high quality semi-gloss paper. Like a high-end book. I was surprised about all this when I bought the book because Crush it and The Thank You Economy were just normal books in these regards. I was also surprised at the price: $32.39, until I really analyzed it and read it.

But the book itself is a metaphor of what Gary is talking about in it. How to tell a story in the chosen medium so that it stands out in the best possible way.

In this case, Gary is using a classic format (book) to tell us stories about social media networks, but he picked the best possible format to deliver that story. This is one of those books that stands out from the rest for several reasons.

It doesn't fit your bookshelf like the other books do. It doesn't blend into the background when you take it out and it isn't something you can read conspicuously. Every page is perfectly crafted.

Full color, solid typeface and smart formatting make this a book you want to keep even after you finish reading it. All these details reflect the message he talks about in every chapter, or rather in every round. Stand out, and do it well.

Mostly Evergreen Content and solid advice

With the exception of a few mentions and predictions of Google Glass and Google Plus, the content still stands up to scrutiny, almost 3 years after it was written.

In social media, that's like 20 years!

The core of the book focuses on what Gary has been doing and saying all along in all of his videos. Learn to speak the language your customers speak. It doesn't matter if your customer is on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Instagram, Snapchat, or the latest and greatest hip app. You have to speak natively or you'll die.

Breaking it down

The first two rounds setup the rest of the book by reinforcing core social media principles. Gary talks about how social media is mostly about micro content and content that gives much more than it asks. It entertains, and it works but only when it's native to the platform. This is how the major chapters in the book break down.

Facebook

Then the rest of the book is all about specific networks. The Facebook section is particularly important because Facebook is the biggest social network today. The most relevant, the one with the widest demographics and arguably the one that commands the most attention.

The section is good because it talks about all the nuances of Facebook, but it also showcases short 1 page critiques on various posts by brands. Gary praises or rips each one of them apart and helps you see things as you should, from your customer's point of view but never forgetting the benefit your activity will provide in the long term, if done right.

Twitter

The Twitter section is another sizable section of the book. I still use and love Twitter, despite growing criticism and concerns for its long term viability. I even wrote a guide on how to grow it.

Gary, in classic Gary style goes all in and tells you about using Twitter to listen to your customers. How to listen to trends and make personal connections that will transcend the life of the platform.

On Pinterest

Pinterest is very underutilized, but in round 5, Gary teaches you about "glaming it up on Pinterest." This is a place where you can build community and showcase your products in a very flattering light. Just don't forget to speak the native language.

Like in the Facebook section, there are critiques of good and bad use cases for Pinterest and one of the recurring themes here is to use the platform natively, like making sure your pins have a link to the correct location.

Instagram

The Instagram section is mostly case studies like those on the Facebook and Pinterest rounds. Overall this chapter is short but the basics are reinforced. Speak the language; use hashtags, use great photos, appeal to the younger crowd with visual story telling.

Tumblr

After Instagram, we have Tumblr. One of those huge yet obscure networks. At one point in the not so distant past, Tumblr was bigger than WordPress as a blogging platform. But that's the thing. Tumblr is a blog platform. So it is everything and nothing at the same time.

It's tough to build community and even tougher to use it right. Gary's tips here are to really, I mean, really, learn the language. Use animated gifs, recreate, borrow and uplift content and be careful with pushing your own stuff here.

And yes... I use all of these platforms and more. If you want to catch up with me on any of them, here you go: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr.

The Final Five Rounds are Meaty

In conclusion, you should get this book. You should read it, study it, apply it, and use it as a way to learn about what's coming. There are three sections to the book, the introduction & setup, the case studies and then the closing advice. The book is almost 3 years old now, but still relevant, even Gary thinks so.

STAY RELEVANT OR DIE | DailyVee 061https://t.co/nA44ZnoUkS pic.twitter.com/Ze4sHYfCDS

— Gary Vaynerchuk (@garyvee) August 17, 2016

The last five chapters of the book are packed with logic, motivation and inspiration. Things that should help you feel inspired to go on and take on the world. It doesn't matter if you are just joining the social media revolution (but it does matter that you do it now!).

It doesn't matter because as you'll see, there are new things coming up all the time and in contrast with the old media formats like TV, Radio, Magazines and Newspapers, social media changes daily. This gives you an advantage to stay ahead of the curve by working your ass off, by paying attention to the trends and your consumers.

One thing that I found particularly interesting was the title and message for round 10. This is something I've been telling my clients for years, even before JJJRH. You are a media company, whether you like it or not. I don't care if you sell washers and screws, if you teach driving lessons, or do wardrobe shopping for celebrities.

You are a media company now and it's up to you to be a good one. And if you don't know what I mean by that then I recommend you go and pick up a copy of Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook.

If you already read it, what were the most salient points you took from it? How about your favorite quotes? Drop them in the comments and I'll include them in my next round up.

The post Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook. – Review & Recap appeared first on Digital Marketing Through Content & Influence.

But a quote caught my eye and I thought I'd make a quick graphic for it and share it with you. Here you go:

If you want to tweet this out use the link below and it should come through with the image when you post it.

[bctt tweet="There is no sale without the story; no knockout without the setup. -- Gary Vaynerchuk " username="notagrouch"]

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If you read my blog on a regular basis, or you visit any of my social media channels, then you might have heard of them. But most of you haven't. Two comedians and one entrepreneur.

What do they have in common?

Bill Burr wasn't one of the best known comedians up to just a few years ago. The same thing goes for Louis C.K. Social media put them in the spotlight.

How did they become an "overnight success"?

They've been working small stages with 20 people, shitty stinky bars telling jokes to a small audience.

Gary's been doing videos, and tweets, and interviews with all kinds of audiences and dropping jabs for over 10 years now. He'll even be at Affiliate Summit East this weekend, kind of.

And now, some people think he rose out of nowhere, they think he's an overnight success. They don't know the effort he has put in. They don't know the value he's been delivering day in and day out, sometimes to an absent student.

Gary started Wine Library TV without anybody watching the first month. Ok, maybe a few people watched during that time. Admittedly, I didn't. I met him back in 2009 at an event put together by Bryan Elliot, an event about social media where he casually talked about his first book.

By the way, as a small aside, go watch the very first video he posted, Episode 1 of the Wine Library TV series. Pay attention to the quality of the video, the sound isn't that great, the best quality available is 240! I mention this because I so often emphasize to you that you should start your videos NOW. The content is important, but you don't have to have a totally professional setup to get started. No need to wait for that. Start!

Back in 2009, I bought his book, Crush it and that Christmas I bought 15 copies and gave them away to some of my friends. I told them that this book would change their life. Most of them, to this day, haven't read the book.

[bctt tweet="The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now. -- Chinese Proverb" username="notagrouch"]

But they've now heard of Gary through social media, they've heard him at an event that they're familiar with, like a real estate event or SXSW. They saw him on Youtube, or some other place and think, "Where did this guy come from?," they think: "Who is this guy that gets 1000s of likes and comments on every piece of content he posts?

The question of how does someone become an overnight success makes me think about this video:

Yes, there is some element of "having the DNA" but you also have to hustle, you have to have talent, you have to have a thick skin, you have to have patience, and most of all, you have to work hard. Nothing happens overnight.

People won't understand you, people won't believe in you, they may even put you down. but your customer will if you treat them well. Develop your people skills, even if you don't have them now, you have to work on them.

Then I thought I would share this and put a nail in that coffin. There is no overnight success! 

If you only watch one video today, watch the one below

Go out there and get it done, don't whine, don't complain, hustle. Ask me any question I can help with, I want to help you.

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We're reading: Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook, by Gary Vaynerchuk.

We selected this book during the last meetup for The Power of Habit. By all accounts, The Power of Habit was a fantastic first choice. I expect that our next choice will be as enlightening.

I have read Crush It! and The Thank You Economy, also by Gary Vaynerchuk. Gary is on his 4th book now: #AskGaryVee, but we're starting with Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook, his 3rd book because it is very relevant to our business. Most of the people involved in the Dot Com Lifestyle group have or want to have an online business.

We seek the kind of business that frees up our time and resources so we can do whatever we want. Social media has risen to be a very disruptive force in today's world. We've seen complete industries turned upside down because of Facebook, and Twitter. Instagram and Flickr changed the photography landscape forever.

We've seen regimes collapse under the pressure created by social media users. We have seen businesses explode because of a good Youtube commercial. This is why we want to read this book. How can we as entrepreneurs tap into the power of social media?

The title is descriptive of the philosophy that Gary preaches. Jab, Jab, Jab means to deliver the small but solid hits that pave the way for a knockout --the Right Hook-- punch in a fight. My buddy John Chow pointed out that it's a strange analogy to use when you're trying to build a business and generate sales.

Like do you want to "punch" your customer? He asked during our first meeting last week. And I can see that the principle could have been better illustrated with a more friendly analogy. But at the same time, in business we often say " go knock them out!" when talking about delivering a presentation, or business proposal.

Either way I'm really looking forward to reading this book. The questions that come to mind as of the writing of this book are:

• What exactly does Gary mean by Jab, Jab, Jab?
• When and how do you deliver the Right Hook?
• How do we translate our business goals, intentions and sincerity into social media activities?

The book Breakdown is as follows:

• Week 1 - Start the book. You should have read up to the "Kit Kat: Timed Out" section (page 75) before meeting for week #2.
• Week 2 -  Read up to Comedy Central: Bringing Community Together (page - 148), before meeting for week #3.
• Week 3 - Read from 149 to finish. before meeting for week #4
• Week 4 - Let's wrap up the book, commentary, lessons learned, questions pending and selecting the next book.

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I have a picture with him somewhere during his first book's tour.

And why? Not only because he's a fast talker, but because he works (and worked) his ass off to get to where he is now.

He's one of those guys that predicts the future of social media, marketing and business in general, but then puts his head down and makes things happen. Then he'll either push everything to happen the way he predicted or he'll just create a new trend.

Like his latest Q&A series and quick videos. Lots of people did this before, but now that Gary does them, everyone is jumping in the bandwagon.

But this just showed up in my Youtube inbox and it was a cool video. Great for the fans, (I admit to being a fan). And a great introduction for the uninitiated. Enjoy

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