It takes 2 Cents to Grow a Wine Show [10/14/08]

Hey everybody, it's Gary Vaynerchuk. You know, people Yeah, I know. You know, people always ask me, "How much does it cost to uh launch a video show? How much did it cost you to build up Wine Library TV? " There's a question I'm asked all the time. I was doing an interview today uh for a business video blog. And um once again, Gary, but the big question is, how much does it cost to do this and build your brand and build in the new social media world? And here's my answer, folks. Two cents. I spent millions of dollars building wine library. com, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, full page ads and wine spectator, billboards, radio, star ledger, direct mail, just on and on. Wine library TV, two cents. My two cents. That's what it cost me. You need to get into the community. If you are just starting a show right now or a blog and you're trying to figure out how to get traffic, here is how you do it. Let me help you. Forget about all the glitz and glamour, forget about your stage cuz it could be anything. What you need to focus on is your content. You have to have the chops. If what you talk about or what you do sucks, you've lost anyway. This next part won't matter. So, please, even if you're really passionate about it, understand you've got to be good. I'm very passionate of being the starting running back for the New York Jets, but it's not going to happen. You don't see me doing a science blog, even though I see huge opportunity there because some of those science advertisers got bank, you know, you've got to have the chops, too. That's why I stick to the bino sometimes sports, you know. So, recognize that. But more importantly, the way you go about is you pump out the content and then you spend hours, 80 to 90% of your time, did you just hear what I said? Leaving comments on blogs, forums, and social networks that have to do with your subject matter. For example, if I was not at the pinnacle of where I am now, and I still have plenty of that kind of work to do now, but a lot more is now coming to me, but I would be in every Facebook fan page about my subject matter. If there was a Facebook fan page for Cabernet and other Merllo's and other wines, and there's tons of them, I'd be in there becoming a fan of all of them and leaving relevant content, not saying, "Oh, come and check out my video on this Merllo. " No, I would just say, "Oh, this is one of my favorite Merllo. " And hopefully somebody will click my face, find my page, and on. I would go to every blog right now. Google blog search and type in the word wine like I did years ago and go in and spend time reading the most current blog post from somebody. No matter how big if it says 649 readers, that's huge. Seven readers, you don't skip that blog. Read the latest post and leave a contact, you know, a comment, excuse me. You're making a connection with that blogger and with that small audience that person has. So you go out there and you start leaving your two cents and you leave your two cents everywhere, right? And so all of a sudden two cents becomes four cents and four cents becomes 8 cents and 8 cents becomes 16 cents. And before you know it, you've put out a million dollars. And when you dollars, you're on your way to getting a million dollars. See you.