Website: WineLibrary TV
Blog: Gary Vaynerchuk
Twitter: @GaryVaynerchuk
Bio: Gary Vaynerchuk is one of the true internet celebrity superstars created because of extremely hard work and a great sense of internet marketing. Ten years from now, he will be one of the examples found in textbooks across the company about amazing entrepreneurs creating success on the internet for during this decade.

Gary Vaynerchuk is the poster child for transparency. There are very few people who are quite so adamant about saying exactly what they think and being completely honest. But Gary’s propensity to be transparent has been an absolute boon for him and his business at WineLibrary TV). He is one of the most entertaining marketers to watch and one of the most polarizing ones at that.

Social Media Tactics discusses various ways social and new media users build relationships and add value to their audience. Each week, we will look at various marketers, entrepreneurs, designers, writers and analysts, focusing on one person/group that uses the tactic successfully. This feature is designed to show you some of the best ways to enhance your own brand and social media presence, while demonstrating how some smart users employ social media tactics.

The Social Media Tactics series can be found here.

• Being Transparent Pt. 1: Andrew Warner
• Being Transparent Pt. 2: Twitter

I don’t know anyone who is more willing to honestly point out consumer flaws like saying that people spend money on expensive champagne due to “lack of self-esteem” and people buy pinot noir “because Hollywood told them to drink it”. In fact, he also has no qualms with bashing and downtalking wines he doesn’t like.

How Transparency Helps Gary Vaynerchuk

Gary’s honesty is what makes hundreds of people call him names like snob and jerk (and many less family-friendly insults), but also is what sets him apart from everyone else. If he’d gone up and started his career as just a polite wine connoisseur giving middle-of-the-road responses, there’s little chance he would have made his mark on the internet or anywhere else. Sure, he’d still be extremely hard-working and have production value, but his podcasts would ultimately be bland and uninteresting. And it’s absolutely what makes him a captivating public speaker.

Though his style can’t really be recommended (it would be pretty hard to fake, too), there are a number of lessons that can be learned from the way Gary interacts with his audience. He’s honest; he’s transparent; and most importantly his information is useful. Keep in mind, if you’re selling or marketing a specific product, this approach can easily hurt as much as it helps. For Gary, it works because he’s a critic. As a social media influencer, taking Gary’s approach of blunt honesty can be leveraged to show yourself off as a knowledgeable and respected advisor. The most important thing though is that you have to know what you’re talking about. Otherwise it will backfire very quickly.

What’s very interesting to me about Gary’s social media presence is that his personality doesn’t come off nearly as transparent (or controversial) on Twitter as it does in his videos. If you look at his Twitter feed, with the exception of Jets rants, he’s much more toned down. Yet it doesn’t hurt his popularity either (Over 850K followers).*
*This just goes to show you that excellence in one area of media can translate over to success in a different arena regardless of content.

So how can you leverage transparency in a similar way to improve your own presence? Well, most importantly you have to realize that transparency in this scenario is best used as a tactic to employ where you see fit, rather than a one-size-fits-all model. It works for Gary Vaynerchuk because his personality complements his style and ability to critique wines. If it makes you just come off as a jerk or isn’t really beneficial to your cause, then it may just be more prudent to stay polite and guarded. That said, Gary’s approach makes him less boring. It differentiates him from any potential competitors and his candor adds value to his podcast. He is just as much an entertainer as he is a wine critic.

To quote Seth Godin:

If you can use the tools of transparency to tell the story better, do it! But if your audience will enjoy the story more if you apply some misdirection and magic, then why not? … Playing poker with your cards face up on the table might get you some attention at first, but in the long run it’s unlikely to help you win a lot of hands.

Do you find it useful to be transparent as an individual using your social media tools? Do you employ transparency as a tactic, or do you like to play everything close to the vest and be as professional as possible?

Jaremy Rich writes a technology, marketing and gaming blog at Techshots. He loves a nice bottle of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and gets a real kick out of Gary Vaynerchuk and The Thunder Show.

Photo Source: RogerSmithHotel