The Thank You Economy

By: Gary Vaynerchuk

Narrated by: Gary Vaynerchuk

Length: 5 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's Summary

If this were 1923, this book would have been called "Why Radio Is Going to Change the Game" . . .

If it were 1995, it would be "Why Amazon Is Going to Take Over the Retailing World" . . .

The Thank You Economy is about something big, something greater than any single revolutionary platform. It isn't some abstract concept or wacky business strategy—it's real, and every one of us is doing business in it every day, whether we choose to recognize it or not. It's the way we communicate, the way we buy and sell, the way businesses and consumers interact online and offline. The Internet, where the Thank You Economy was born, has given consumers back their voice, and the tremendous power of their opinions via social media means that companies and brands have to compete on a whole different level than they used to.

Gone are the days when a blizzard of marketing dollars could be used to overwhelm the airwaves, shut out the competition, and grab customer awareness. Now customers' demands for authenticity, originality, creativity, honesty, and good intent have made it necessary for companies and brands to revert to a level of customer service rarely seen since our great-grandparents' day, when business owners often knew their customers personally, and gave them individual attention.

Here renowned entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk reveals how companies big and small can scale that kind of personal, one-on-one attention to their entire customer base, no matter how large, using the same social media platforms that carry consumer word of mouth.

©2011 Gary Vaynerchuk (P)2011 HarperCollins Publishers

Gary is fun, but the book is a bit shallow

The Thank You Economy has some good things to say, to be sure, but it only really makes one point: "You must interact one-on-one with your customers using social media." And then Gary makes that same point over and over and over again. So if you "get it" and are already using social media, the book ends up not having much more to say; it's more like a long magazine article than a book. The whole second half is essentially just a serious of anecdotes about specific companies and their use of social media, which Gary then critiques superficially.

Unfortunately, once you "get it" and decide that you must use social media as he recommends, he doesn't offer much in the way of concrete advice for specific programs. He does offer a few dos and don'ts for Twitter and the like, but this sort of stuff is already all over the web.

Gary reads his own work with a folksy schtick that is admittedly fun, and he updates his own work by ad libbing new information for things that have changed since the print edition came out. Some listeners may find him cloying however, so listen to the sample, first.

Best recommended for those who have yet to see the light on social media. If you're already a convert, there's not that much here.

This one is just "okay"...

With all due respect to Gary Vaynerchuk, who I think is a visionary and about 24-48 months ahead of the business world as far as innovation goes... this book needs more meat. Yes, there are business examples, yes, there are some interesting and funny stories... but it just didn't recapture the magic of "Crush It" which is certainly the type of book Gary CAN do, and which I rate 5.5 stars on a 5 star scale. I hope during the time he is writing his next book refocuses his attention on the few projects he wants to do well (to include his next book), because the result of spreading himself too thin could definitely be seen and felt while I was listening to this book. Sorry, but I gotta give this book a paz.

Business has changed & it's more than social media

I am the owner of an interactive agency, so I get that social media is a fundamental shift taking place in our society, and I'm really tired of reading about books that try to get other businesses to "get it." That's not what Thank You Economy is about. This book is about the underlying change in consumer behavior that makes social media critical for a business, which is people are doing business with companies that they like and love.

Gary Vee does an outstanding job of explaining how and why this shift is occurring, and gives a whole slew of examples of exactly what to do with the section on case studies.

The narration is great also. Gary goes off script like, every 3 minutes, so you feel like you're getting bonus material and information that's literally right up to the minute. I've seen him speak in person, and this is as close as you can get to that experience. (He'll also respond to you on Twitter, he's @garyvee.)

I give every new client we land at my agency this book when they come on board. I think Gary Vaynerchuk hit the nail on the head with this one.

"People Don't Care How Much You Know Until They.."

know how much you care. Gary V. knows a ton and he shares it with everyone. Gary is a student of his own program, his success could be your success.
*
If you are wondering why 'social media' and the internet and customer service is so important... do yourself a favor and get this Audible book. Gary educates and entertains, he will get you up to speed in an easy to understand fashion.

Baby Boomers Need to Read This Book

My business partner and I are Baby Boomers and when questioned about whether to get involved in Social Media other than a website, we both thought that it would be too much trouble and it would take too much time to keep up with it. Frankly, we thought this was for kids and of no direct value for business. Then Audibles put "The Thank You Economy" in its listing and I decided to listen to it.

Am I ever glad that I did. Gary Vaynerchuck delivers it enthusiatically and, as a bonus, updates you on content that has changed since the written book was published. I now get it and have begun using Social Media as normal tools for personal and business contacts.

I recommend this book highly to anyone but especially to Baby Boomers who often have difficulty grappling with changes in communication that they might think are just for kids. As I stated recently in my Twitter account, "If social media is outside your business comfort zone, get over it before your competitor does" and "Think social media is a fad, not applicable for business? Ask kids where they consult for purchases". Well done, Gary

READ IT!!

As much as I would not like my competitors to read this book I know a must read for EVERYONE except for those who work in the bar and nightclub industry ;)

"social media"

I listened to this book to advise my boss on why our social media is not working. I am glad I listened and definitely gained knowledge. I think this is a great book for the small business owner to read/listen and rethink the approach taken to Facebook and Twitter and others.

Love this book. Thank you Gary.

I am the CTO of a small startup company in Denmark, and I love this book. Gary is that kind of guy that can inspire me.
The internet has brought people closer together. People are communicating, and they do so faster and wider than before. And with smartphones they do it instantly.
Get in to the social media. It is here to stay, and it works. This book gives great inspiration on how it is done correctly. It has given me great ideas to improve our product and brand.
And thank you Gary for doing the audio yourself. I can just hear how much in to this stuff you are, and how much this is in your heart and soul. It makes it so much more powerful to listen to.

First Crush It, Now This!

This guy must be such an annoying little douche to those in his life but boy can he write a great book! (The "I love my mommy" issues are a bit weird though.)

Why You Need to Use Social Media Correctly

Would you consider the audio edition of The Thank You Economy to be better than the print version?

Yes only because you truly hear the author's enthusiasm. I think hearing his voice made me like the book even more. It also helped that he would go "off script" sometimes.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

I loved when he analyzed the Old Spice social media campaign and where they succeeded and where they dropped the ball. I thought I was the only one who noticed.

What about Gary Vaynerchuk’s performance did you like?

Enthusiastic, unabridged yet had some extra add-ins every now & then.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I chuckled a few times, but no "extreme" reaction.

Any additional comments?

Really solid book with great case studies.

Grasping the not so-obvious

I loved this book. Most social media books give a hum-drum of social media history and tell you much of the same things that everyone else tells you. There's some differentiation, but after reading Gary's book, I think they really miss the point.

Gary Vaynerchuk seems to have a real grasp on the real trend of what's happening in the social media revolution. The best advice I've ever received is regarding change is to ignore the technology and understand the fundamental human need that's being met. Gary does this. Social media is a way for us to engage and not just find another media to spam people with our messaging and advertising, and that's the heart of the message of this book - as I understand it.

People aren't stupid, and they don't care what you say about yourself; they want proof that what's on the label is real. No amount of hype will do this. Engagement and content will. True service, not lip service. Social media gives us the platform to value people as people, to let people see what we're really all about, and to spread the word about it.

But Gary goes further and gives you strong examples of how to combine social media with other means to create strategies that have true impact on those you're trying to reach and on what you want to accomplish. While the book doesn't have the step-by-step methodology that some want; if it did, we'd lose the essence of substance and transparency that is the heart of what social media is all about.

As relevant in 2016 as when it was written

Just finished this and as a massive fan of #garyvee I thoroughly enjoyed it - my main concern was how relevant something written on 2011 would be - but it is still super relevant as so many companies have still failed to view and adopt digital media in the correct way - even in 2016 - get this - listen to it and change how you do business forever - implementation is everything

Essential but somewhat basic.

I follow a lot of Gary's work and believe in a lot of his principles. This book does, however, include a lot of things people now already know.

Gary notes at the very end of this book that "this book will self destruct in 4 years", since business now understands and utilises the concept.

If you are new to the premise of the thank you economy, or want to have why it is essential in today's economy reinforced, then this book is great and worth the read. If not, maybe try something else.

Gary is such a natural and real guy

Authentic, natural and helpful. Thank you Ga
ry! I have learned a learned a lot
about the book

Thank You

literally as powerful today as when Gary vee first released this. Amazing and so much relevance during these times

Great Book

I love how pumped Gary. Vaynerchuk is narrating this. Makes it fun and easy to listen to!

Insightful and unique!

By far the best author when it comes to audio books. Love how Gary goes off script to go deep into a topic & example. There is so much of value in this even if some of the concepts have changed. There is still value !

Still very relevant

although the book is soon to be 10 years not much have changed in the real world. social media is just getting more and more important. The only think that need an update is to replace Tumblr with Instagram / Pinterest.

moved

As i continue reeding these books again and again i start driving my startup in the right direction and exploring for more future possibilities. thank you gary ve, i recommend this book to anyone who doesnt know why is his business failing yet they are doing "all" they should be!

Gary is the man

The dude knows his shit. can't wait to crush it in the real world. social media is the future.