JAB & HOOK

Gary Vaynerchuk (2013). Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook.

Vaynerchuk has a BA in Management Science and is best known for his entrepreneurial work.

The boxing metaphor of jab and right hook is applied to marketers where jabs represent creating connections with audience interests (GIVING for free), and the hook represents asking the audience to do something (e.g., purchase a product/service, subscribe, like...(GETTING). The general format is for marketing is: jab, jab, jab...followed by the hook (jabs are the free gives to create connection and the right hook is the knock out punch).

For every type of social media, there is a native context that the marketer needs to read based on who is using the platform, their purpose, and the platform's unique format...all of these need to be taken into account when engaging with the audience in jabs and hooks. Best advice across platforms is to use a striking, high-quality photo to grab attention (most people are scanning, looking for something to connect with their interests/motives), brief text that is provocative, entertaining, and/or surprising, with a logo and hyperlink visible.

Social media sites discussed, in order of most to least users, are: facebook, instagram, tiktok, x (formerly twitter), and pintrest.

Vaynerchuk also references his earlier book, The Thank You Economy in which he advocates marketers answer every email, comment, and tweet, thereby getting to know one's customers and build trust, show gratitude publicly, and turn complaints into conversations.

Practice: follow the advice above for one topic, product, or service that you are interested in promoting on one social media site: post in the native context with a high-quality photo, brief text that is provocative, entertaining, and/or surprising, and insert a visible logo and hyperlink.