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This book definitely crushed it.

Gary's story and recommendations in Crush It!: Why NOW is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion are extremely fun and informative. Also, I can truly say that for this book, the audio version was quite an enhancement because it's read by Gary himself (who has quite a quirky, fun personality), and he routinely goes off the script to elaborate, inject more personal stories, and update the text since the manuscript was published. That was a real value-add in the audiobook.

The book goes through Gary's background, how he set up his business, how he learned about social media marketing, and contains specific recommendations on how to get started and specifically what to do to make money pursuing your passion using social media. Below are my main takeaways and notes.
Ch. 1: Passion is Everything
  • Love your family.
  • Work super hard.
  • Live your passion.
  • Social media = business.
  • Business is contradictions.
  • Gary's background: family Jewish immigrant story
  • Grew up as natural entrepreneur
  • Started with lemonade stands
  • Collected and sold baseball cards; found market opportunity in unpriced/unlisted cards
  • Wants to own NY Jets one day
  • Sold wines in family liquor store
  • His success all about storytelling.
Ch. 3: Build Your Personal Brand
  • Your business = your brand.
  • Trust your palette.
  • Crete video blogs of your point of view.
Ch. 5: Create Great Content
  • Choose product you're most passionate about.
  • Know your stuff.
  • Pump content to social media.
  • Think of 50 blog topics on your subject.
  • Tell a story.
  • Comment on others' blogs.
Ch. 6: Choose Your Platform
  • Wordpress
  • Tumblr: free hosting of your domain, re-blogging functionality, helps with word of mouth spread
  • Use call to action buttons: Follow Me, etc.
  • Use share buttons: story extenders.
  • Facebook fan page
  • Twitter: search by zip code, search for your topic, interact with all
  • Ask on Twitter: What can I do for you?
  • YouTube
  • Ustream
  • Ping.fm
  • TubeMogul
  • Blip.tv
Ch. 7: Keep It Real
  • Invest in important stuff: only content (no one cares what mic you have)
  • No redos, no retakes; use Flip cam; must be real
  • Be authentic.
  • Hustle, work hard.
  • Patience: must devote serious effort for at least one year before you can judge any results
Ch. 8: Create Community
  • Community building should take more time than content creation.
  • Start conversations with others online.
  • Trade anecdotes; join all conversations in play on your topic; devote hours to this per day.
  • Distribute all posts on Ping or TubeMogul.
  • Search for all conversations or comments out there anywhere on your topic.
  • Leave comments linking back to your blog.
  • Capture every interaction: Call to Action buttons (Subscribe, Follow, Join Fan Page, Share, Tweet, Email This).
  • Even one interested person/fan is great.
Ch. 9: Best Marketing Strategy Ever
  • Care (entire chapter is one word)
Ch. 10: Make the World Listen
  • Buy domain of your name or focus.
  • Start tumblr account to host.
  • Hire web designer to make you a nice UI with Call to Action buttons.
  • Buy a Flip cam/Mino HD (maybe not anymore!).
  • Create Facebook Fan page, Twitter, Ping, TubeMogul accounts.
  • Every night, post a video of you talking about your content area.
  • Search twitter for your topic; follow people talking about it.
  • Leave good comments on others' blogs.
  • Do this over and over again.
  • Anything you get (fans, revenues, etc.) is better than 0.
Ch. 11: Start Monetizing
  • Advertising
  • Deck Network
  • Cold call all companies using AdSense on your topic and ask them to advertise directly with you.
  • Give talks for free at shows on your topic.
  • Affiliate programs
  • Commission Junction, ShareASale
  • Uncrate
  • Try retail.
  • Create swag.
  • Write articles for other blogs, local papers.
  • Put up your own seminars.
  • Write books.
  • Get on TV.
  • Do consulting.
Ch. 12: Roll with It
  • Sometimes need to be reactionary in business also (even if contradictory)
  • Adapt
  • Example of Cristal champagne which failed to adapt when rappers were drinking it in clubs; they didn't embrace this customer segment and eventually lost it (more on this in Jay-Z's autobiography!).
Ch. 13: Legacy Greater than Currency
  • All people are now in the public eye.
  • Long-term always more important
Conclusion
  • Everyone is in the customer service business; only your content changes.
  • Focus on culture.
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