Hey everyone! Made a post on LinkedIn today (http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130711182903-10486099-send-flowers-on-july-12th?trk=prof-post) about the value of impressions especially when you put effort and an eliment of surprise behind it. Love to hear your thoughts!
I really wanted to make this video. There was a classic video in my world where I cold-call an advertiser for my fake beer show. A lot of you have seen that and thank you for that! (Want to get advertisers on your blog). But yesterday, I wanted to make a point by doing something similar but the context of the situation and the way you go about it changes the game.
In media, everyone is pushing out commercials, pre rolls and this-that-and-the-other thing. However, what I keep telling them is that social allows all of us to act more human. So I titled this video, send flowers on July 12th. Guys who are watching this - you know when your wife, or girlfriend or mistress (tisk tisk) or however you roll, gets flowers on Valentine's Day it is expected. You do get some points. But you will not get the points that I'm about to get.
This video was fun for me! I sent Lizzie, my wife, some flowers and did this by tweeting out which flower shop is best in NYC and wants my business. Kudos to H.Bloom they replied with their number on Twitter and I gave them a call. Lizzie will be much happier getting these flowers randomly because I was thinking about her and putting in the extra effort. This is what I want people to do with media. I want them to engage and and do different things and actually bring value to the situation. This is where people get very confused. We are trying to push out our message over and over in the form of a pre-roll or banner ad ect.
A fun phone call ensues.
The key is that I'm going to get so much more value for this impression. When this same thing that will happen on Valentine's day or her birthday (I'm taking the same exact manuver), this will get me so much more points at home. And once again IT"S THE SAME THING. Brands can do this same thing as well.
So here is the gist:
1. A brand jumps on twitter and gets the business and impressions. Give H.Bloom daps again.
2. I get points for this surprise. The impression and engagement and cost is the same. But the emotional high is much greater. Start thinking about how to surprise your customers or employees when its not expected using extra effort. Effort is still grossly underestimated aspect of the world we live in today. Do the same exact thing with a little applied effort and thought. There is a much bigger upside. Send the flowers on July 12th!

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Gary Vaynerchuk is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal Best-Selling author, self-taught wine expert, and innovative entrepreneur.
Family 1st! but after that, Businessman. Just a guy that Loves the Hustle, People, wine and the NYJets. Check out the new site, and tell me what you think at http://garyvaynerchuk.com.
You can also find me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/garyvee.