I’ve been watching GaryVee closely for years, and one thing consistently stands out in his marketing philosophy: organic content is king. In a recent session, Gary doubled down on this belief in a way that perfectly crystallizes what I’ve been telling my clients all along.
When asked about businesses struggling with organic content and whether they should pivot to paid advertising, Gary’s response was blunt: “If they’re not good at making content, if they’re gonna do paid, they’re gonna make bad content that’s gonna cost them even more money because they’re amplifying bad content.”
This is the fundamental truth many business owners miss – throwing money at bad content only magnifies its ineffectiveness.
The Hard Truth About Your Content
If you’ve been creating content for months with minimal results, it’s time for some tough love: your content probably isn’t good enough. I see this constantly with brands that come to me frustrated about their social media performance. They’re quick to blame the algorithm or assume they need to pay for reach, when the real issue is much simpler.
The problem isn’t the platform – it’s the content itself.
Gary’s approach to this realization is refreshingly direct. He doesn’t sugarcoat it: “Swallow a humility pill and realize you fucking suck at it. Get better.” While harsh, this perspective is exactly what many businesses need to hear.
Personal Branding: Conviction Over Convincing
One of the most powerful insights from Gary’s recent talk was his stance on personal branding for CEOs. When asked about convincing executives to invest in their personal brand, his response resonated deeply with me:
“I’m not in the business of convincing people… Have conviction, don’t convince.”
This philosophy has transformed how I approach my own work with clients. Rather than trying to persuade skeptical business owners about the value of personal branding, I focus on working with those who already see its potential.
The evidence speaks for itself. As Gary puts it: “Of course it fucking works… There’s a billion examples of it.” Yet he also acknowledges that personal branding isn’t the only path to success – “I don’t think the only way to win is to have a personal brand. I think it’s one of the ways.”
Improving Your Content Strategy
If you’re struggling with organic content, here are the steps I recommend based on Gary’s approach:
- Honest self-assessment – Acknowledge where your content falls short
- Study what works – Analyze high-performing content in your niche
- Experiment constantly – Try new formats, styles, and topics
- Break patterns – Disrupt expectations to capture attention
- Seek feedback – Get honest opinions from your target audience
When you do create something that performs well, Gary suggests leveraging it further by repurposing it as an ad – not just by boosting the post, but by adding strategic calls to action and tweaking the ending while preserving the first three seconds that made it successful in the first place.
Embracing Change and Phases
Another valuable insight from Gary’s talk was about giving ourselves permission to change and evolve. “You’re allowed to change what you’re going for,” he emphasized. This applies to both content strategy and broader business goals.
What works today might not work tomorrow. The person you are now might want different things than your future self. This mindset of flexibility and evolution is crucial for long-term success in marketing and business.
Gary put it perfectly: “I’m fucking different tomorrow than yesterday. Life is in phases.” This perspective allows us to adapt our content and strategies as we grow, rather than remaining rigidly committed to approaches that no longer serve us.
The key is being intentional about whatever phase you’re in. Once you decide on your current focus – whether that’s building an audience, driving sales, or making an impact – commit fully to executing that strategy before moving to the next phase.
Organic content marketing isn’t just a tactic – it’s a commitment to creating value that resonates with your audience. If you’re not seeing results, don’t rush to paid advertising. Instead, focus on improving your content fundamentals. The organic approach may take longer, but it builds a foundation that paid advertising simply can’t replicate.
And remember – if you’re struggling to improve, resources abound. As Gary mentioned, “There’s millions of other people besides me spitting knowledge on how to get views organically.” The information is out there. The question is: are you humble enough to admit you need it?