The Thank You Economy is another great read from the renowned entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk. Gary V. (as he’s known) explains how we’ve entered a new business era in which the brands that thrive won’t be the ones with the biggest advertising budgets, but will instead be the ones that can prove they truly care about their customers.

I learned a lot from this book, although I wish it hadn’t spent so much time trying to convince me that social media was a worthwhile pursuit. I get it already!

One thing I loved about this book is the time dedicated to real world examples. Gary V. walks through a variety of businesses that are doing things right. My head was spinning with new ideas for the businesses I work with!

Here are some of my big takeaways:

– social media has transformed the world into one giant small town: strength of relationships and the currency of caring is what matters here.

– Valuing every single customer is crucial in the Thank You Economy no matter how small!

– Seek out your advocates and knock their socks off! This will pay huge dividends!

– Be real. be transparent. stop wasting time trying to control your message, that ship has sailed!

– No matter the challenge, the solution is to “Outcare!” This will always win in the Thank You Economy

Read it if

– You’re a business owner or executive (or want to be)
– You need a crash course in how to make the most of social media for businesses
– You want some real world examples of how businesses are using social media to crush it!
– Your career involves interacting with customers & clients.

Have you read it? What were your biggest takeaways?