Gary Vaynerchuk
Chairman – VaynerX, CEO – VaynerMedia, Creator – VeeFriends
Gary Vaynerchuk uses LinkedIn to share motivational messages and business insights. His most distinctive move is using short, punchy statements and direct language to cut through the noise and resonate with his audience.
13.5/wk
175 posts in 30d
926
avg per post
15.2%
comments / total
3.9%
reposts / total
statement
Sun · 2 PM CET
Voice & tone
GaryVee's voice is direct, energetic, and unapologetically authentic. He uses strong language and a no-nonsense approach to deliver his message. He's the friend who tells you what you need to hear, not always what you want to hear. Think: "You're eating this 'fear cake' like it's your f*cking job. Stop it!!"
Signature phrases
- “Keep going, friends. Keep going.”
- “The world is awesome.”
- “I am telling you, you’re great.”
- “Stop comparing.”
- “What you want to do, not what you used to do.”
Top 3 posts, dissected
Their highest-engagement posts, broken down line by line. Steal the structure.
Keep going, friends. Keep going.
The simple repetition of "Keep going, friends. Keep going." is powerful because it's concise, encouraging, and universally applicable. It's a pure shot of motivation.
Single-sentence affirmation.
- Repetition for emphasis
- Direct address
- Simplicity
No explicit CTA, but the affirmation itself encourages action, leading to likes and reposts.
Sometimes, the most effective message is the simplest one.
You're eating this "fear cake" like it's your f*cking job. Stop it!! The world is awesome, there's unlimited opportunities... there's tons of people winning... please choose love and optimism and hope ❤️
The hook uses strong language ("f*cking job") and a vivid metaphor ("fear cake") to immediately grab attention and create a sense of urgency.
A series of short, declarative sentences that build upon each other to create a powerful message.
- Strong language
- Metaphor
- Direct address
Ends with a call to "choose love and optimism and hope ❤️", which is an emotional appeal that encourages engagement.
Don't be afraid to use strong language and emotional appeals to connect with your audience.
No, you didn't waste time. You learned.
This hook reframes a common negative experience (wasting time) into a positive learning opportunity. It's relatable and offers instant relief.
Two-sentence statement.
- Reframing
- Conciseness
- Empathy
No explicit CTA, but the message encourages a shift in perspective, leading to likes and shares.
Offer a fresh perspective on common challenges to resonate with your audience.
What drives their engagement
GaryVee's direct and often controversial opinions provoke discussion and debate in the comments. He also uses emotional language that people respond to.
His motivational messages and business insights are highly shareable because they offer value and resonate with a wide audience. The short length of many posts makes them easy to share quickly.
Low — this creator optimizes for reach not saves. His content is more about immediate impact than long-term reference.
Content pillars
Motivation
40%Delivering pep talks and encouragement to professionals facing challenges.
Business Truths
25%Sharing unconventional wisdom and practical advice on business and entrepreneurship.
Self-Awareness
20%Promoting self-reflection and personal growth for career success.
Hustle Culture
10%Inspiring hard work, dedication, and a proactive mindset.
Relevance
5%Sharing his opinions on current events and trends.
Hook patterns
Affirmation Bomb
Positive statement + encouragement.
“"Keep going, friends. Keep going."”
→ Provides instant gratification and resonates with people seeking motivation.
The Reality Check
Direct address + harsh truth + call to action.
“"You're eating this 'fear cake' like it's your f*cking job. Stop it!!"”
→ Grabs attention with bluntness and challenges the reader's mindset.
Reframing Failure
Negative situation + positive reframe.
“"No, you didn't waste time. You learned."”
→ Offers a comforting perspective and promotes resilience.
Truth Bomb
Contrarian claim + personal experience.
“"I haven't looked at a f*cking resume in 20 years because I want to know what you want to do, not what you used to do."”
→ Challenges conventional thinking and establishes authority.
Direct Address
Directly speaking to the reader, often using 'you'.
“You're eating this 'fear cake' like it's your f*cking job.”
→ Creates a personal connection and makes the message more impactful.
Top-performing hooks
“Keep going, friends. Keep going.”
→ The post's simplicity and directness resonate with a broad audience. The message is universally applicable and provides a quick boost of encouragement, leading to high engagement.
“You're eating this "fear cake" like it's your f*cking job. Stop it!! The world is awesome, there's unlimited opportunities... there's tons of people winning... please choose love and optimism and hope ❤️”
→ The post uses a strong, attention-grabbing opening statement to challenge a common behavior ('eating fear cake'). It then pivots to a positive and encouraging message, creating an emotional response a
“No, you didn't waste time. You learned.”
→ The post offers a concise and relatable message that resonates with a broad audience. Its simplicity and positive framing encourage engagement through likes, comments, and shares.
“The world is full of talkers who complain and envy doers… I am telling you, you’re great… now believe it yourself - stop comparing, stop worrying about outside noise and judgment - start slowing down and focusing on what actually matters”
→ The post resonates by offering direct encouragement and actionable advice to overcome common entrepreneurial challenges. The bold opening grabs attention, and the message is concise and easily digesti
“I haven't looked at a f*cking resume in 20 years because I want to know what you want to do, not what you used to do.”
→ The post uses a strong, controversial opening to grab attention and challenges traditional hiring methods. The raw, unfiltered language and relatable points about references resonate with those who fe
“A great leader eliminates fear. A terrible leader weaponizes fear.”
→ The post presents a concise, easily digestible contrast between good and bad leadership, which is highly relatable and sparks immediate agreement or disagreement, driving engagement. The simplicity an
“This is a post for the parents who are lucky enough to have birthed a winner and maybe confused just a tad on how to handle a little competitive winner .. don’t dim her or his light … competition dna is a gift ..and they will calibrate it over time .”
→ The post resonates with parents of competitive children by offering validation and actionable advice. The direct address and relatable topic likely contribute to high engagement.
“It’s suppose to be hard .. that’s the point ..we have gotten confused along the way and decided the goal was “easy” or that “easy” had some great outcome on the other side …. You don’t do 1 push up and think you’re gunna have muscles so why do you th”
→ The post resonates by challenging the desire for 'easy' and emphasizing the value of hard work. It uses a relatable analogy (push-ups) and offers broad encouragement, making it widely applicable and s
“Friends, leaders, colleagues...an important announcement:”
→ The post is a direct announcement, which creates anticipation and draws attention. The high engagement suggests the announcement is relevant and interesting to the poster's network.
“It's simple ❤️”
→ The post is short, relatable, and uses a powerful, universally understood symbol (heart emoji) to convey a message of simplicity. This makes it easy to engage with and share.
What works
- Short, punchy statements: Micro posts (<30 words) average 942 engagement, showing the power of brevity.
- Direct and strong language: Using phrases like "f*cking job" grabs attention and creates impact.
- Motivational messages: Posts focused on encouragement and positive thinking resonate strongly with his audience.
- Contrarian opinions: Challenging conventional wisdom sparks discussion and engagement.
- Consistent posting: Maintaining a high posting frequency (13.5 posts/week) keeps him top-of-mind.
- Sunday posting: Posting on Sundays at 13:00 UTC yields optimal results.
Steal this for your own LinkedIn
- Embrace brevity: Craft short, impactful messages that cut through the noise.
- Be direct and authentic: Don't be afraid to use strong language and share your true opinions.
- Offer motivational content: Provide encouragement and inspiration to your audience.
- Challenge conventional thinking: Share contrarian viewpoints to spark discussion.
- Post consistently: Maintain a regular posting schedule to stay top-of-mind.
- Experiment with timing: Test different posting times to find what works best for your audience.
Compare Gary with…
vs Justin Welsh
Gary Vaynerchuk vs Justin Welsh: Motivation beats specificity on LinkedIn
vs Matt Gray
Gary Vaynerchuk vs Matt Gray: Motivation beats systems on LinkedIn
vs Alex Hormozi
Hormozi vs GaryVee: Controversy beats motivation on LinkedIn
vs Bill Gates
Bill Gates vs Gary Vaynerchuk: Data-driven advocacy beats motivational volume
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Posting patterns
GaryVee posts frequently, averaging 13.5 posts per week, maintaining a consistent presence on the platform.
His posts perform best on Sundays around 13:00 UTC.
Micro (<30 words) and short (30-80 words) posts perform best, averaging 942 and 969 engagement respectively, likely due to their easy readability and shareability.
Engagement by day
Content mix
avg 842 engagements per post
avg 743 engagements per post
avg 1.0K engagements per post
avg 565 engagements per post
avg 1.9K engagements per post
avg 1.5K engagements per post
GaryVee's content mix works because it balances motivational messages with practical business advice, appealing to a broad audience of professionals seeking both inspiration and actionable insights. The high percentage of statement-based posts (31%) reflects his direct and assertive communication style.
