The New Rules of "Social" Media in 2026

In this Sunday episode of The GaryVee Audio Experience, I break down the new rules of social media in 2026 — the ones actually working right now. We don't live in social media anymore, we live in interest media, and that changes everything about how a business gets found. I explain why your third TikTok can fundamentally change your career even if you have zero followers (I just did it — 8.2 million organic views on a brand-new account), why the days of running paid ads on unproven creative are over, and why the world is becoming a barbell — extreme technology on one side, 1950s on the other, and if you don't pick a side you're going to lose. I also share why brand is the only defensible thing left in an AI world, why Substack is one of the most important new platforms of information, and why 2026 has to be an action year, not a thinking year. You'll learn about: • Why Social Media Is Dead and Interest Media Is Here • How to Get 8.2M Views With Zero Followers • Why Organic-First Beats Boosted Ads Every Time • Why Brand Is the Only Defense in an AI World • The Barbell — Extreme Tech and the 1950s • Why Substack Is a Lead Gen Machine • How to Make 2026 an Action Year, Not a Thinking Year

• 0:00Speaker 00

  We don't even live in social media anymore. We now live in interest media. Five years ago, you got content from the people you followed, even if you didn't give a shit what your cousin was doing today. I started a TikTok account. The first post on that account with zero followers got 8.2 million organic views. You better understand that every one of you now live in an AI world. This is only going to compound dramatically. Your third TikTok can fundamentally change the course of your career. This, my friends, is about adaptability. This is being prepared for the moment. This is the Gary Vee Audio Experience. Look, there's so much opportunity in social media, and whether you make the content or somebody else makes the content, the one thing that we are all bound by

• 0:44Speaker 00

  is that we are all fighting for attention of a human being to then do the thing that you want them to do. And attention has moved. We now live in a world that is incredibly fragmented, and I think we all know that. In fact, we don't even live in social media anymore. We now live in interest media. As many of you know that are on TikTok or Instagram or Facebook, five years ago, you got content from the people you followed, even if you didn't give a shit what your cousin was doing today. Today, when you opened up your TikTok or Instagram or Facebook, you're getting content of things you're currently interested in. The most intoxicating thing to me right now in the warfare of attention to build your actual business is that even if you've done nothing right for the last 15 years,

• 1:28Speaker 00

  the world we're in now allows you to close the gap very quickly. I've been making content now for 20 years. You've done nothing right, and your third TikTok can fundamentally change the course of your career. I'm just gonna leave. Thank you. The point I'm making there is this is insane. I've literally worked my face off for 20 years, 15 hours a day, to amass 50 million followers. And if you make a very good piece of content, as your fourth piece of content ever, it can literally lead to 15 to 20 new clients and leads or an employee that you're looking to hire, or whatever you're up to. Run for mayor in your town. I don't give a shit. What I care about is you understanding the intoxicating.

• 2:10Speaker 00

  The nature of the merit of a single post now, not what you've done to get to that single post. How many of you tried a little bit and didn't get the results you were looking for? Let's raise your hands. Raise it high. So for the 80 or 90 of you, I have good news. It, as you just saw, works. You just suck at it. And that's good. That's not a bad thing. That's a good thing. Whatever you were doing was not working. It could be multiple things. You gave up too early because you didn't have the patience for how much content needed to be done to break through. If your content is completely selfish and it's only about like, hey, this is what I do and I'd like you to give me money so that I can do it for you, that is not going to work. It's like boxing. If every single post you have is a right hook,

• 2:53Speaker 00

  the audience starts getting used to it and they're able to duck. If you do not put out the jab content or the faint content to set it up, you will lose. In my world, with the hope to grow your business, the jab content and the faint content is basically information for free with the hopes that it helps. That value will create the karma and will create the energy that will lead to the sale. What has built my career and many people that I've watched, who's the most committed to bringing the most value to the audience and letting the residual effects of that value drive their actual business? Doing good things leads to good results. The issue that I have that's different than a year ago is this social media thing is free.

• 3:37Speaker 00

  Google AdWords, you pay for. Direct mail, you pay for. Print ads, pay for. Social is free. Now, you can spend ads on it, which I recommend, by the way. How many people here spend ad dollars on social to get business? Raise your hands? All right, I'm gonna give you a very nuanced thing this morning that I hope you listen to me. The days of taking and making a video or an ad or a picture and running media on Facebook or Instagram or TikTok to get clients are over. You should always post every piece of content you make for a sale or an ad organically first. If it does well in views compared to your norm, that's what you start running media on. Many of you are wasting a lot of money on social

• 4:21Speaker 00

  because it cannot get views unless the creative is relevant. How many pieces of content did you post in social yesterday? Raise your hand and show me in fingers how many you posted. Six, two, three. Thank you. 10. Good shit, big dog.

• 4:37Speaker 00

  I posted 432.

• 4:40Speaker 00

  I'm being serious. How many people here follow me on social? Raise your hands just to get a sense? Thank you. Have some of you that just raised your hands starting to notice that there's new accounts starting to pop up for me? So it's not just Gary Vee, it's Gary Vee on podcast, it's Uncle Vee on fucking TikTok. I will probably have by the end of the year over a thousand different accounts. Because what I've been telling you that you don't need followers to get views, I started saying to myself, I'm not gonna cry for myself that my 20 years of work have been commoditized. I'm just gonna go on the offense of the same thing. This, my friends, is about adaptability. This is being prepared for the moment. How many people here have seen the piece of content where I met that young girl after a talk? And she said, "I know one day I'm gonna be somebody."

• 5:25Speaker 00

  And I said, "You're somebody now." I started a TikTok account called "You're Somebody Now." The first post I posted on that account with zero followers was a slight edit on the video that did well for me, which is why many of you saw it. That video with zero followers got 8.2 million organic views. When every single person goes to an AI bot and says, "I need a chiropractor now, who should I go with?" You better understand that every one of you now live in an AI world. This is only gonna compound dramatically. And I need you to have a brand because brand is going to be the only thing that's defensible in this extreme technology world. I'm gonna take you to the complete other extreme, and I believe this has the capacity

• 6:09Speaker 00

  to grow your business dramatically. I am asking all of you to call, text, write to every client you've ever had. All I am asking you is to reach out to them and see how they're doing. Nothing else. I'm not telling you to do it because I think they're gonna re-up with you and you're gonna remind them and they're gonna be like, "Oh, I need you." I think if you really do it the way I'm saying, which is just be a good person and just say hello. When you reach out, you are not looking for a transaction. You are looking to say hello. And this is the whole game that we're about to go into, friends. The whole world is about to be a barbell. Extreme technology over here, AI, robots, weird-ass shit that we're not ready for. And then all the way over here...

• 6:54Speaker 00

  1950s. And this is an opportunity because now you have nothing to complain about or cry. You don't want to be on this new technology kick with me? Mazel tov. But you better be on some old grandpa shit from the 1940s. And if you don't do one of the two, well, you're a bitch.

• 7:11Speaker 00

  You're gonna have to pick one. And for whoever's a psycho enough to actually have their actions map their ambitions or the words that come out of their mouth, you need to do both. There's another platform that has really caught my attention and is gaining incredible steam. How many people here do not make social media content? Cause they don't like the way they look on video or they're awkward when they're recorded on video. Raise your hands. It's okay. Be vulnerable, please. Raise your hands. I'm empathetic to that. I will say one quick thing to all of you. We are not in seventh grade anymore. People saying you're ugly or not interesting. You do not need to be over the top and high energy. You could be monotone. There's many different ways to deliver information. I would like to ask you to try to get out of high school, but I won't even push you to that, even though that's what I think.

• 7:56Speaker 00

  You must get very serious about spending five to 10 hours of doing homework on Substack. Substack is one of the most important new platforms of information. It's written content. You go into ChatGPT and you're like, Gary Vee just talked about Substack. I'm a chiropractor. What do I need to know? Enter. Information is now useless. It is literally a commodity. It is not valuable, yet people will pay for it if they connect with the person. If you are a good writer, it will be a lead gen to your business. You will do the jabbing, not the right hooks. You will show up and write things that people should do. Tips and tricks, things that you've observed in being in this business for 20 years. My friends, preparation, the theme of this, being ready for the moment,

• 8:41Speaker 00

  is very, very interesting and exciting mentally. But if you are not practicing, you could be mentally prepared for running the New York Marathon. But if you do not train for it, only so much is gonna happen. Take 2026 and make it an action year, not a thinking year. You want to grow or fix your business or make yourself bulletproof? Or be prepared for the moment? Well, guess what? Good news, everyone. They picked a great theme because the moment's coming. You can take it and control it like one of those weird stories where the sword's more fucking powerful than the person and you can tame the sword and weaponize it for you or you can have it slice your fucking head off. That's up to you. I picked the first one. Thank you.

• 9:28Speaker 01

  Everybody, if you enjoyed this podcast, please go back and look at the prior episodes. They're loaded. I appreciate your attention and thanks for being part of this journey. See you later.