Giving your Social Content "LEGS"

January 31, 2014 #socialmedia #strategy

Renowned social media author Gary Vaynerchuk released a book called Jab, Jab, Jab, Hook. The basic principle is that your attempts at selling in social media will not be successful if you have not spent time softening your target up with jabs first. A boxer who keeps going for the knock-out punch all the time will not be very successful, as it is too predictable and easy to defend against.

While the boxing analogy is memorable, it also frames the relationship between brand and customer as inherently combative. You jab at someone to wear them down before you hook them. That feels aggressive — and it doesn't reflect how the best social media relationships actually work.

The LEGS Framework

Instead of jabs and hooks, consider giving your social content LEGS:

  • Listen — Before you say anything, understand what people are talking about, what they care about, and how they feel. There are plenty of great tools available for social media monitoring, analytics, and management. Listening is not passive; it's the foundation of everything that follows.
  • Engage — Join the conversation on their terms. Respond, react, and participate genuinely. Engagement builds the trust that makes later asks feel natural rather than transactional.
  • Give — Offer value without expecting an immediate return. Share useful content, entertain, educate, or simply brighten someone's day. Giving creates goodwill and reciprocity.
  • Sell — Only after you've listened, engaged, and given do you earn the right to sell. And when you do, social media can be a great place to drive sales — because the groundwork has already been laid.

LEGS isn't about softening someone up for a punch. It's about building a relationship where selling is a natural next step, not a surprise attack.

"You can't sell anything if you haven't earned the right to ask."

The order matters. Too many brands jump straight to Sell and wonder why their social content falls flat. Start with Listen. The rest follows.

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