Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World

Anyone can have a website. Thomas Nelson Publishers, of which Hyatt was formerly CEO, had thousands, he tells us in this book. But if you don't interact with your audience, you might as well be printing a brochure to keep in your warehouse. It's vital to reach out and engage with your audience in an authentic way ' ghost-written posts won't cut it. This is a timely book for me and I would guess for many others, since I am launching my own new business, right now. To sit at Michael Hyatt's feet and hear his stories ' some funny, some cautionary tales ' of how he and others have worked their way to an online presence to die for is a gentle experience. Hyatt doesn't shout at me through the pages. But this is no ramble down memory lane. His insightful anecdotes are peppered with sharp, bullet-point how-tos. He shares right down to software options and supplier names, so I don't have to re-invent the wheel. Platform has become my business bible.

This was my introduction to social network stuff like Facebook and Twitter. The first part of the book is fluff, but when the autor gets into the nuts and bolts of marketing today he is very, very illuminating.

"Platform - Get Noticed in a Noisy World" is written by Michael Hyatt, Chairman and former CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers. He writes from personal experience, sharing how he developed his blog which has become one of the most popular in the world. The book is divided into five parts: Start with Wow; Prepare to Launch; Build Your Home Base; Expand Your Reach; and Engage Your Tribe In addition to the easy to read 60 chapters, there are several pages of resources and a very useful Appendix of Blog Post Ideas. I have read this book from cover to cover twice so far, on Kindle, in hard copy, and listened to the audio version several times too. And I keep going back to mine the generously seeded nuggets to implement in my business, and pass on to clients. `Platform' is an excellent resource for small businesses, whether they make products or deliver services. The author's exploration of and success with social media is proof that it can be done, so long as the offering is of the highest quality. The author's own experience of social networking seems mainly focused on Twitter, with only the briefest mention of Facebook. Therefore, this book is not a comprehensive guide to using all the currently popular social networks, but then it doesn't pretend to be. What it shows is how effective it can be to concentrate your efforts on one network. This book is encouraging and full of useful ideas that are easy to implement. It is suitable for both experienced and novice bloggers. I recommend it to coaches, trainers, authors and speakers who want to stand out from the crowd.

On Tuesday, May 22, influential blogger and former CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishing, Michael Hyatt, published his new book called Platform. He's been promoting this book for a while now, and I've been very excited to purchase it. In fact, I even had it preordered. Here are eight reasons why I'm recommending this book even though I haven't read a single page. 1. Michael Hyatt is a man of integrity. His Christian faith influences his work and personal life, and he's not afraid to talk about all three. In a podcast episode about learning from failure, he shared multiple experiences of failure in his own life. I have been frequently impressed by his candid nature when describing his own experiences. Michael Hyatt does his very best to walk his talk authentically. 2. I have learned the immense value of living life on purpose from Michael. Consider the way Dave Ramsey helps us to be intentional with our money. Michael does to our whole life what Dave does to our finances. Through Michael's Ebook about creating a life plan, I've refocused my priorities. 3. The thoughts espoused in this book come from real industry experience. Michael doesn't just spout off sound bites that have no basis in reality. He only prescribes ideas that he's had some personal experience with. And I value his experience because he has had success in his field. Dave Ramsey always suggests that if you want to be a millionaire you should talk with millionaires about what they do. Michael opens a window into how he has gained reach in order to influence hundreds of thousands. If I want to influence people, I should listen to him. 4. Not only are Michael's thoughts based on his experience, they are practical. He discusses steps that I can take tomorrow, next week, or within 90 days in order to strengthen my ability to influence others. It's not a bunch of theory that won't actually impact my life. I love learning about ideas that can tangibly shape my life. This content will do that. 5. Michael is humble. There's no faster way to irrelevance in my mind than when somebody is conceited. I don't want to learn from somebody who thinks they're all that. I don't want to be like that kind of a person. Michael values his contributions, but he's open to learn new things and quick to admit when he has room to grow. That's the kind of leader I want to follow. 6. Encouragement is Michael's gift. A few weeks ago I had four hours of driving and I knew that Michael had started a podcast recently. I downloaded every episode and listened to them while driving. I tell ya, I felt like I could conquer the world by the end of that day! His words got me so energized that I came home and completely reworked my blog. His motivation is the reason why I have been writing so consistently over the last few weeks. He has fueled my passions regularly and often. 7. He legitimately wants you to succeed. At the end of each episode of his podcast, Michael says, "Your life is a gift. Now go make it count." He truly means that. While he worked full-time in the publishing industry as a CEO, he didn't have to share so many tips and tricks that he had picked up from his experience. His two Ebooks about publishing are tremendously helpful. I remember after reading one of his books, I had a question about some of the content. I shot him an email about it and he promptly responded to me. And this was during a time when the monthly visitors to his site numbered in the hundreds of thousands. From his public speaking, his blogging, his podcasts, and his social media engagement, his desire for others' success becomes so clear. 8. I've learned from him that success is not antithetical to the Gospel. Michael makes money encouraging and equipping others because of his Christian witness. In a sense, he basically makes a living promoting himself and the impact of his Christian faith. Any time money and faith come close together, we tend to get cautious... and rightfully so. However, as I've gotten to see Michael's character while he's built his own platform, it's become so clear to me that he is not trying to swindle people. I believe it's similar to financially supporting a pastor as they seek to enrich people's lives based on their Christian calling. Purchasing his products gives him the ability to influence more people and enlarge his opportunity for impact. This is what every Christian leader desires. The only difference is that Michael doesn't have a church with a weekly collection plate financially supporting him. He has to ask for that support on his own. In case you couldn't tell, I have a lot of respect for Michael Hyatt, and I'm very excited about all the content he publishes. Do yourself a favor. Check out his book. If you purchase his book this week you'll get a slew of exclusive bonuses. If you're a skeptic, still do yourself a favor, and visit his site, michaelhyatt.com. Subscribe to it, and you'll get his very helpful Ebook. Not to mention you'll wake up every day to a dose of encouragement and practical advice. To be clear, I'm not receiving anything for writing this. This is purely voluntary. In reality, it's a testament to his effectiveness if he's made me this much of an evangelist.

Really enjoyed this book. I learned alot of thing without having to make the mistakes myself. I find myself constantly coming back to it and referring to things I remember reading. If you are trying to start your own thing and need social media back up. Definetly give this a try.