Title and author: Platform: Get noticed in a noisy world by Michael Hyatt
Contents synopsis:
The secondary title of this book is “A Step-by-Step Guide for Anyone Who Has Something to Say or Sell” and it is a very succinct summary of the book.
Hyatt worked in the book publishing business and was forced to adapt to using social media to “market” their products, books. He is also the author of several books and has learned to promote his own work on social media. While he uses many posting examples, his methods are applicable to products, services, public speakers, as well as many other reasons for getting the message out.
In the book, he spends most of his time on Twitter. He started out as a skeptic about Twitter, but is now a devotee. It offers a step-by-step process for getting noticed in a very noisy social media world. These steps include:
Start by developing a compelling product or message that elicits an “awesome” reaction. There is no substitute for a high quality product.
Create a plan to launch your product with goals and tools.
Build a home base that includes a good website.
Expand your reach using a subscriber list and social media.
Get your “tribe” involved, those who follow you on social media, to create a buzz about you and your product or message.
Hyatt uses many real-world examples based on its experience, as well as what others have done and written. While he likes Facebook now, he has had reservations about its use and clearly favors Twitter. It also offers a lot of information on other programs and tools that allow you to use social media more effectively.
He relies heavily on his own experiences and since he has a self-hosted blog using WordPress software with custom design work. It also offers a lot of solid advice on branding and positioning yourself in the market. He discusses all of this in the context of Web 2.0 with an emphasis on offering a wealth of free material to engage his followers.
Utility:
Anyone who wants to use social media to effectively market an idea, message or product will benefit from the practical advice here. The seasoned marketer who has relied on more traditional marketing devices will learn how to use social media to expand or even replace traditional methods. Those without experience can learn to use social media to market without much cost.
Readability / Writing quality:
The book is clearly written and well organized. It is also well edited.
Notes on the author:
Michael Hyatt has spent his career in the publishing business spending much of that time with a Christian publisher, Thomas Nelson Publications. It says it is the oldest continuously operating publishing company in the United States. He served as its CEO and is now president. He now spends a lot of time teaching others to use social media through his Platform training business.
Related Websites:
Michael Hyatt’s blog on intentional leadership can be found at http://michaelhyatt.com/
Three great ideas you can use:
1. You must have an attractive product to be successful in social media marketing; there is no substitute for that.
2. You must create an “elevator pitch”, a concise description of what you offer and how it will benefit others that you can use in the media and in interviews.
3. There is no substitute for engaging your audience with social media. This takes time and perseverance. You must maintain a constant presence to build your message and your audience.
Publication information:
Platform: get noticed in a noisy world by Michael Hyatt
Copyright: 2012 by Michael Hyatt. Published in hardcover by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
