I just finished reading “Platform” by Michael Hyatt. It’s a book about “getting noticed in a noisy world”, and it mostly includes tips about how to improve a blog, work on social media outlets, and other things.

The interesting thing about the book “Platform” is that it is full of information and ideas that I probably won’t just read once. I read the book in less than a week, but I plan to go back and put into practice each piece of advice that Michael Hyatt gives. It’s not just a book you can read once and then put down to never look at again.

The first step to building a platform, according to Hyatt, is to create with a “wow product.” In other words, if what you are trying to present to other people (not just sell) isn’t worth their time, you have already lost.

Then you have to prepare to launch what you are trying to present. It’s not enough to just push it out there. You must prepare thoroughly.

The third step is about building a blog, which he (and others) calls your “home base.” This section talks about strategic things you can do to improve your blog.

Step four is about having a consistent brand everywhere (facebook, twitter, your blog, etc) and expanding the amount of people who will listen to you. This is different from just pushing content at people. It’s about listening first and helping with a need.

The fifth step that “Platform” mentions is engaging the tribe. Hyatt mentions the book Tribes by Seth Godin in this part and talks about how to build community.

Here are some of my quick thoughts on the book:

The Good

• It is written by someone who has done it. Michael Hyatt has certainly built a platform.
• It includes lots of resources. If you’re looking for specific plugins or useful websites or applications, they are in the book.
• The book is written in a way that includes many things you can do now. Many of the tips and advice that Michael Hyatt give can be done very quickly.

The Bad

• As a subscriber to Michael’s blog, I had already read a lot of the book. It’s not a terrible thing, but it is a little thing that I noticed.
• I would have liked a few more hypothetical, yet practical examples. He does a good job of listing things (he loves lists), but it would have been nice to have a few more examples and stories.

Overall, the book Platform is a great resource for those of us who are involved in leading various organizations or who have something we want to be heard. Personally I will be using many of the strategies mentioned in the book over at www.ministeriojuvenil.com, my Spanish youth ministry resource website.

If you’re interested in reading the book, you can get it on amazon both in print form and for the kindle.

(Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to you).