I finished (finally) Michael Hyatt’s excellent book , Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World, while on our trip to Taiwan.
I was floored by the practicality of what is written in those pages, especially in light of who Michael Hyatt is. He is not an individual for whom the sum total of his resume is the Internet or an Internet related company.
No. He has been successful in far less technical endeavors. And that is why you should listen to what he has to say, especially if you are a mid-40s and older professional.
We ignore his suggestions to our own detriment. Read on to discover why I say what Hyatt has written is important and why it matters for you.
There are no shortage of people willing to help you develop an on-line presence. There is no end of people who claim themselves to be experts at SEO.
Most of them want to sell you something. I’m not against commerce, but if I want to learn how to develop the totality of my own “brand” for my blog or my career or whatever, I want to learn from someone whose success has not been limited to simply selling (regardless of how successful) in an Internet world.
The real world matters. And in Platform you will discover concrete steps to develop your real world success by using online means to do so.
The Strongest Parts
1. It is not a tome. Hyatt’s book reads easily. It is not tedious. It is, basically, derived from his blog entries.
2. It is practical. You won’t wonder what you should do. This lays it out.
3. It addresses all the current social media outlets. Facebook, Twitter, blogging…they are all examined with enough depth to satisfy yet with not so much as to bore you.
4. The suggestions are explored thoroughly. Hyatt’s reasons for suggesting a decision are explained thoroughly.
5. Hyatt frequently mentions the technologies (applications and web services) he uses. He writes as an advanced user of computer technology.
Weak Points – None Really
There aren’t many, but for me there was sometimes a feeling of being a little disjoined…or at least I found myself losing where the topic fit in the overall flow of the book. This is not a major criticism, and could well be a reflection of my own short attention span.
Would I recommend the book? Absolutely! I am recommending it now! I have recommended to many. I think for anyone without a familiarity with social media, this is absolutely a place to start.
It is full of great suggestions that will continue to bring improvements on the development of your own platform.
Update: Interestingly, just yesterday a 20 something friend from work, who is a communications whiz, said this after having just watched a 20 minute video from Michael Hyatt: “He’s such an excellent communicator”. So, I guess my point about him being especially effective for older folk wanting to build a brand may be off by a couple of decades. — Thad
Have you read Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World? What are your thoughts?
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