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Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World

Michael Hyatt (Goodreads Author)

4.05 · Rating details · 6,561 ratings · 563 reviews

As the former chairman and CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, author Michael Hyatt gained insight on the importance of combining compelling products with a meaningful platform. Now, with nearly three hundred thousand followers on Twitter, his large and growing platform serves as the foundation for his own successful writing, speaking, and business coaching practice. In this ...more

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Hardcover, 261 pages

Published May 22nd 2012 by Thomas Nelson (first published May 1st 2012)

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Jan 01, 2021 Hamad rated it liked it

Shelves: 2021-reads, rtc, e-books, non-fiction

Actual Rating: 3.5 stars

Good and gave me some ideas but I expected a bit more!

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Jun 27, 2020 Isaac Samuel Miller rated it liked it · review of another edition

Great terse advice.

This tome is definitely a useful tool. I enjoyed the simplicity and the direction of the a writing. Some of the material was repetitive. Maybe, 50pages of the book weren’t necessary. The Author conveys some of the same ideas in the beginning, middle, and end of the book. If you’re an author or a blogger; you will enjoy this book...

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May 17, 2012 Matthew Bennett rated it liked it

Video comment here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmrtZY...

Amongst all the hype of a vanguard internet mega-book launch by Michael Hyatt (124,000 Twitter followers; 400,000 blog readers/month), the chairman of Thomas Nelson publishing (the 6th largest US book publisher, Nº1 Christian publisher) on the subject of `how an author might use the internet to broadcast his message', it's clearly difficult to separate the book (Platform) from the man (massive levels of experience) and the marketing cam Video comment here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmrtZY...

Amongst all the hype of a vanguard internet mega-book launch by Michael Hyatt (124,000 Twitter followers; 400,000 blog readers/month), the chairman of Thomas Nelson publishing (the 6th largest US book publisher, Nº1 Christian publisher) on the subject of `how an author might use the internet to broadcast his message', it's clearly difficult to separate the book (Platform) from the man (massive levels of experience) and the marketing campaign (shockingly effective and generous) but, this being a book review, I shall try.

Michael obviously knows what he's talking about here and in just under 300 pages he provides a wealth of information for anyone who wishes to use blogs, Twitter and Facebook to build relationships online, to try and get their message across and to ultimately sell whatever it is they're hawking (books, political messages, etc...). He has based his book on the posts he has written on his own blog about how to blog and use social media, so much of the actual material seems to be available online if you search for it (here are chapters 2, 3, and 15, for example), although he has rewritten some paragraphs and added some new anecdotes to illustrate his points.

The book is organised into five broad sections which walk you through the major functional and relational steps related to blogging and the wise use of social media, and they explain the knowledge Michael has accumulated in building and promoting his own substantial platform over the past eight years. I think after reflecting on this for a few days that the book's effectiveness and a consideration of whether or not it achieves its main aim depends on who is reading it.

If you have never come across Michael's work before, or if you have just begun blogging and are thinking about building your own platform, you would save a lot of time and energy by buying a copy of Platform and its contents will probably produce a `wow' sensation (section 1: "Start with the Wow", chapter 2: "Bake in the Wow", chapter 7: "How to Wrap the Wow in Style") in your mind as you read along and think about the possibilities. I can think of a few friends who have just started blogging to whom I would certainly recommend this book.

If, on the other hand, you have been reading Michael's blog for a while, if you have yourself been blogging for a few years (if not to Michael's level of success), if you have read some of the better business books that have been published over the last few years, if you have read previous blogging and social media books by other authors (Gary Vaynerchuk's "Crush It!", Seth Godin's "Tribes" or Chris Brogan's "Trust Agents"), or if you have read and tried to learn from popular how-to blogs (Problogger or Copyblogger), I predict you will not feel such a `wow' sensation as you read and that you will be left instead with the feeling that this is clearly a solid revision of what are becoming accepted success principles for blogging and social-media but that there is nothing particularly new here; that this book does not add new knowledge to the conversation or to theories about how to do it all better.

Before I read Platform, and given the Christian slant of both Thomas Nelson and most of the people who have participated in the pre-launch Facebook group, I wondered if there might be some interesting religious metaphors (followers, tribes, messages, etc) to be applied to the book's ideas, or if the book might be directed towards a Christian audience. Platform purposefully does neither of these things: its ideas are applicable to anyone wishing to use them.

This general focus is perhaps also why I felt it was disappointing that the book didn't include much specific information--apart from an appendix on "Post Ideas for Novelists (also a blog post)"--for authors who wish to use these ideas . Whilst this is by design, I think I expected more in this sense from the chairman of the US's 6th largest publisher, who himself has built a hugely successful online platform.

To conclude, then, Michael Hyatt's Platform is recommendable as a solid guide to blogging and social media principles and practice if you are a newcomer to these ideas but more experienced bloggers or aspiring authors won't find anything especially new or specifically relevant in the book that hasn't been said before somewhere.

3.5 stars out of 5 ...more

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Sep 23, 2015 Gisela Hausmann rated it it was amazing

Michael Hyatt's book "Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World" stresses the well-known credos -

"... Create products you would personally use - Create products that solve problems in unexpected ways - Create products that exceed your customers’ expectations..."
"... What is the product or experience I want to create or transform into a wow? The customer’s lobby experience. 2. How will the customer feel as a result of this experience? (In other words, what is the specific outcome we want to create?) Michael Hyatt's book "Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World" stresses the well-known credos -

"... Create products you would personally use - Create products that solve problems in unexpected ways - Create products that exceed your customers’ expectations..."
"... What is the product or experience I want to create or transform into a wow? The customer’s lobby experience. 2. How will the customer feel as a result of this experience? (In other words, what is the specific outcome we want to create?) The customer should feel we must be an extraordinary company because he has never had a lobby experience like this. He assumes we are somehow really different, and can’t wait to experience more..."

but beyond that it offers more - a lot more. After reading the book I realized that I needed a media kit (I had abandoned mine a while ago because it did not work); Hyatt's book offers excellent samples how to create one that will work better.

The truly interesting factor about Hyatt's book is that seems to address information for newbie as well as information for authors who have already climbed the ladder, who have books to show. At first I was a bit irritated by this, then I realized the greatness of this concept.

On one hand, the newbie author can use the book to get started, set up basics, but at the same time he can find out, where he should be going, what the "final goal" is. If you have started any kind of endeavor you know how important it is to plan ahead, if you do it right you can save time (and money) to correct errors that might happen "along the journey."

Vice versa, the season author, for whom the more sophisticated elements of this boo are written, can use the basic information to check if /she has set up all information correctly, if he or she covered all basics.

That's the way I used it and I really like what I see.

Hyatt also stresses an topic I have always believed in but I see many authors ignoring

"... No one is likely to do it if you don’t. I wish this weren’t the case, but for 95 percent of us it is. This is why you must take matters into your own hands. Don’t let someone else babysit your french fries. Let me suggest that you take a long look in the mirror. The person you are looking at is your new chief marketing officer. Take responsibility for your own success and invite others to join you in the endeavor..."
I meet too many new authors, who think that being present on social media platforms will do the trick. " Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World" presents the fact and offers solutions.

Highly recommended.

Gisela Hausmann, blogger and author of the "naked, no-fluff" book series ...more

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May 18, 2012 Elizabeth rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Anyone who wants to build a speaking, writing or social media platform.

Building a platform is essential. As a writer, I've heard that a million times. Maybe more. The exhortation usually comes with a few specifics: blog, engage on Facebook and Twitter. Until now I've been following that advice blindly, doing what is required to participate in a changing industry.

But, now I have a secret weapon--A platform-building coach in the form of Michael Hyatt's book, Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World.

Platform took me beyond the bullet points and provided a blueprint for ...more

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May 29, 2012 J.F. Penn rated it it was amazing

Shelves: entrepreneur

I've been reading Michael Hyatt's blog for a number of years, so I thought that I wouldn't get too much from the book. But it is definitely a fantastic read, whether you are a newbie online or someone who is more experienced. I have read many branding and marketing books and experimented with my own platform online but I wrote 10 pages of notes from this book and have a long To Do list of things I need to improve. This will help you audit where you are right now and target where you want to get ...more

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May 22, 2012 Thomas Umstattd Jr. rated it really liked it

Great overview of marketing and platform building. This book is scannable and a great resource as either a reference or a straight read. The book is very blog and Twitter centric and even Hyatt admits he doesn't quiet get Facebook.

Many social media books are full of lots of fluffy stories and little in real take away. This book is different, it goes light on the fluff and high on the take away tips.

Platform gets 4 stars only because Facebook is too big to ignore and because this book ignores F ...more

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Jun 10, 2012 Douglas Wilson rated it really liked it

Shelves: personal-development

I really enjoyed this, and found a lot of areas for practical application. There were some typical business rah-rah sections, but in the main this was very worthwhile.

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Aug 30, 2018 Taylor Johnson rated it it was amazing

I feel weird giving this book a rating. My 5 stars reflects where I’m at personally at the moment. A year from now? 5 months from now? Who knows. I might have a totally different opinion or see more flaws in the whole thing.

This book helped me think through a lot of what I need to do in my...business?...brand? I hate calling it either of those things. It made the steps I need to take look a lot less daunting. I’ve been freaked out at all the work ahead of me but Hyatt is so good at making the pa ...more

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Jan 24, 2020 Kawania Wooten rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I think this book is filled with great tips. I listened to the audiobook, but I am purchasing the hardcopy so that I can make notes and highlight several of the points I considered very valuable. Since it was written in 2012, I think the author needs to write a new edition and pair down the big focus on Twitter.

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Sep 07, 2013 Sandeep rated it it was amazing

This book is a must read and playbook for anyone creating a personal brand, blog, or online business. Michael Hyatt reveals all his strategies and tips on how he was able build an effective audience online to his products and vision.

It a book that highlights on how one can not only attract an audience, but also build a passionate loyalty through giving value to others by finding the most powerful ways to get your messages to others who can benefit from it. To build a platform today, Hyatt argue This book is a must read and playbook for anyone creating a personal brand, blog, or online business. Michael Hyatt reveals all his strategies and tips on how he was able build an effective audience online to his products and vision.

It a book that highlights on how one can not only attract an audience, but also build a passionate loyalty through giving value to others by finding the most powerful ways to get your messages to others who can benefit from it. To build a platform today, Hyatt argues, is built through people and not just on a great product. It is a combination of a compelling product and a significant platform that will make one stand out in a fiercely competitive and noisy marketplace.

I loved how this book was organized, Hyatt was meticulous on giving the opportunity to the reader to decide to read the book from beginning to end or read a specific chapter that he/she needed advice and tips on. This is great reference book for anyone who wants to simply build an online presence or to learn the rules on how to be productive with various social media sites.

The first part of the book deals with how one can discover how to create, name, and package a compelling product (the what). Hyatt repeatedly mentions that without a powerful "what," no amount of marketing can save you. The second part details how to set up branding tools, acquire endorsements, and create a online media kit to establish credibility. The third part, my most favorite portion, explains how to create a powerful website for yourself and get unique visitors to your site. Finally, the fourth part is how you can "engage your tribe" by monitoring your brand and engaging with your audience.

I can't speak highly enough about this book. Hyatt is thoughtful and articulate, throughout the book, and he serves a encouraging mentor to for any reader who approaches this book looking to learn about online tools to build a brand. I'm looking to create my own blog and I'm glad I received wisdom from him because now I have a plan. I understand the value I can bring to guest blogs and other online communities and be an asset to them. ...more

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May 31, 2012 Ryan Manganiello rated it liked it

In my opinion there were just way too many chapters based on Twitter, a service I don't personally use, so I guess I'm being a little biased towards all that much paper being dedicated to it.

The author admitted his distaste for Facebook, but obviously new very little about it. His rant which was mostly negative pertaining to Facebook was extremely outdated, considering the fact that this book was just released not too long ago. Referring to Facebook Pages as what were once called Fan Pages in hi ...more

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Sep 09, 2016 Chris Johnson rated it it was amazing

This is a very good primer on being "old school," and launching a product or service in today's world.

It's not flashy, it's not "whiz bang," but instead it's methodical, plodding and doable. I have successfully done - then abandoned - so many of these techniques that I looked to get motivated to rebuild that platform.

So there. ...more

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Nov 24, 2013 Honoree rated it it was amazing

Shelves: success-reads

I read this book at the suggestion of Hal Elrod, author of best-selling book The Miracle Morning. It did not disappoint: a nice mix of practical advice and story, it lays out the how-to for creating a platform for one's books and brand. Well done. ...more

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Jun 03, 2013 Josh Steimle rated it really liked it

Great, practical book on how to promote your business. I just relaunched my personal blog and am going to do an experiment and try all his suggestions to see what happens.

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Jan 26, 2016 Andy Littleton rated it really liked it

If you're looking to build an online audience, you'll find this book very helpful. ...more

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May 09, 2018 Karen Wingate rated it it was amazing

" . . .in a global economy crowded with millions of competitors, quality is just the beginning." So says Michael Hyatt on the book jacket of his information packed book, "Platform: How To Get Noticed In A Noisy World." I wish I'd read this book four years ago when I first bought it. On the other hand, perhaps I wasn't ready for it back then. Now that I have my own website, am regularly blogging, and involved on social media, I have a better understanding of all that Mr. Hyatt discusses and can e ...more

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Oct 14, 2017 Mike Collins rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2017-reading-list

I was recommended this book from some other church leaders who said it would help with creating an online marketing strategy. I would say that the book did a fair job in doing that. Truly, this book is an excellent choice for anyone who has a blog or online business and wants to be more purposeful in using social media. The first few chapters that talk about creating a wow factor are probably worth the entire book.

What’s also helpful is the book doesn’t have to be read sequentially-the chapters ...more

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Nov 04, 2019 Samantha rated it it was ok

This book is packed full of so much information that it just starts feeling redundant. Especially the section about using Twitter, I think it had a great idea behind it but unfortunately this section became very repetitive. I listened to the audiobook version of this title and was underwhelmed. I was hoping for explanations in a different way than they were presented.

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Jan 29, 2019 Sebastian Hetman rated it really liked it

Filled with valuable advice that's easily actionable. However, enough time has passed since the book's release in 2012, that I'd welcome a refreshed version. ...more

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Mar 06, 2020 David Fiori rated it it was ok

All common sense nothing special literally a waste of time

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Oct 26, 2017 Annie rated it really liked it

For professional bloggers and wannabes. High tech references mixed with common sense basics but readable. A nearly impossible DIY. Makes me wonder if we are on the edge of techies decluttering this process. Needs to happen. Like washing clothes on rocks and then... the washing machine! Please someone.

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Sep 14, 2012 Joe Sewell rated it liked it

Shelves: writing

Disclosure: I won this book in a blog contest, but in no way was I required to leave a good review.

As a big name in publishing, Michael Hyatt seems like the kind of person a writer wanting to be a published writer would want to hear. You get an "insider's view" of things. Platform does this to a degree, though I found myself washing from an encouraging "hey, I can do that" to a discouraged "I can't afford to do that!"

Hyatt encourages lists, so here, to the best of Goodreads' ability, is my bulle ...more

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Sep 27, 2019 Vassilena rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: marketing, personal-development

Boy, has this one aged! Most of the advice you'll find in it is pretty much accepted as a standard practice now. Part of it has aged and may even be detrimental to new readers - like that bit about writing short and snappy blog posts instead of creating meaty pieces with lots of reader value.

Overall, it may be a nice read for someone just starting out in the world of digital personal branding (that's why I'm giving it 2 stars). For everyone else, it's a completely skippable read (that's why for ...more

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Jul 27, 2012 Evelyn Puerto rated it it was amazing

Shelves: non-fiction, writing-and-marketing

Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World is the book I’ve been waiting for, the book I wish I read years ago.

As the second subtitle states, author Michael Hyatt lays out “a step-by-step guide for anyone with something to say or sell.” Clearly, concisely and in easy-to-understand prose, Hyatt gives instructions from product development, launch, and marketing.

I found the chapters on using social media especially helpful. Hyatt shares what worked for him and gives helpful guidelines. For example, the ...more

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Dec 19, 2012 James rated it liked it

Shelves: business-and-leadership, technology

So in this book Michael Hyatt mentions he's the author of four books including another book on the NYTimes bestseller list, only he doesn't mention what they are. I looked into his back catalog to see what they were. Two of them were alarmist warnings about the coming computer meltdown, Y2K (published in the late 90s). The other book (which Hyatt does mention) was a book about guarding your family's privacy in an internet age.

This book is different than that. It is a business book designed to h ...more

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May 28, 2014 Rachel Blom rated it liked it

Shelves: books-on-writing

I'm a big fan of Michael Hyatt and I bought this book as soon as it came out. I just hadn't gotten around to actually reading it. It's a practical book on building a platform and getting noticed, for instance as a writer, blogger, or public speaker. There is a ton of how to advice on many things, ranging from social media to building a blog audience and more. However, the book wasn't as good as I had expected and there were two major issues:
1. Michael Hyatt has the luxury of building a platform ...more

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Aug 15, 2012 Chris Munson rated it it was amazing

Shelves: career, social-media

Platform is an in-depth step-by-step look at how to develop a social media presence. Michael Hyatt has taken many of his former blog posts on the subject of building a social media platform, cleaned them up, added to them and put them together into this great how-to guide. This results in the book being broken up into around 60 very short chapters. Each chapter is brief and to the point and the content is divided up into bulleted lists, numbered lists and specific action items. This means that y ...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Steve Sanderson rated it liked it

I'm a first time writer (just finished my novel), and I picked up the audiobook version.

There's good stuff in here, but the book's geared towards people who want to generate revenue, or create bigtime buzz from their blogs, from their online presence. Some of this applies to me, and the parts that were geared towards the business side of things I skipped.

The author has a distracting habit of making lists to keep things readable and easy to digest. I don't know how these play out on the page, but ...more

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Apr 09, 2013 Joseph McBee rated it it was amazing

This book is easy to read and incredibly practical. If you are trying to launch anything, whether it is a business, a non-profit, a ministry, or a creative project you will need a platform from which to launch it. This book should be your go-to resource for building that platform.

Here is how you can utilize this excellent resource:

1. Read it through, cover-to-cover.

2. Read it with a highlighter in your hand and mark passages and tips that are particularly relevant to you and what you are trying ...more

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