Why Building Your Own Platform Is Essential

by Jeff Goins | 43 Comments | Twitter, Facebook, Google+

It seems that everyone is talking about “platform these days.” Musicians. Artists. And especially writers.

With blogs and self-publishing and home recording software, this has never been easier. If you want to be heard by hundreds or even thousands, you really have no excuse. Nothing’s holding you back.

But if building a platform is so accessible, why aren’t more people doing it? Why aren’t entrepreneurs and entertainers sharing their art?

Maybe it’s not for a lack of resources. Maybe it’s for lack of understanding — how to use the tools they’ve been given. Maybe you can relate.

Photo credit: William Warby (Creative Commons)

First of all, let’s define our terms.

What is a platform?

It’s what it sounds like:

A platform is a “stage” that gives you and your message leverage and visibility.

It’s how you make your work matter, how you change lives.

In the olden days, platforms were easy to identify:

If you were a musician, it was a record deal.
If you were an author, it was a book contract.
If you were an entrepreneur, it was a connection with a venture capitalist.

But nowadays, with blogs and Twitter and instant access to the world with one click of a mouse, it’s harder to tell. Now that anyone can build a platform for free, what’s the point?

Why build a platform?

There are some misconceptions about the word “platform.” Some dismiss it as ego-driven aspirations spawned by an obsession with celebrity.

Certainly, there’s some of that going on in our culture. But that’s not all the word means.

Platform is inevitable.

Whatever you want to do in the world, you need influence to make your voice count. Even a homemaker or schoolteacher needs authority to lead. And that has to come from somewhere, right?

In the simplest terms, a platform is permission. It’s the right to speak to a group about a certain topic. And there’s nothing necessarily wrong with wanting that.

If you have something worth saying, you want people to hear it. A platform amplifies and legitimizes your message. It gives you authority to influence.

For example, if you were an opera singer, where you sang your aria would be as significant as how you delivered it. Singing it in a coffee shop versus a packed auditorium would undoubtedly affect the impact.

The same is true for your work and message.

Any responsible communicator knows the importance of platform. It extends your reach and magnifies your voice. All so that you can make the most difference.

How to build a platform

There are three important aspects to building a platform; they are:

Gain experience
Demonstrate competency
Generate buzz

The last one is the hardest; the other two just take practice. If you’re just getting started with your dream — whether it be writing or dancing — this is important.

You’ve got to get good.

Before you launch your marketing campaign, spend some time practicing. And thank God that you don’t have a huge platform yet; your lack of influence allows you to fail with grace (and little public attention).

After you get good, you need to demonstrate that you’re good. This can be a demo for your band or an essay for your writing. You’ve got to have “something to show them.”

Knowing the right people isn’t enough; you need to have done the work, so that when an opportunity presents itself, you’re ready.

And then comes the hard part: networking.

Platform is, essentially, people. It’s human beings giving credence to your art. How does this happen? Through influence. Which happens through relationship. And this is the difficult work of “knocking on doors.”

The best (and only) way I know how to build meaningful relationships is by networking — not the sleazy, let’s-exchange-business-cards kind, but the let-me-do-a-favor-for-you kind.

If you do this enough, you’ll eventually win friends, fans, and followers. You might even earn a patron or two.

At this point, you’re ready to build your platform. You’ll still need to decide what type of platform you want to build (which is another conversation). For now, suffice to say that if you have something to say, get a platform. It’s not egotistical. It’s necessary making change in the world.

Without one, you’re just another voice in a crowd of noise.

What do you think? Is building a platform essential? Share your thoughts in the comments.

*Photo credit: William Warby (Creative Commons)

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About the Author

Jeff Goins

I help people tell better stories and make a difference in the world. I live in Tennessee with my wife and dog. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook.

http://heathersunseri.com Heather Sunseri

I had some interesting conversations with editors and other writers about platform building for fiction writers at the recent ACFW conference. The consensus there was that even if you write fiction, you cannot ignore platform or the importance of being involved with social media. You must have a web presence in today’s ever-changing publishing climate.

http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

thanks for sharing, heather!

http://www.stephindialogue.com Stephanie S. Smith

Working in the publishing industry, yes; having a platform is essential…if you ever want to publish a book, become a speaker, etc. It’s the new rules to the game, and you do have to play by them. I think you’re right on about generosity. If ever a company or an individual is behind on the influence scale, it’s most often because they’re still using old marketing: a one-way megaphone of information. But now it’s a dialogue, and to be listened to and heard, you have to serve others first.

I just wrote an article about similar issues for RELEVANT, and through this research what most stood out to me is the example of John the Baptist. This prophet most definitely had a platform, the gospels tell us whole cities came to see him, but he used his platform purely to point to another. He leveraged his influence to lead people to Christ. It’s not self-centered to build a platform, but we need to know what the platform is really for.

http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

Love that
http://twitter.com/samanthakrieger Samantha Krieger

Great post Jeff and thanks for sharing that comment Steph. It really spoke to me.

http://www.SammyA.com Sammy Adebiyi

Great stuff Jeff. For some reason, as a Christian/Pastor, networking just always feels “really” uncomfortable. I know there’s building a platform is essential so maybe most of it is in my head.

But perhaps that uneasiness is a healthy tension that I should learn to manage rather than a problem to solve? In some ways I feel like feeling weird about my platform, brand e.t.c is the only way it won’t all get to my head. I know God has a real part for me in his story and I absolutely love it but at the end of the day, I feel like I am still just a small tiny voice in the grand scheme of things. Is it weird that I’m afraid of ever feeling too comfortable with my platform or taking what I have to say (though I think its important) too seriously? What do you think? Please don’t hold back. Challenge me if I’m way off.

http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

Not weird. Good. It’s called humility. At the same time, don’t be afraid of influence.

http://twitter.com/LLadylaw Fegins (Faygo)

I have learned from Fabulous PR Coach Pam Perry that one needs a platform for his business and if he wants to sell books ( which is a business). A key point is that you need to develop relationships with others by sincerely wanting to adding value to others so that you can gain influence. The issue is how do you successfully carry out this aspect of developing a platform . The article reinforced the need for me to develop a platform

http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

Love that. Simple and true.

http://profiles.google.com/matthew.la.snyder Matthew Snyder

I wrestle with building a platform sometimes. I know that I have something to say and I want to say it, but also… isn’t it much better if my message spreads organically without much of my effort being involved? If I’m the only “steam” behind my message, then really, how good is my message?

http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

Yes it is but if you think you won’t have to work, your kidding yourself. People spreading your message for you IS a platform.

http://talesofwork.com kimanzi constable

I’ve learned from personal exprience that if you’re going to write and self publish a book, you should start way ahead of the book release, building your platform. If you get your loyal, interested audience ahead of time, they will naturally buy your book or product. The key is you have to have a real passion for something and really want to help people. Most people can tell when someone is fake! Great post Jeff

http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

Agreed

http://twitter.com/GaryMo Gary Molander

Jeff – Great post. I think you’re redefining (or properly defining) some terms that make many of us uneasy. I think when we hear “stage”, we define it as “glory”. And for someone like me – someone with a Christian faith-base, I wrestle every day with not stealing any glory from my Creator. With this post, I feel like you’re redeeming our concepts of platforms. Well done.

http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

Thanks, Gary. I am trying. Just because a concept has been misused doesn’t mean it’s all bad.
http://www.jasonvana.com Jason Vana

I agree with what Gary wrote. I think we’re trained in Christian circles to think of promoting ourselves (or our gift or ministry) as inherently prideful and trying to take the glory for ourselves. But if we don’t have a platform, if we don’t have influence to speak into other people’s lives, we aren’t as effective as we could be.

I’ve seen this just in my college ministry. When I first started, it took me a long time to meet students and gain their trust before I could speak into their lives. Now that the platform has been built (i.e. – a recognized organization on campus that has existed for years), it’s much easier, because new students see that current students do trust me. The platform has given me the ability to speak into more peoples’ lives.

Great post Jeff!

http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

very cool, jason! i think the wariness is warranted, just sometimes unfounded.

http://twitter.com/LLadylaw Fegins (Faygo)

I have learned from Fabulous PR Coach Pam Perry that one needs a platform for his business and if he wants to sell books ( which is a business). A key point is that you need to develop relationships with others by sincerely wanting to adding value to others so that you can gain influence. The issue is how do you successfully carry out this aspect of developing a platform . The article reinforced the need for me to develop a platform
Rick Carr

I’m finding it essential to have a platform, and difficult to build. Shoulda had my book published back in the day when small publishers would take a risk on unknown authors & actually put some money into marketing a book – when I wrote mine about 20 years ago. Now the markets changed – few publishers will consider an unknown, except subsidy publishers. You have to have a platform first – a sizeable audience. However, most speaking venues want “experts” to speak – and having a published work is one of the things that establishes you as an expert. Kind of a catch22.

http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

Yep. Thank God for the Internet!

Lee Fullbright

Excellent! Informative, encouraging, and well-written. I’m just getting started with all this (and need a map! I often feel like Dorothy stepping out of her tornado-blown house, into Oz). This is an amazing new world. I’m not much for talking about myself or what I do (so this is all very much a stretch!), but started a blog regardless– a multi-contributor format, though each blog is independent within a ”web”– as a platform for my novel, The Angry Woman Suite. I will be visiting again soon (actually, the next time you post; I’m a subscriber now).

http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

Thanks, Lee!
http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

for whatever it’s worth, i’ll be drawing a map very soon, Lee.

Anonymous

Hi Jeff,
I am a friend of Jane Friedman’s and found you b/c of one of her tweets. Thanks for the really grounded and sensible post on platform.

http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

thanks for reading! it’s my pleasure.

Anonymous

Hey Jeff, Thanks for sharing this. I continue to be challenged and inspired by your blog, so keep up the good work. Though I must make a confession - I lack any confidence in my ability to build a platform and get people wanting to read my work. I have increased my readership this year but it’s still not what I would like. Do you have any encouragments or tips to keep your confidence high and to maintain motivation when things seem like they aren’t going well? It would be so easy for me to be cynical here, and make some sarcastic cynical comment about how it’s easy for you to say this – I know that’s not a good place to be and I’m not going to be that guy, but something inside me does feel that sometimes. Any helpful tips?

http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

start with what you know. ask lots of questions. i’ll be blogging soon about different types of platforms. you don’t have to be an expert to build an audience. thanks for the honest comment!

http://www.linchpinbloggers.com/ Don McAllister

Jeff, great insight here on building a platform! When we seek to become more influential, there is is this weird guilt we get that we are doing things with the wrong motives. We may think we write only to get more fame instead of really making a difference for people. But when we truly believe we have something to say, platform building is inevitable and essential.

http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

Don, sometimes we do have the wrong motives. always good to be wary, just not afraid.

Lia London

Thanks for this. I’m definitely in the 101 stages and not sure how to distinguish the exchange-business-cards networking people from those who are out there to help. But YOU are clearly in the latter camp. Wish I knew what to do for you beyond recommending your sites to all my writer friends (which I readily do).

http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

that’s enough, Lia! well, and when i decide to sell a book, i’d be honored if you’d buy one.

http://rebootingworship.com/ Jamie Kocur

I think a platform is very important. If you have a message worth sharing, you’ve got to get it out there somehow.
I’m learning a little at a time how to build mine.

http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

me too

Anonymous

“Before you launch your marketing campaign, spend some time practicing. And thank God that you don’t have a huge platform yet; your lack of influence allows you to fail with grace (and little public attention).” Loved this!

http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

thanks!

http://www.ricardobueno.com Ricardo Bueno

Re: “platform is permission.”

I can agree with that statement. The way I see it, if you want to reach an audience, any audience, you need a stage. For some, that’s a blog, social networks like Twitter. We’re there, taking the stage talking, interacting. Unlike a stage though, it’s not just you speaking at an audience, the audience is engaging and connecting back (hopefully).

Yes, I think building a platform is essential. And these days, it’s both easy and challenge at the same time. Sure, the tools are there. But you have to be different to cut through the noise. You have to be unique. You have to be you. And you have to find your audience.

http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

Thanks, Ricardo. I agree. Of course, you can step up on that stage too soon or with the wrong motives and totally blow it. Preparation is an important precursor to platform.

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Matt

Hey Jeff,

You got me thinking. Building a platform is a nice way to express what we’re really striving for as bloggers or entrepreneurs, or musicians…One of my biggest challenges since I’m a kid is keeping relationships. I see how that plays a major role in how successful I am.Thanks for the post!

Matt

http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

my pleasure. thanks for reading!

Joan

Thank you Jeff. That was a very useful post.
Anonymous

Hi Jeff,
When I first starting building my platform by setting up a blog, I didn’t have a clue what to blog about. It was only through joining Twitter and following other blogs like yours that I started to gain some inspiration. Now I have been blogging for the past nine months and although I don’t have hundreds of views a day, people stop by and leave a comment or two on my posts. So at least I know I am reaching out to some people.