As one finishes college, students start to think about how they can “stand out from the crowd” to prospective employers. Employers use Google to research the background of potential candidates. It’s just part of the hiring process. If someone Googled you, what would they find? As an artist or designer, how do you get potential customers to notice your portfolio? If you run a company or non-profit, how do you attract the community to come to your events and promote your values?
I believe that building a platform of service is critical to growing your personal brand, growing your influence, or getting noticed. Here’s the great news! If social media is used intentionally, you can promote positive change and earn the trust of the community. In addition, the cost of building a platform of service is VERY affordable.
What are the Benefits of Building a Platform of Service?
- Share your WHY: Social media enables you to intentionally share your values and beliefs. On InspiredToEducate.NET, our readers learn about some of our core values. We believe the world becomes a better place through great leadership. Promoting quality education is imperative to our personal lives, families, businesses and our country. What core set of values do you need to share?
- Giving generously through social media helps you to build trust: I am a HUGE Michael Hyatt fan. He has a wonderful teaching called the “20 to 1” rule. In this teaching, he encourages you to form the habit of connecting your tribe with teaching that serves them. In the context of Twitter, you should post 20 teachings that help your tribe members become awesome or more productive. After you have shared 20 times, feel free to ask your tribe for a favor:
- Consider signing up for a newsletter.
- Consider purchasing an e-book, app, or product.
- Consider attending an event.
- Consider helping us with a survey.
- Share your personality: People are motivated by stories and your personality. For me, I am intentional with the people I follow on blogs and twitter. I always appreciate when a blogger or writer is real. I enjoy hearing the stories of great times with families or businesses changing the world. I appreciate when authors share their struggle. It helps me realize that I’m not alone in growing. Be funny! Be bold! Be YOU!
- Great teaching will get shared: 70% to 92% of consumers read reviews or ask their friends when making purchasing decisions or making choices about going to events. This data suggests that organizations need to create strategies so that tribe members are motivated to share your organization with their friends and professional contacts. How do you get the community to share positive reviews of your brand? As you are promoting your organization, you need to serve your tribe with teaching and resources that help your tribe become superheroes. The teaching needs to be actionable, practical, fun, and help your tribe member grow.
- Building a platform helps you explore your passions: If you intentionally want to explore a life that is not common, I believe that creating media around your strengths and passions can be helpful for personal clarity. I went to graduate school and focused on machine learning. Through blogging about Makers movement, project based learning, and game based learning, I have discovered a hidden passion for learning. If I wasn’t blogging with my wife, I don’t think I would have discovered this. Blog analytic data and comments on your blog can help you measure interest or demand for your ideas too.
- How to build a platform?
To help serve our readers, I wanted to share some of my favorite teachings on building a platform using social media.
Resources from Michael Hyatt
- “Launch a Self-Hosted WordPress Blog in 20 Minutes or Less [Newly Updated!]” http://michaelhyatt.com/ez-wordpress-setup.html
- “Do You Have the 5 Elements of a Powerful Personal Brand?” http://michaelhyatt.com/personal-brand.html
- “This Is Your Life” Podcast http://michaelhyatt.com/thisisyourlife
Seth Godin: How to get Your Ideas to Spread
Remarkable ideas will go viral!
- Start With Why with Simon Sinek: Dave defines EntreLeadership, and Simon Sinek joins Jon and Chris to talk about his book: Start With Why.
- Personal Selling with Michael Hyatt: Michael Hyatt joins Chris LoCurto live in the studio to talk about his new book “Platform.” Dave Ramsey shares a lesson on personal selling.
What information and teaching would help your friends, family, and community be more successful? What kind of information can you share?
Photo by http://www.flickr.com/photos/miletbaker/
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