"Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World" Debuts on New York Times Best-Sellers List, Ranks in Top 4 on Amazon

NASHVILLE, Tenn., June 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The new book from top leadership and social media expert Michael Hyatt, "Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World," will debut at #12 on the New York Times Best-Sellers Hardcover Advice & Misc. list for June 10, publisher Thomas Nelson announced today. In its first week on sale, "Platform" also reached #4 on Amazon.com's best-seller list, outperforming the popular Hunger Games and Song of Fire and Ice series. It also hit the Top 100 at #92 of the USA Today Best-Selling Books Top 150 list and #5 on The Wall Street Journal Best-Selling Books Hardcover Business list for the week ended May 27^th.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120604/CL18708 )

"Wow, what a week," said Hyatt, who also serves as chairman of Thomas Nelson, Inc. one of the nation's top publishing houses. "I was hoping we'd get into Amazon's top 1,000. To hit #4 on Amazon and debut on the New York Times and USA Today best-seller lists blew me away. Things could not have gone better." To celebrate the success of "Platform," Hyatt is publicly releasing his 10 Proven Tips for Building a Platform.

"To be successful in the market today, you must possess two strategic assets: a compelling product and a meaningful platform," says Hyatt, chairman of Thomas Nelson, one of the nation's top publishing houses. "No amount of marketing savvy can overcome a weak product, but without a platform, no one will even know that your product exists. Today, platforms are built on contacts, connections, and followers. My 10 tips focus on attracting all three."

1 – Start Now – The only "right time" to start building your platform is yesterday. Too many people never start building a platform because they think they're not ready yet. Once you dive in, if you stick with it, you'll find building a platform to be one of the most rewarding tasks you can set out to accomplish.

2 – Create a Compelling Product – Remember that while platform has become the queen, content is still king. To offer a compelling product, create something you would personally use, something that solves a problem in an unexpected way, and something that exceeds your customers' expectations.

3 – Accept Personal Responsibility – If you're thinking of hiring a babysitter for your platform, think again. It is critical that you be 100% committed to being the driving force behind its creation and growth.

4 – Start a Blog – No tool has proven to be more essential to building my platform than my blog, www.michaelhyatt.com. The good news is that creating a blog has never been simpler. The part you're going to have to really commit yourself to is generating high-quality content on a regular basis. More importantly, your content must attract a loyal and growing audience.

5 – Build Your Subscriber List – Stop worrying about traffic to your blog or website and focus on growing your subscriber list. Your subscribers are your hardcore fans; they are your brand evangelists.

6 – Write Guest Posts – Guest posting is a proven strategy that has been instrumental in the growth of many great bloggers, including Brian Clark of CopyBlogger and Chris Brogran of www.chrisbrogran.com. It's a great way to expose your brand to new communities. Establish a courteous and professional relationship that can be built upon.

7 – Utilize Social Media – Your blog is a great "home base," but you're not going to be able to spend all day hanging out there. Twitter and Facebook give you the opportunity to keep the conversation going 24/7. What have you got to lose? Twitter and Facebook are free, require only a small time investment, and can help you massively in building your brand.

8 – Employ Consistent Branding – You must have consistency throughout your online presence, which should at least include your blog, Twitter and Facebook pages. If you're presenting yourself, be sure you have the same headshot in every outlet. Pick one logo, one name, and stand by it.

9 – Engage Your Tribe – Don't be passive when it comes to your readers, followers, and customers. Ask them questions, address their comments, and make it easy for them to share their thoughts. Be sure the commenting system on your blog is easy and straightforward. Find ways to reward your top commenters for participation.

10 – Monetize – Art and money do not have to be enemies. I didn't set out to make money when I started my blog. And for a long time, I didn't make any. But now I do. I've sustained income from my blog by utilizing a simple combination of advertising, affiliates, and products. I do it without selling my soul by following one simple rule – I only offer ads, products and services that are congruent with my brand and add value to my readers. You can do the same.

"These 10 tips can help virtually anyone create a platform," said Hyatt. "I'm thrilled that so many people are drawn to the detailed strategies laid out in 'Platform,' and I look forward to hearing countless success stories from those who have put its step-by-step guide into action." 

In "Platform," Hyatt reveals the key principles and tactics used by marketers, best-selling authors, public speakers, musicians, and other creatives to provide a behind-the-scenes in the new world of social media success. By providing real-world examples from those who have built successful platforms, Hyatt explains how it all fits together – new media and old – into one comprehensive strategy.

Michael Hyatt was CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers for six years and now serves as its chairman. He is professional blogger, author, and speaker. Over the course of six years, his blog MichaelHyatt.com has garnered more than four hundred thousand monthly visitors. In addition, more than fifty thousand people subscribe to his daily blog posts. Hyatt communicates to one hundred thousand Twitter followers and fifteen thousand Facebook fans. He is consistently ranked as a top blogger for productivity, leadership, publishing, and social media marketing. Also, his podcast that was launched in March is already consistently in the top ten podcasts for the Business category. Hyatt and his wife, Gail, live outside of Nashville, Tennessee. Follow him online at: http://michaelhyatt.com, @MichaelHyatt, and http://www.facebook.com/michaelhyatt.

Book Details

Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World
Author: Michael Hyatt / Publisher: Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Jacked Hardcover ISBN: 9781595555038 / $24.99
eBook ISBN: 9781595555045 / $24.99
Pages and Size: 275 pages / 5.5" x 8.38"
BISAC: BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / GENERAL / GENERAL
Available Now / Spanish Edition Coming in January 2013
http://michaelhyatt.com/platform

SOURCE Thomas Nelson, Inc.