Potential Elements of Your Platform
Although you do not have to have all of these things to have an effective platform, the more visibility you have, the better / stronger your Platform. The more knowledge you can demonstrate (which is, basically, the more proof you can provide of your expertise and experience), the more people will want to hire you. You can say you are an expert, but your Platform offers the evidence to prove it.
In developing your platform, consider which elements will be most valuable to you; for example, you decide whether it’s more important to have a lot of industry contacts by volunteering with a professional association or to have visibility by attending the events instead so you can meet new potential clients or affiliate / joint venture partners.
• Credentials – professional experience, passion, training and accomplishments.
• Author books / ebooks / articles – the more, the better. (Remember to translate to other languages for other countries).
• Products – audio / CD / video / DVD series, e-courses, a card deck, calendar, software tool for your clients to use.
• Premium items – those items branded to your business that you give away at events.
• Free reports / assessments / ecourses – available through your website. (Note: do not call it a free report; instead, give it a title and place a dollar value on it even though you are giving it away.)
• Speaking engagements – large or well-known audiences, an impressive number of speaking engagements, international, keynote presentations. (Have a speaker one-sheet available.)
• Tours – book launching / signing presentations, speaking, virtual blog tours.
• Teleseminars – free or paid, # of callers, interviewees, relevant topical information. (Think about creating a podcast.)
• A newspaper or magazine column.
• Your own ezine or newsletter.
• Internet presence – includes a website and/or blog.
• Online forums – chat rooms, discussions, profiles, a source of dedicated subscribers or “listeners”.
• Social media presence – Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Digg and other social sites.
• A mailing list (online and/or off-line) – # of subscribers, regular communication. (If you have 1,000 fans on your list, you potentially have a 6 figure business.)
• Media exposure and expert status – through TV, radio and print, interviews and articles, your own internet video show or radio program, a recurring segment on a show or guest appearances on a variety of shows or guest columns.
• Well-known clients promoting your work.
• Endorsements or testimonials from industry leaders.
• A high-profile, prominent position in a volunteer or professional organization (e.g., board member or committee leadership).
• Innovation – achieve a breakthrough in your industry breakthrough, receive award or public recognition, develop new processes that enhance your industry, become a thought leader by advancing new strategies and leading the way for handling changes in the marketplace.