What Does Platform Mean?
The word ‘platform’ is a very prominent phrase, to have the ability to grow your business, but what does platform mean?
A Definition
In the broadest definition it represents the different ways to communicate an idea and to build a dialogue with your audience.
When I was working on a well-known cinema brand, over ten years ago, the platforms were quite limited in the ways to communicate (although pretty straightforward for the media buyers). For instance cinema launches were focused on outdoor advertising, press and DM and when a cinema had launched, local press was the predominant source for finding out the weekly listings. How times have changed.
Now fast forward to today, for a business to build an audience and choose a platform, websites don’t need the heavy investment to build and maintain, you can build a discussion and listen into competitors/prospects/customers via social media channels, create and share video content via YouTube and Vimeo and have the power to build databases where the ownership is yours (and as simple as using the Excel spreadsheet) and not another media company.
The Old Platforms v The New Platforms
This is what a platform represents where we create the best methods to interact with others. The difference between ten years ago and today is that the majority of platforms to communicate are considerably less than they once were (in many cases free).
Creating a platform is one of the most powerful aspects to building a dialogue, creating an audience and more importantly becoming an influence. This can only be achieved by being connected with others.
The tweets, blogs, posts, comments and discussions all contribute to becoming recognised and ahead of your competitors.
The secret behind a successful platform is high quality connections that appreciate the value you provide and then focusing on these connections by forming a trusted relationship.
It’s About Adding Value Where You Influence Others
You don’t have to become an expert in all, but to have a platform that you can effectively own and others recognise you as the source to trust and provide value that is head and shoulders above everyone else.
