Here on the Platform University blog, we talk a lot about the importance of building your online platform.
We talk about tools and methods to reach more people with your message, products, or hard-won expertise. We talk about how to multiply both your influence and your income. But sometimes you have to stop and ask yourself:
How am I doing?
Evaluation is important.
Have you heard the story of Shoichi Yokoi? A Japanese soldier during World War II, Yokoi was stationed on the island of Guam. When U.S. forces captured the island, Yokoi took shelter in a cave to avoid capture. He waited and he waited for 28 years until he was discovered by two hunters in 1972.
Here’s the thing. After nearly 30 years of isolation, Yokoi still believed World War II was ongoing. In fact, he attacked the hunters who found him. Yokoi was returned to Japan, got married, and went on to live a normal life. While he remained loyal to cause, his lack of context led to decades of self-deception and lost time.
Yokoi’s story is extreme, but it provides a word of caution to any person who is building an online platform. It is easy to get down in the weeds and lose sight where you are and how you’re doing.
Because Building a Platform Is Daunting
The problem is that building an online following can feel daunting. We talk to people all the time who want the personal and professional benefits a platform offers. It’s just that they either struggle to gain momentum or lose sight of the goal that’s in front of them.
The world of blogs, podcasts, social media, and online products can feel so overwhelming and mystifying. Everything feels important, essential, and urgent. Logo? Design? Slogan? What about lead magnets, email service providers, and all the endless plugins and widgets?
Where do you begin? And once you’ve started how do you get traction and grow a profitable, sustainable business?
The answer starts with discovering the few simple things that are most important at your stage right now. To do that, we encourage you to take our free Profitable Platform Assessment.
Check In With Free Platform Assessment
Take the Profitable Platform Assessment, and you’ll discover the #1 easiest strategy to make income from your platform right now.
There’s no reason to feel lost in a sea of competing priorities. Take the Profitable Platform Assessment, and find your direction in no time! It takes as little as five minutes. Best of all, it’s free.
