What Your Platform Really Is
The real difference between a platform and a stage
Published in
6 min readOct 19, 2018
We writers are told we need to build a platform so we can sell stuff later.
That’s all fine and good. But what is a platform anyway?
- Is it your social media profile and the followers it attracts?
- Is it your email list or your website?
- Is it the course you created or the books you write?
No. No. And No.
The Dictionary Confuses Things
When you look up the word “platform” in the dictionary, it’s defined as a stage.
A horizontal surface raised above the level of the adjacent area, as a stage for public speaking or a landing alongside railroad tracks. (American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. © 2016 )
A stage is something you find in a theater.
As writers, the theaters we use are:
- Social media profiles, pages, and groups
- Online events, webinars, training
- Speaking at conferences or seminars
