Platform ― The Art and Science of Personal Branding

The indispensable guide to developing a personal brand, finding an audience, and nurturing followers, by digital marketing thought-leader Cynthia Johnson.

In the modern world, influence is everything and personal branding equals influence. Platform is the why-to, how-to handbook by top expert Cynthia Johnson for everyone who wants to develop and manage a personal brand. In Platform, Johnson explains the process of going from unknown to influencer by achieving personal proof, social proof, recognition, and association. Johnson herself went from an on-staff social media manager to social media influencer, entrepreneur, and marketing thought-leader in just three years using her process of accelerated brand development, continuous brand management, and strategic growth. Fans of #GirlBoss and #AskGaryVee, who wonder how their favorite influencers found their voices and built their audiences, will find the answers here and discover that the process is technical, creative, tactical, and much easier than they might have expected.

CYNTHIA JOHNSON is the cofounder of the Los Angeles-based branding agency Bell + Ivy and has 1.7 million followers on Twitter (@CynthiaLive), where she is the 12th most followed marketing expert--just after Seth Godin. She was named one of the top five personal branding experts in 2017 by Entrepreneur magazine, Inc. listed her as one of the 20 digital marketing people to follow, and Mashable named her the third most important marketer to follow on SnapChat (#CyninLA). Johnson sits on the advisory board for nGage.social and is a frequent guest speaker at USC's Marshall School of Business, Stanford's Igniter program, and at Fortune 500 companies' executive retreats (speaking at 70 events in 2 years). She is a columnist and mentor for Entrepreneur magazine. Her work has also been featured in Inc., Forbes, and TIME and her digital marketing presentation on SlideShare has more than 100,000 views. She has advised on the social media, branding, and viral campaigns for companies such as Vans, Levi's, and the Susan B. Komen Foundation. She also runs book clubs on Slack, including one focused on personal branding.