It may seem like companies beginning to sound like pasty-faced teenagers; annoyingly touting large numbers of “Friends” and “Followers;” groups that are comprised of people that have never actual made a single purchase.

Building a platform is all about getting people and businesses interested in what you have to say. Once they are interested, they will keep coming back and eventually you will have a built-in network that not only listens but tells others about what they hear.

Investing time and resources into developing a solid following of your social media, podcast, video and blog outlets yields long-term results. The simplest way to gain followers is to provide information that is valuable. This could be in the form of how-to articles, interviews with industry leaders or condensed news feeds that target a specific niche. Whatever the offering, it must be more than one continuous commercial for your business. It must be interesting enough that the individual will continue to return for more.

Not only does a solid platform provide you with a great group of potential clients but it also helps to establish your identity as a Thought Leader within the industry. Consistency producing valuable content that inspires conversation and generates interest creates a pool of followers that promote your business and ideas and are the first to hear about new products and offerings.